N MAGAZINE May 2021 by Nantucket Magazine

N E W

LYME

VACCINE?

SHORT-TERM

R E N T A L C O N T R O V E R S Y

N A N T U C K E T F I R E D E P A R T M E N T

SOUNDS THE ALARM

HEATHER UNRUH

S P E A K S

B A R S T O O L ’ S

DAVE PORTNOY K E E P I N G

S M A L L

B U S I N E S S E S

MAY 2021

A F L O A T

O U T

INCREDIBLE CLIFF OPPORTUNITY

BEAUTIFUL 7 BEDROOM HOME CLOSE TO STEPS BEACH

This gracious, shingle style home was built in 1900, totally renovated by the present owner in 1998 and has been meticulously maintained. Expert craftsmanship went into the renovation, blending the old and new. Multi leveled decks provide private outdoor enjoyment on over one half acre of land. There are water views from many rooms and the sound and harbor views from the third floor deck and the roof walk are panoramic. It is a short walk to Steps Beach and close to Jetties Beach and town as well.

$18,500,000 EXCLUSIVELY SHOWCASED BY GARY WINN Broker

BARBARA JENKINS Broker

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MAURY PEOPLE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY | 37 MAIN STREET, NANTUCKET, MA 02554 | 508.228.1881 | MAURYPEOPLE.COM Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

“First Republic provides resources beyond our standard banking needs that are tailored to support nonprofits like us.” Y 2 Y N ET WO R K

Sarah Rosenkrantz, Co-Founder; Sam Greenberg, Co-Founder

160 Federal Street, Boston (617) 478-5300 1 Post Office Square, Boston (617) 423-2888 772 Boylston Street, Boston (617) 859-8888 47 Brattle Street, Cambridge (617) 218-8488 284 Washington Street, Wellesley (781) 239-9881 (855) 886-4824 | firstrepublic.com | New York Stock Exchange symbol: FRC MEMBER FDIC AND EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

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Discover the magic of The Nantucket Club, in the heart of downtown Club memberships available for the summer, monthly, or weekly Tenants staying in homes of Nantucket Club members have access to all facilities. Check with us or your homeowner for details.

• Two seasonal outdoor heated pools (family/kiddie & adult lap) • Supervised day and evening Kids’ Club • Massage treatment rooms, locker rooms & saunas • Award-winning personal trainers • Convenient downtown location • Outdoor hot tub • World class gym • Fitness & yoga classes

COVID-19 SAFETY PRACTICES ARE IN PLACE FOR OUR SWIMMING POOLS, FITNESS CLASSES, GYM EQUIPMENT, & DURING ALL KIDS’ CLUB ACTIVITIES

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, MA 02554 • THENANTUCKETCLUB.COM 4

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m Cha

e is y n g u pa

Estd.

2002

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When the time is right to sell, go with the team that sold more than one-third of the real estate on the island last year. Between our unrivaled service and matchless knowledge, we’ll help you get the most value out of your home. Cheers to that.

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M A G A Z I N E

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45 Silver Linings

16 CONTRIBUTORS Meet our talented team of columnists. 18 NUMBERS A numerical snapshot of Nantucket this spring. 24 KID'N AROUND The ultimate guide to keeping your kiddos entertained this spring. 26 NECESSITIES A curated roundup of the hottest islandinspired products to hit the market. 28 TRENDING Scope out all the new digital offerings launching at N Magazine this season. 30 HEALTH N WELLNESS The owner of Verdant Maiden Julie Connor gives her top tips to living well. 32 NGREDIENTS Mirabai Perfas dishes her recipe for “Big Hug” dumplings. 34 NOSH NEWS N Magazine’s new food columnist Chris Sleeper chows down at Via Mare. 36 CURRENT NEWS Lead writer and editor of the Nantucket Current, Jason Graziadei hits the headlines.

House Rental Game

M A G A Z I N E

CONTENTS /

MAY 2021

DRESS: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP NECKLACE: THE VAULT EARRINGS: CENTRE POINTE

Light Haute

NSPIRE 40 THE MIRACLE How Our Island Home beat COVID 45 SILVER LININGS Meet a group of Nantucket residents who turned lemons into lemonade during the pandemic.

NVESTIGATE

52 BIG SHOT A new Lyme disease prophylactic treatment is currently in phase one testing. 57 HOUSE RENTAL GAME Inside the controversy surrounding short-term rentals on Nantucket.

Good Vibrations

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CONTENTS /

Sounding the Alarm

NDEPTH

64 REBEL WITH A CAUSE Barstool Sports’ founder Dave Portnoy is on a mission to save small businesses. 74 SOUNDING THE ALARM How the Nantucket Fire Department emerged as a leader on the national stage this winter.

NVOGUE May 2021

ciation presents

y design

including two keynote lectures, preview, and house tours!

SHORT-TERM

R E N T A L C O N T R O V E R S Y

N A N T U C K E T F I R E D E P A R T M E N T

SOUNDS THE ALARM UNRUH

Isabella Rossellini

Lead image design by Pietro Cicognani.

137 Offices 4,400 Sales Associates $16 Billion in Annual Sales 9 States - CT, FL, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT

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S P E A K S

B A R S T O O L ’ S

Nantucket Magazine

Pietro Cicognani

DAVE PORTNOY K E E P I N G

S M A L L

B U S I N E S S E S

MAY 2021

M A G A Z I N E

NQUIRY

N E W

LYME

VACCINE?

The Local Magazine Read Worldwide

INSURANCE

80 N Magazine’s fashion squad shines new light on spring style.

HEATHER

rcoux

MAY 2021

A F L O A T

O U T

ON THE COVER Barstool Sports founder and Nantucket summer resident Dave Portnoy appears on this spring cover in a photograph by Kit Noble. N A N T U C K E T F I R E D E P A R T M E N T

90 TIME TO HEAL Heather Unruh speaks out for the first time in two years.

NHA

101 Page through some old news courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association image archives.

NOT SO FAST

110 A quick chat with yoga-inspired designer Amy Ormond.

ARRIVE IN STYLE P R I VAT E C H A R T E R A N D C O M M U T E R S H A R E D C H A R T E R F L I G H T S T O N A N T U C K E T

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RELIEF FOR IRRITATED EYES IPL treatment for Ocular Surface Disease is now available on-island

At ACK Eye, we work diligently to evaluate innovative technologies in eyecare that might have potential benefits to our island community. Investing in beneficial technologies is a primary reason why ACK Eye is able to offer eyecare of preeminent quality. Earlier disease diagnosis, expanded treatment options, the ability to monitor clinical outcomes, and implementation of improved clinical protocols are all secondary benefits of technologic advancement. We love our island community and will continue to improve eyecare for it. It’s our vision for your sight. Michael Ruby, O.D.

13 Old South Rd (508) 228-0844 ACKEye.com

Dermatologic inflammation of the face from conditions such as Rosacea cause inflammation around, and congestion within the meibomian glands in our eyelids, leading to one of the most common causes of Ocular Surface Disease & Dry Eye Disease. Dermatologists have been performing Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments for Rosacea and other facial skin concerns for decades. A few years ago, observant physicians realized the secondary benefit to patients with dry & irritated eyes. This remarkable light therapy is the single most helpful advancement in the treatment of dry eye disease, without drugs, without down-time, and has the added secondary benefits of collagen stimulation, improved facial skin tone, and reduction of unsightly spider vessels. ACK Eye is pleased to add Lumenis M22 IPL treatment to our armament of options in the battle against the underlying causes of Ocular Surface Disease and Dry Eye Disease. We invite you to call to schedule a consultation to determine if IPL would be helpful for you.

Photo by Brian Sager 1 2

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Go with the Flowcode to view our listings and see how we work! OPEN your camera, AIM at the flowcode, TAP the banner that appears.

Real Estate from the heart of Nantucket with Philip Bloom & Holly Finigan. 34 Centre Street, Nantucket MA 02554 • 508.825.5741 • www.CentreStreetRealty.com 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

N MAGAZINE

DELIVERS! SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE!

Leise Trueblood

SENIOR WRITER Jason Graziadei

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Gray Rebecca Nimerfroh Wendy Rouillard Chris Sleeper

PHOTOGRAPHERS Zofia Crosby Matt Kisiday 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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Finding the

SILVER LINING Now we know how Bill Murray felt in Groundhog Day when the story line just kept repeating itself. While COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines, there are indeed positive outcomes on Nantucket that prove the maxim that there is a silver lining behind every cloud. In our cover story, Barstool Sports founder and Nantucket summer resident Dave Portnoy shares not only his success story but talks about his newly found passion for helping small businesses during the pandemic. No stranger to controversy, Portnoy has channeled the energy of his huge fan base into helping small companies survive through the millions of dollars he has raised across the country. In another story about finding positive news during the pandemic, N Magazine highlights six Nantucketers who have managed to turn a crisis into an opportunity while helping others in the process. From selling designer masks to opening a new athletic boutique to getting an ice cream truck up and running, these bold entrepreneurs successfully turned lemons into lemonade over the last year. While jabs and vaccines seem to be the topic du jour, there could be another medical breakthrough that may potentially solve one of the island’s most vexing problems: Lyme disease. After the unsuccessful rollout of the original Lyme vaccine in the 1990s, there is a novel approach that could protect islanders from the illness without the side effects experienced the first time around. And speaking of jabs, one of the most controversial pieces of legislation proposed for Nantucket in recent years has sparked a highly charged debate on the island. A bill sponsored by ACK•Now is aimed at curbing short-term rentals and, in theory, reducing the speculative demand for housing designed for business purposes. While some agree that the island has more than its share of off-island investors who rent homes, the real estate community among others has voiced deep concerns about the chilling effect on the market. Additionally, many longtime residents on the island rely on supplemental income to pay their mortgages and fear that this legislation would force them to sell.

BRUCE A. PERCELAY Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Another controversy that engulfed the island two years ago was the case of actor Kevin Spacey and the son of former TV news anchor Heather Unruh. For the first time since the court case was dismissed, Unruh opened up to N Magazine’s Editor Robert Cocuzzo and shared thoughts that have never before been revealed to the media. As the pace of news Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on Nantucket accelerates, N Magazine has decided to expand its offerings with an e-newsletter called Nantucket Current, which will be edited by Jason Graziadei, who distinguished himself as a writer at The Inquirer and Mirror before most recently serving as communications lead at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. At this time, we are also introducing a podcast called Nantucket Sound and a new video capability all designed to make N Magazine the single source for news and information on Nantucket. The most powerful medicine to give our spirits a shot in the arm will be the inevitable dissipation of the pandemic, so that we can fully enjoy each other’s company again on Nantucket. Think positive and enjoy the upcoming spring season on the island. Sincerely,

Bruce A. Percelay Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

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Columnists

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Jason GRAZIADEI The newest full-time member of the N Magazine team, Jason Graziadei now serves as the publication’s Senior Writer as well as the editor of our brand new e-newsletter, Nantucket Current. The former Public Information Officer at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and once longtime lead reporter at the Inquirer & Mirror, Graziadei will be regularly penning in-depth features as well as our monthly NBUZZ column in the magazine.

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Wendy ROUILLARD Wendy Rouillard is the creator of the Barnaby Bear children’s book series, and her artwork and stories have graced the covers and pages of many magazines, newspapers, and more than 25 children’s books. Rouillard writes our monthly Kid'N Around column, which gives parents the ultimate rundown on places to go, things to see and activities to keep their kiddos entertained the whole summer long.

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 Wednesday and here in the magazine’s monthly Nosh News.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS OLD NEWS

I N T R O D U C I N G T H E I S L A N D ’ S U LT I M A T E E - N E W S L E T T E R four times a week. Written and edited Nantucket deserves an unbiased, unfiltered by one of the island’s most respected and objective news source to keep journalists—Jason Graziadei— you informed of all the everthe Current will set a new changing events on the island. SCAN FLOWCODE TO SUBSCRIBE standard for disseminating From the team that brought you information on Nantucket. N Magazine, Nantucket Current So don’t just get the news… delivers breaking news as well as stay Current. in-depth reporting to your inbox

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$1.85 Billion

NUMBERS NANTUCKET BY THE

374 Days it took to replace the fountain on Main Street after being hit by a car last year.

Years the Brotherhood of Thieves Restaurant was open before closing this winter.

Real estate sales in 2020, up 50 percent from the year prior.

-64.9% Decrease in hospitality employment in April of 2020 compared to the previous year.

Our Island Home nursing home residents on Nantucket to fall ill with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

27,900

COVID-19 tests were administered at Nantucket Cottage Hospital's two testing sites from March 15, 2020 to March 15, 2021.

$75 Million $153,000

Financial losses reported by 238 Nantucket businesses from April to September 2020 due to the pandemic, as reported in the Island Economic Impact Study of the COVID-19 Crisis.

Amount given by the town to support the Chamber of Commerce Rock Solid Fund, which provides grants to small businesses navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.

20 feet

Of shoreline, including a section of Sheep Pond Road, eroded in a winter storm last February 1 8

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71.6% The increase in pounds of freight delivered to the island at Nantucket Memorial Airport in December 2020 compared to the same month one year earlier.

A healthy community starts here. 7 days a week. 365 days a year. From emergency medicine to cancer care, routine surgery to primary care, and so much more. Nantucket Cottage Hospital provides for the health of Nantucket with the quality you would expect from an affiliate of Mass General Brigham.

Your support of the hospital is an investment in our community. nantuckethospital.org/donate N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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n eat stuff n

SPONSORED CONTENT

JET LINX SETS A NEW STANDARD IN FLIGHT SAFETY

he coronavirus has added a new obstacle to traveling to and from Nantucket. Despite stringent social distancing measures on ferries, some feel too vulnerable to take the Steamship or Hy-Line. Even more daunting can be the idea of flying commercially. For those who don’t want to sit in their car aboard the two-hour Steamship voyage, flying private might just be the safest and certainly most luxurious option. And in that rarefied air of private jet travel, Jet Linx has pioneered the cleanest and safest way to soar. In the face of the coronavirus, the company has taken its whiteglove service to a whole new level by integrating the cutting-edge BIOPROTECTUs™ System. Developed by ViaClean Technologies, BIOPROTECT™ is applied to all the porous and nonporous surfaces inside the plane. After all bacteria, viruses and mold are obliterated, antimicrobial technologies are then administered to protect against bacteria for up to three months. Jet Linx was the first private aviation company to integrate the BIOPROTECTUs™ System into its aircraft

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and private terminals. The antimicrobial formulation in the BIOPROTECTUs™ System has been proven by two Centers of Excellence of the Global Virus Network to kill and provide long-term residual surface protection against the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus. For those flying from the Boston area, this sense of safety and ease is increased by the Jet Linx private terminal, which opened at Hanscom Airfield in Bedford, Massachusetts, three years ago. Instead of having to pass through the TSA at Logan Airport, Jet Linx passengers enjoy simple parking and a leisurely check-in. The private space offers a cushy lounge, conference rooms and a kitchen loaded with tasty bites and beverages. Jet Linx has been flying to Nantucket from all its locations since the aviation company was founded. This June it is making an added commitment to the community by becoming a headlining sponsor of the Nantucket Film Festival. But its real blockbuster is found in the air. From tarmac to tarmac, Jet Linx is committed to the highest level of excellence for its members. Once aboard, passengers experience the pinnacle of private jet travel, with spectacular amenities that will make them want the hour-long flight to Nantucket to last just a few minutes longer.

For more information about Jet Linx, aim your phone camera at the Flowcode and tap the banner link

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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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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EVENTS

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NANTUCKET 250 APRIL 1 – MAY 31

Lace up, runners…this one’s for you. Challenge yourself to run 250 virtual miles this spring— from Boston to Cape Cod to Nantucket—in support of Boston nonprofits. Sound appealing but not game for running the full 250 solo? Team up with family and friends for the relay option! For more information, visit bostonroadrunners.org/ nantucket250.

2 BRIAN GLOWACKI & FRIENDS – HOMEGROWN COMEDY SHOW APRIL 23 / 7:00PM / DREAMLAND Get a giggle during Daffodil weekend with local comedic legend Brian Glowacki and his friends. This live (yes we said live!) comedy show will have limited seating, so be sure to grab tickets quickly. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nantucketdreamland.org.

3 GUIDED WALK OF THE MIDDLE MOORS APRIL 24 / 11:00 AM

Break out of your quarantine walking routine with this guided tour of the Middle Moors, including Altar Rock and the highlands of Norwood Farm. With the Nantucket Conservation Foundation as your guide, discover hidden valleys, delight in kettle ponds, and explore a whole new side of Nantucket. For more information, visit nantucketconservation.org.

to attend in-person or virtually this spring

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THE HISTORY OF DAFFODIL WEEKEND APRIL 27 / 5:30 – 6:30 PM / ONLINE

The Daffodil Festival may still be on hiatus, but that won’t stop spring from springing! In lieu of their Flower Power party, the NHA invites you to enjoy this evening webinar with Mary Malavase and Suzanne Daub to learn more about the origins of Nantucket’s festive spring celebration, the planting of a million daffodil bulbs around the island, and more. Register for the Zoom and find more information at nha.org.

VIEWING OF RIC BURNS’ “NANTUCKET” MAY 12 / 5-6PM / WHALING MUSEUM

If you’re a Nantucket Historical Association member, spring is a time to feel the burn… Ric Burns that is. The NHA’s showing of Burns’ mesmerizing documentary about the history of Nantucket will be made all the more enchanting as you watch it in the island’s historical epicenter. For more information, visit nha.org.

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THEATRE WORKSHOP STAGED READINGS ALL SPRING / ONLINE

The show must go on! Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, celebrating its 65th season this year, will keep the show biz spirit alive this spring with a series of filmed staged readings. Productions include Collected Stories, Love/Sick, and Bakersfield Mist with more to be announced. Grab your popcorn and visit theatrenantucket.org for more information.

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NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL STREAMING PASSES ON SALE MAY 6 / 12:00PM / ONLINE

Film buffs, mark your calendars…you won’t want to miss this. As part of the Nantucket Film Festival’s 2021 hybrid model, NFF Now at Home Streaming passes will go on sale May 6th at 12:00 pm. Hoping to get into the sold-out Screenwriter Sessions Live featuring Leslie Dixon, Nancy Meyers, and other stars? The waitlist is open to join until April 30. For more information, visit nantucketfilmfestival.org.

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DECLUTTERING WORKSHOP MAY 19 / 7:00 PM / ONLINE

After a year at home, we could all use an extra strong spring clean this year. Kick yours into high gear with this online decluttering workshop hosted by life coach Janet Forest. Your house (and your family) will thank you. For more information, visit nantucketatheneum.org.

9 9 LUNAFEST MAY 29 / ONLINE AND AT THE DREAMLAND

LUNAFEST, a national traveling female-focused film festival—initially managed by the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket—is returning to the island thanks to NCTV18. This much-loved island event is a fundraiser that will primarily support the NCTV campaign for a new broadcast studio. The hybrid fest will have both a virtual silent auction via NCTV and an in-person event at The Dreamland. For in-person tickets, visit nantucketdreamland.org, and for virtual tickets visit nctv18.org.

FIGAWI MAY 28-30 / HYANNIS

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Sail into summer with a Figawi like never before. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the annual charity sailing race from Hyannis to Nantucket will still take place this year, only in Hyannis. For more information, visit figawi.com.

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W R I T T E N

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W E N D Y

R O U I L L A R D

Kid' N AROUND THE WHALING MUSEUM’S DISCOVERY CENTER IS OPEN The Nantucket Historical Association’s new interactive play space is now open. This new addition is sure to engage and spark children’s imaginations with hands-on activities from the Waterfront set: Sarg’s Curiosity Shop, the Harbormaster’s Office and Tilton’s Scallop Shanty. Also, stay tuned for the new outdoor Discovery Park opening this summer. To reserve a spot and for more information, visit nha.org. TWEEN AND TEEN NIGHTS AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB The popular tween and teen nights are in full swing at the Boys & Girls Club. A host of themed nights are scheduled through the month of May including Bingo Night, Movie Night and a Slam Dunk Night. Tween nights are every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and teen nights are every Friday from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.. Food, snacks and activities are included. These nights are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Visit nantucketboysandgirlsclub.org for more information and to register.

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ART CLASSES AT THE NEW BARNABY’S TOY & ART SHACK The new Barnaby’s Toy & Art Shack opens May 1st. We are excited to have a community space in town for kids, offering art all day (no registration required), as well as classes on the weekends through May. Our curriculum and classes are taught by professional artists and educators; we’ll also be offering a complete suite of daily classes this summer for kids ages eighteen months to thirteen years. To learn more or to register for classes, visit barnabysnantucket.com or email barnabyack@gmail.com. GET CREATIVE AT THE ARTISTS ASSOCIATION Celebrate your birthday or a special milestone this year at the Artists Association of Nantucket. The cheery, bright studios are the perfect place to host a creative and artistic-themed party of your choice. Whether it is your child’s favorite book, sport, animal or game, the Artists Association will be sure to entertain and delight your kiddos by providing instruction and all art equipment. For more information or to reserve a space, please visit nantucketarts.org. LIVE WITH THE DREAMLAND STAGE COMPANY There is so much happening at 17 South Water Street this summer. Registration for the Dreamland’s in-person 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 live programs that will educate and entertain your kids all summer long. For more information and to register, visit nantucketdreamland.org. SPRING INTO PEACHTREE KIDS Peachtree Kids, located at 19 Main Street, carries timeless and classic children’s clothing, accessories and shoes for both everyday wear and special occasions. The store is filled to the brim with lines such as Hatley, Busy Bees, Snapper Rock, Piping Prints, See Kai Run and many more. Peachtree Kids is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or visit them online at peachtreekidsnantucket.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram @peachtreekidsnantucket.

Oh yes she did!

LUNAFEST, initially managed by the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, is returning to the island thanks to NCTV18! This much-loved island event is a fundraiser that will primarily support the NCTV campaign for a new broadcast studio. This will create the studio for real-time broadcast, further enhance NCTV’s original programming series, and free up space on the main floor to expand and develop NCTV’s educational programs for media arts studies. Learn more about NCTV and LUNAFest online at www.nctv18.org!

Hybrid event: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Virtually with NCTV + Silent Auction & In-person event at the Dreamland Theater* Socially Distance + Goodie bags + Door Prizes

Buy tickets now!

In-person tickets: nantucketdreamland.org

Virtual tickets: nctv18.org

*Contingent upon on MASS state guidelines for public gathering at the time of this event.

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LINKS DRINKS CLASSIC TRANSFUSION Whether you’re headed to tee off or to sit on the beach, this golf club classic and ready-to-drink Transfusion cocktail in a can is sure to be your go-to. Links Drinks • @linksdrinks • linksdrinks.com

MUMTAZ DRESS This sumptuous, hand-loomed silk Ikat dress, finely gathered with balloon sleeves, is a classic wardrobe staple that is always chic and fun.

Want to support your favorite island restaurant before the summer rush? Grab a gift certificate to one of Nantucket’s many dining establishments and start daydreaming about the lobster rolls, tuna poke, and galettes in your future.

FUTURE PRIMITIVE @_futureprimitive_ shopfutureprimitive.com

REVIVE SLIP-ON

MATCHBOOK PRINT In search of a way to pay homage to your favorite restaurant, college, or hotel? These intimate framed photographs of matchbooks collected from Nantucket and across the world are the perfect personal addition to any home! Charlie Clarke @matchbookdiaries charlesryanclarke.com

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The Revive is an active recovery slip-on designed to support and minimize impact on your muscles preand post-workout. Constructed from BounceBack foam, an innovative alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based EVA that is derived from renewable sugarcane, this shoe was developed to promote healing and rest for your body. Kane Footwear • @kanefootwear • kanefootwear.com

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t r e nding

What’s happening on #NANTUCKET Check out N Mag's newest digital offerings

PODCAST This season, N Magazine has hit the airwaves with a brand-new podcast titled Nantucket Sound. Hosted by editor Robert Cocuzzo, the 24-episode season will feature the voices of some of the most fascinating individuals connected to Nantucket. The debut episode is an intimate conversation with former news anchor and recent year-round island resident Heather Unruh. Subscribe to Nantucket Sound on Apple Podcast, Spotify or at www.NantucketPodcast.com.

NEWS N Magazine is now delivering the news. Published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a special weekend edition on Saturday, our brand-new Nantucket Current newsletter will be breaking stories that you simply won’t find anywhere else. Written and edited by Jason Graziadei—the former communications lead at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital and longtime lead reporter for the Inquirer & Mirror—the Current will be a must-read daily dose of island life. Scan the Flowcode on the left to subscribe to the Current.

FLOWCODE N Magazine has partnered with one of the hottest new technology companies to give even more depth to our storytelling this season. The latest in QR code technology, Flowcodes will now be found throughout our print editions. Simply raise your camera phone to the Flowcode and you’ll be transported to audio, video and other digital N Magazine content, as well as additional resources from our advertising partners.

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healthn wellness

GOOD V I B R AT I ONS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGIE MORLEY & ZOFIA CROSBY

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

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PLEASURE That’s right, I’m talking about orgasms. Or-

gasms have a remarkable effect on the mind and body, most notably they help promote a better night’s sleep, a happier outlook (thanks to the release of hormones like dopamine, oxytocin and DHEA), reduced inflammation in the body, as well as increased blood flow and oxygen in the body and (bonus!) a boost in collagen production. The glow is real.

A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP Easier said than done, but find-

ing a routine that works for you could significantly improve your quality of life. Try reducing tech and bright lights at least two hours before bed. Steep a cup of herbal tea with soothing herbs like chamomile, passionflower or valerian. Add a boost to your cup with a tincture of Sweet Dreams, which we have available in the shop. Create a cool and dark environment in your bedroom. If all else fails, see number one.

DETOX Prior to a bath or shower, gently guide a dry brush upward, starting at the feet, in long sweeping motions toward your heart. Dry brushing not only exfoliates, but it kick-starts the body’s lymphatic system and promotes drainage. If you’re following up the brushing with a bath, try one of four soaks available in the shop and round out the ritual with a nourishing body butter or oil.

BRUSH YOUR HAIR Marcia Brady

was really onto something back in the ’70s. My advice: Invest in a quality mixed-bristle brush such as our shop’s custom fern-engraved reclaimed beechwood brushes. Start by brushing dry hair a few nights a week for fifteen to twenty minutes. I recommend brushing in the evening and before washing. This brushing ritual is not only relaxing, but it distributes your natural oils from root to end, gives your scalp a little exfoliation and stimulates hair growth.

REDUCE YOUR TOXIC LOAD

Symptoms of toxic build-up may include digestive issues, brain fog, breakouts, bad breath and fatigue—just to name a few. Reduce your toxic load by replacing your deodorant, skincare and household cleaning products with safer, more environmentally friendly options. Drink more water (just like Mom said) and eat organic, plant-forward meals.

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n gredients

LITTLE DUMPLING Mirabai Perfas shares her recipe for pork and vegetable Big Hug dumplings

INGREDIENTS ½ pound ground pork 1 cup kale, finely chopped ¾ cup carrots, finely chopped 2 /3 cup cabbage, finely chopped ¼ cup scallions, chopped 1 Tablespoon ginger, minced 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Shaoxing cooking wine or 1 teaspoon sugar 2 /3 teaspoon salt, divided 1 Tablespoon peanut or canola oil plus more if frying dumplings 40 to 50 round dumpling wrappers

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INSTRUCTIONS To make the filling: • Heat cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add cabbage, scallions, ginger and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir. Turn off heat and transfer to a plate to cool. •

In a large bowl, combine pork with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar or Shaoxing and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well to combine. Add cooled cabbage mixture, kale and carrots and mix well.

To make the dumplings: •

NOTES

BOILED

Prepare a small bowl of water to wet your wrapper edges and a couple of damp towels to lay over your unused wrappers and finished dumplings to prevent them from drying out.

•

Take one wrapper and brush the edge with water using a pastry brush or your finger. There should be a wet border that is about a ¼-inch to ½-inch wide. •

•

To cook:

Lay the wrapper in your hand and scoop about 1-1½ Tablespoons of filling in the center of the wrapper. Be careful not to overfill or the dumpling will be hard to seal.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Place dumplings in boiling water, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Transfer to plate. STEAMED

Fill a pot with water so that it does not quite touch the bottom of your steamer. Line steamer with a damp cloth or vegetable leaves or oil the bottom of your dumplings so they do not stick to the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add dumplings to steamer and steam for 7-10 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Fold the dumpling in half like a taco and pinch together in the center of where the edges meet. Working out from the center pinch together the edges of the wrapper so that you have a half moon with a sealed edge that is about a finger-width wide. At this point you have a dumpling and can cook them from here. If you would like to make the “Big Hug” shape, take the ends of the half moon in each hand and pull them together to 6 o’clock (the place where you first pinched together the taco is 12 o’clock). Pinch the ends together to seal. Use a little extra water if you have difficulty keeping the ends pinched together. Use one of your damp towels to place over your completed dumplings while you finish shaping the rest of the dumplings. •

If you are using storebought wrappers, be sure to buy dumpling wrappers and not wonton wrappers as those are thinner and will break more easily. The brand I like is Twin Marquis and can be found at 167 Fish Market as well as at Nantucket Seafoods. An alternative method of frying your dumplings is to steam or boil them first and then panfry them in oil.

•

Be sure to chop the kale fine enough so no large pieces of stem will pierce your wrappers.

PAN-SEARED

Heat a wellseasoned large cast-iron skillet or large nonstick pan. Add about 1½ Tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add dumplings to pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan—there should be at least a half-inch between dumplings. Pan fry for 2 or 3 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Do not move dumplings while they pan fry. Next, using a pan lid to shield you from any spatter, add about ¼ cup of water to the pan—just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5-6 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook for another minute or so until all of the water has evaporated from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to plate.

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n osh news

That’s

Downtown dining destination Via Mare

AMARE!

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SLEEPER

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT KISIDAY

Since co-owners Andrea Solimeo and Taylor Oliver opened Via Mare in the spring of 2019, the restaurant located in the Greydon House on Broad Street has become a launch pad to venture out into the wonderful world of food. “It’s a tip of the cap to Venezia’s long storied history as a central hub in the spice trades—journeys that allow for us to take creative license in broadening our cuisine, wine list and cocktails far beyond the Italian moniker,” Oliver says. Solimeo and Oliver describe their menu as “Italian-ish.” The “ish” part has really expanded over the past year, morphing into whatever flavors they feel the community needs and wants in that season. While most eateries have tried to narrow their scope during these difficult times, Via Mare added Venetians on Vacation, then

brunch, then lunch, then VFC (Via Fried Chicken). The list goes on. “It allowed the community to dive into different cultures at a time when we were essentially shut out from the world beyond our tiny island,” Oliver says. Taking a step into their fire-lit bohemian living room early this spring, I was greeted with the same bright smiles I would expect when entering Nonna’s kitchen on the edge of the grand canal in Venice. I was no longer home. Or as Oliver told me: “It’s armchair traveling…in just about the comfiest armchair you can find.” Indeed, sitting in that cozy armchair, an array of small plates sent my taste buds on a trip along the Venetian spice route, borrowing flavors from the rest of Europe, North Africa and Asia along the way. My Venetian hors d’oeuvres, or cichetti, were perfect little bites of bacon and anchovy deviled eggs, hot chicken Milanese with Moroccan pancakes, and Nantucket oysters that put me canal-side in Venice. Next, as the plates got a bit bigger, I dove into the wine list with the help of manager and sommelier Christina Peterson, who paired my decadent mushroom-andtruffle-stuffed cappelletti with a delicious light red from the Canary Islands. When I asked her what Via Mare meant to her, she told me, “It’s like all your favorite far-flung, idyllic travel destinations in one very small space…gastronomically, viticulturally and design wise.” I recommend anything in the cichetti section; an assortment

from the small plates including the cumin lamb, which is exploding with flavor (Chef Andrea recommends eating it last as the “grand finale”); the grilled beans that have never left the menu; and anything else with vegetables (they just do veggies right). Locals also swoon over the chicken, which has become a Via Mare staple in the secondi or entree section. With those selections, I highly recommend you trust the team at Via Mare to choose your beverages. “We’ll again be highlighting a fresh cocktail program this spring with lots of fun and funky flavors,” Oliver says. “And the wine list is bursting at the seams with undiscovered gems we’ve tirelessly sought throughout the winter months.” For my part, I’ll add the fine Italian liqueur amaro—do not forget the amaro. When I asked Oliver what he’s looking forward to on the menu this spring, he quickly answered: “Everything.” He then elaborated: “The goal is to take in a vegetable, or a fish, or a mollusk and ask what it wants from us, then make something delicious. We then do it all over again with the next exciting thing that finds itself on our doorstep.”

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nbuzz AFRICAN MEETING HOUSE

INVESTIGATION

probable cause to indict a second individual who had been under suspicion in the African Meeting House case. The investigation remains open.

More than three years have passed since Nantucket’s African Meeting House became the scene of a horrific hate crime, when the historic building was defaced with racist graffiti in March 2018. While the crime itself remains unsolved, an island man pleaded guilty in March to reporting a false crime in relation to the ongoing investigation. During a hearing in Nantucket Superior Court over the winter, Jeffrey Sayle, 51, was sentenced to eighteen months of probation, ordered to pay court fees, complete one hundred hours of community service, be evaluated by a social worker on racial sensitivity issues and attend any counseling as ordered. A grand jury found no

“A NEW DOWNTOWN” FOR THE ISLAND? “The

UGLIEST BUILDING on Nantucket”

NOT GOING ANYWHERE The eyesore that is the modular trailer next to the old Nantucket Fire Department building on Pleasant Street, which one former Select Board member dubbed “the ugliest building on Nantucket,” isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Previously used as a school classroom, the trailer was moved to its current location before the pandemic hit to provide the town with additional meeting space, a need that became moot due to COVID-19. The unit is being “installed” on the property, at least for now, at a cost of $450,000. “We are painfully aware of the unsightly [to put it kindly] modular trailer,” Town Manager Libby Gibson wrote in a recent communication. The town will be putting up landscaping to shield the trailer as much as possible, and hopes to complete a facilities plan and consolidate town offices at 2 Fairgrounds Road, allowing the unit to eventually be removed.

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A group of real estate investors envision a “new downtown” for Nantucket in the mid-island area after dropping $10.75 million to purchase The Downyflake restaurant property and three adjacent parcels along Sparks Avenue earlier this year. Two members of the investment team, Christopher Fiumara and Daniel Najarian, said they intend to develop new retail and recreational space that “could lend itself to a wonderful ‘new downtown’ to be enjoyed by year-rounders and summer visitors alike” in a letter to The Inquirer and Mirror. Fiumara and Najarian are the co-founders of the Boston-based Crowd Lending Inc., a commercial real estate lender.

WHERE THE FIGAWI? NOT ON NANTUCKET

The 50th annual Figawi Race Weekend is happening this year, but it won’t be coming to Nantucket. The popular sailboat race from Hyannis to Nantucket over Memorial Day weekend typically draws thousands to the island’s waterfront. But this year, due to COVID-19 precautions, the races will start and finish in Hyannis, bypassing Nantucket completely. “So while we will not be able to spend the weekend roaming the docks of the Nantucket Boat Basin,” organizers said, “or standing in line at the Chicken Box, we will be able to spend the time enjoying Nantucket Sound!”

FORMER PATRIOTS LINEBACKER

TEDY BRUSCHI BUYS NANTUCKET PROPERTY

Tedy Bruschi is most remembered for tackles and touchdowns in the snow at Gillette Stadium, but this summer you might find him relaxing on the beach next to you. Bruschi, the New England Patriots’ legendary linebacker, and his wife Heidi purchased a vacant half-acre island property in ’Sconset for $1.1 million in March. Bruschi’s new digs are not too far from the compound owned by his former coach, Bill Belichick, who conducted the Patriots’ 2020 draft from the living room of his Nantucket home.

BOAT BASIN GETS

A FACELIFT

Throughout the offseason of 2020–21, Nantucket Harbor saw a flurry of construction activity on the water including four barges and a massive crane that have been busy between Straight Wharf and Old South Wharf along the waterfront. The heavy equipment was in place for nearly six months to allow the Nantucket Boat Basin to complete a massive infrastructure project including a complete replacement of the original steel bulkhead that has been in place since the marina was first built in 1968. All of the finger piers and pilings along the north side of Old South Wharf have been replaced, and new boardwalks, brickwork, electrical and plumbing, as well as sewer, water and communications lines, were installed.

NEW

“100 MILE” FOOD HUB REPLACES ANNYE’S The former Annye’s Whole Foods building on Amelia Drive was purchased in March by Wendy and Eric Schmidt’s ReMain Ventures, which has partnered with the founders of 100 Mile Makers to reopen the store as a local food hub called Pip & Anchor. The virtual pop-up market known as 100 Mile Makers, which allows customers to order food and local goods from farmers and artisans within roughly one hundred miles of the island, will now have its own permanent, physical storefront. Founders Mayumi Hattori, Rita Higgins and Chris Sleeper intend to “make local food more available and more accessible to all.”

Enjoying the Nantucket news nuggets on these pages? Get more with N Magazine’s brand-new e-newsletter Nantucket Current, which will be delivering island stories and information to your inbox four times per week. Written and edited by longtime Nantucket journalist and resident Jason Graziadei, Nantucket Current is a must-read dose of island life. Get the latest on Nantucket news, events and what’s happening around the island for free simply by holding your phone’s camera up to the Flowcode on this page to subscribe.

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NEED TO

n eed to read

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

WE BEGIN AT THE END BY CHRIS WHITAKER Let me begin with We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. As of this writing, it is my favorite book of the year so far. Everything worked for me, from the memorable characters (I can’t stop thinking about Duchess) to the thrilling plot. Duchess is like a rougher, modern-day Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. Page 224 had me tearing up so hard that I had to put the book down and remind myself that this was fiction. Yes, it’s cliché to say, but I laughed and I cried, and I was still thinking about this book and its people long after the story ended.

THE PROPHETS BY ROBERT JONES JR. I’m no prophet, but look for this author’s name come literary award season this fall. The Prophets is first and foremost a tragic love story that has never really been told before. It’s about the forbidden union between two slaves on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other and a betrayal that threatens their existence. Sometimes you get in a book rut where you think you’ve read it all and then a book comes along that proves you wrong.

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.

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GIRL A BY ABIGAIL DEAN

HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE BY IMBOLO MBUE

B Y B R I A N S A G E R

This novel is, in a word, beautiful. I was a huge fan of Imbolo Mbue’s debut, Behold the Dreamers. She charmed all of us at the Nantucket Book Festival in 2018 and I could not wait to see what her next book would be. How Beautiful We Were is a sweeping, wrenching story about the collision of a small African village and an American oil company. Told from the perspective of a generation of children, and the family of a girl named Thula who grows up to become a revolutionary, this is the perfect book for Black History Month and Women’s History Month next year.

P O R T R A I T

Girl A gets an A+ in my book. It’s a dark literary story about a group of siblings who escape their parents’ abusive “house of horrors” as well as a psychological exposé on how they all turn out as adults. I would have read separate full-length novels about each sibling in these pages. It is much more than just your typical mystery that you will forget the day after you finish it. It reads like a thrilling character study with subjects that feel so real you want to listen to their past and give hope to their future.

W R I T T E N B Y T I M

THINK AGAIN BY ADAM GRANT

I first heard of Adam Grant at the Nantucket Project in 2015 when he discussed his book Give and Take. His new book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know is the book for right now. We live in a decisive time, and it’s important to remember to constantly question your opinions, open your own mind as well as others’ and listen to those who think differently than you do. Keep a pen close because I was underlining complete passages to remember and repeat. “If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”

SCAN HERE to connect with @TimTalksBooks

WHERE, OH WHERE IS BARNABY BEAR BY WENDY ROUILLARD I am thrilled to feature this new edition of Where, Oh Where is Barnaby Bear? by my friend, children’s author and illustrator Wendy Rouillard. This is one of my favorite series of books to give to the kids in my life. This board book follows Barnaby Bear and friends on a rhyming adventure around Nantucket Island, complete with vibrant colors and a singsong rhyme that is sure to become your children’s favorite naptime, bedtime, anytime story. Actress Drew Barrymore says, “Barnaby Bear is a true treasure. This book ensures many happy reads with your kids.”

E H R E N B E R G

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

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n spire WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

THE MIRACLE ON

EAST CREEK ROAD

How OUR ISLAND HOME beat COVID

ver the past year, as Heather Francis arrived at work each day, the beautiful view of The Creeks and Nantucket Harbor couldn’t negate her sense of dread. As the director of nursing at Our Island Home, Francis was charged with keeping Nantucket’s most vulnerable residents safe amid a pandemic that was proving deadly and devastating to nursing homes across the country. She was on pins and needles on a daily basis. Our Island Home locked its doors to the outside world on March 9, 2020, barring visitors and volunteers in order to protect its residents from the novel coronavirus that was about to be unleashed upon the East Coast, and soon the entire country. Life changed drastically for everyone, of course, and inside Nantucket’s nursing home, Francis and the rest of the staff waged a nonstop effort to prevent an outbreak at the forty-five-bed facility. The nation quickly learned that the virus was most lethal among the elderly, especially those living in close quarters at places like long-term-care facilities where it could spread easily among residents. But the scale of the tragedy that unfolded at nursing homes and long-term-care facilities during the pandemic is staggering. Less than 1 percent of America’s population

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“What we did, it worked. Our infection control policies were spot on, our facilities staff, housekeeping, nursing, it was everyone working together." — Heather Francis, OIH Director of Nursing

Ninety-six-year-old Gladys Soverino has lived at Our Island Home since 2012

lives in such facilities, but yet they account for 34 percent of U.S. COVID-19 deaths, according to The Atlantic magazine’s COVID Tracking Project. Nationwide, nearly 175,000 nursing home residents have died as a result of the virus. The losses were even more pronounced in Massachusetts, where more than half of all COVID-19 deaths occurred in nursing homes. And yet Our Island Home, which has the distinction of being Massachusetts’ only municipally owned and operated nursing home, has emerged essentially unscathed from the pandemic, with nothing short of a miraculous record of keeping its patients and staff safe from the virus. Not a single patient at Our Island Home has died from COVID-19. There

was not even one infection among its residents. Just a single staff member tested positive for the virus, and that person was quickly isolated and recovered without spreading the disease to anyone at the facility. Through a combination of early action, strict infection control protocols, regular surveillance testing for patients and staff and perhaps just sheer luck, Our Island Home was spared the same agonizing fate as other nursing homes. “What we did, it worked,” said Francis. “Our infection control policies were spot on, our facilities staff, housekeeping, nursing, it was everyone working together. The group we have in there, they were so resilient and I admire so much about them.”

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While following strict safety protocols, the residents and staff of Our Island Home found creative ways to stay connected with the outside world.

“They worked very hard to keep us safe. I felt safe. I have friends here.” — Gladys Soverino, OIH resident

he improbable success in keeping the island’s most vulnerable residents safe, even as the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on Nantucket spiked over the fall and early winter of 2020, stands as a remarkable accomplishment when so many similar facilities suffered widespread infections and deaths. But the rapid departure from the routine of daily life took some time to adapt to, and even then, it continued to change from week to week, and even day to day. “Any type of change can be tough, and unexpected change can be difficult, but this type of unprecedented change is a beast of its

Heather Francis, OIH Director of Nursing

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own,” said Ally Rowell, the activities director for Our Island Home. “One of the biggest things that struck me about the toll of COVID here is that sense of isolation and the sense of loss in day-to-day life which has changed so drastically.” For the staff of Our Island Home, the daily grind of nasal swabs, donning PPE, constant disinfecting procedures, ensuring appropriate distancing within the facility and adapting to a slew of new regulations and protocols was difficult enough. But the burden of responsibility to their patients didn’t end with their shift. Employees knew that their own behaviors and the precautions they took—or didn’t take—outside the facility could very well be the difference between life and death for residents of Our Island Home. When the island started

Bea Santos celebrating her one hundredth birthday in February

The team at Our Island Home

to experience relatively significant community spread of the virus in the fall of 2020, with test positivity rates topping 15 percent at certain points, the weight of that burden stayed with them whether they were working or not. “None of us wanted to be that person who brought it in the building,” Francis said. “For me as director of nursing, I had a daily fear that today is the day. Today is the day it’s going to happen. Every week I’m on pins and needles waiting for the [test] results to come back.” The sixty-six staff members of Our Island Home, whether they were in housekeeping, nursing, grounds, food services, administration or other roles at the facility, all quickly recognized that the task of keeping residents safe from the virus went far beyond just their normal job duties. “They did an incredible job and made so many personal sacrifices of their own freedoms to preserve and protect the health of our residents,”

Rowell said. "It's been an all-handson-deck situation with the staff.” Rowell added that the residents quickly bought in too, holding themselves and the staff accountable for sticking to the precautions. If they saw a mask fall below the nose, or an employee checking in to the facility too fast, they would let the staff hear about it. Ninety-six-year-old Gladys Soverino, a ten-year resident of Our Island Home, was one of those patients. “They worked very hard to keep us safe,” Soverino said over the phone in March. “I felt safe. I have friends here.” Gladys’ son, Tim Soverino, has now had both of his parents living as residents at Our Island Home and witnessed firsthand how the staff and patients adapted to the extraordinary circumstances presented by the pandemic. In the days before his father passed away at Our Island Home in December, Soverino worked with the nursing team on a plan that allowed him to visit and share those final moments safely. “They’ve been exceptional,” he said. “That place is a little slice of heaven on Earth for the people who need it. They have done such a great job of keeping our loved ones safe.” As the calendar turned to 2021, the residents and staff of Our Island Home got the message they had been waiting for. A team from CVS

Pharmacy was planning to come to the island to vaccinate all patients and employees of the facility against the disease. The sense of hope and the feeling of relief brought some to tears. “We were all waiting at the door, knowing they had just come off the boat, and it was like the Ghostbusters showing up at the door,” Francis said, recalling the moment on January 5th when the CVS team arrived. “It was so awesome. We were all so excited. [Licensed practical nurse] Carol Matson, who has been working at the Island Home for years, was the first. And it was magical.” While acknowledging the many hardships they endured during the pandemic, the Our Island Home staff was also eager to talk about the silver linings. The support from the community in the form of cards, drive-bys, videos, calls and other recognitions were heartening, Francis said. When Our Island Home resident Bea Santos marked her one hundredth birthday in February, Rowell recalled how dozens of islanders as well as Nantucket police, fire and Coast Guard officers joined a car parade to help her celebrate. And there was also the camaraderie they built as a team in the shared experience of an unimaginable challenge. “It has totally changed us,” Francis said. “The way we treat each other and the things we value. It’s not institutionalized. It’s not corporate. It’s a home.”

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AUDREYSTERK.COM

18 BROAD STREET, NANTUCKET ISLAND, MA 02554

508-325-7050

From Harbor to Home. Guiding you home on Nantucket to Washington, DC and beyond.

Katrina Schymik Abjornson Vice President Realtor® Licensed in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts 202.441.3982 katrina@compass.com katrinahomes.com

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Katrina Homes of Compass Katrina Schymick Abjornson is a real estate broker affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker and abides by equal housing opportunity laws.

nspire

SILVER LININGS How some Nantucket residents found opportunity during the pandemic

PHOTO BY BRIAN SAGER

or all its turmoil, the coronavirus pandemic has also been a period of tremendous innovation. From the reimagined workspace to remote learning, all the way to the unprecedented vaccine development, the pandemic proved that creativity indeed thrives in confinement. Here on Nantucket, a number of island residents used their time in quarantine to reinvent themselves, both personally and professionally. While many businesses were tragically shuttered by COVID-19, these Nantucketers boldly found ways to breathe new life into the island economy at a time when it was needed most.

WRITTEN BY REBECCA NIMERFROH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

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CHRIS

GETOOR

hen the world began to shut down last spring, one of the first things that Chris Getoor thought about was the soothing melody of an ice cream truck rolling through town. The father of two young children and the executive director of the outdoor adventure camp Strong Wings, Getoor had long dreamed of launching his own ice cream truck on Nantucket. When the coronavirus locked down the island, Getoor decided that he finally had the time to get the truck up and running. “The scariest part was sawing a hole into a perfectly good van,” Getoor jokes of transforming a Dodge Sprinter van that he purchased from the Don Allen dealership into Hang Loose Helado, Nantucket’s only ice cream truck. Now, on any given day when the sun is out, you can find Getoor handing out Choco Tacos, Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bars, Klondike Bars and Chipwiches to throngs of gleeful children. “It couldn’t have been better timing,” Getoor says. “We got on the road in the heat of lockdown and it just spread so much joy. There’s something about an ice cream truck that really makes people happy.”

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ara Marquis had a ton of extra fabric. The owner of the children’s clothing company Piping Prints, she had a total of five hundred yards of preppy seersucker patterns adorned with lobsters, whales and other playful decals that she didn’t know what to do with. However, when the pandemic hit, Marquis got her answer. “I made a few hundred masks and they were gone immediately.” As mask-making turned into a legitimate business across the country, Marquis found herself in a perfect position to capitalize. “At first it just felt uncomfortable to be making masks for profit, but soon everyone was selling masks and that made me feel better,” she says. “Plus, my clients [island businesses like Cisco Brewers, Bartlett’s Farm and downtown clothier Grace Geier] were selling a couple hundred masks a week, so

CARA

MARQUIS they were also making money…it kept everybody moving.” Soon Marquis’ playful seersucker masks stretched across the smiles of servers at nearly every restaurant in town, hung from the souvenir racks of island shops and were worn by so many tourists that she says, “I couldn’t make them fast enough.” Indeed, in the course of the year, she made more than twenty thousand masks. “I just have a different perspective now,” the designer says of the whole experience. “I feel lucky to be able to work and spend this time with my family and my dog. I feel like I’m able to do whatever it is that I want to do.”

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CARRIE

SEYER

n the eve of the pandemic, Carrie Seyer signed a seven-year lease on a space mid-island to create a new yoga studio to be called 11:11 Nantucket. She thought that with a little elbow grease, she could transform the former dentist office into the studio of her dreams and have it open by April 2020. But then COVID-19 hit and Seyer had to learn a whole new form of flexibility.

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Instead of opening her doors, Seyer started teaching open-air classes at Cisco Brewers, where she was able to start marketing 11:11 Nantucket. “For the awareness, it was invaluable,” she says. Slowly but surely, as the seasons changed, her classes returned indoors where she followed “very diligent safety regulations.” Thanks in part to her open-air classes at the brewery, a local clientele followed her to her studio. “We’ve been really fortunate with people liking what we do,” says Seyer, who officially opened her doors in July 2020. “And everybody’s welcome.” Offering a selection of classes ranging from highpowered flow to slow-andeasy restorative yoga, Seyer says she is grateful for the gradual opening process that the pandemic thrust upon her, as it allowed her to merge into the hectic summer season with more mindfulness. “Eleven stands for perfect balance in numerology,” she says. “It’s about finding that middle ground between two extremes.”

“

aybe if I hadn’t had more time on my hands, I wouldn’t have gone through all the steps to get to this point,” laughs Bridgette Hynes. A freelance marketing professional, Hynes used the pandemic as an opportunity to combine her two passions: running and retail. “I always had this idea in the back of my brain,” she says, “and finally I just decided, ‘OK, this is the time.’” This spring, she’s opening Nantucket Run Centre at 36 Centre Street, Nantucket’s only running-specific boutique. “Running is definitely having a moment right now,” Hynes says. “Because of the pandemic,

people have had to shift away from their studio workouts or fitness classes at the gym. They’re now spending more time than ever outdoors exercising.” An avid marathon runner, Hynes also identified that Nantucket was in need of a running-specific store. “There wasn’t a place here to get footwear or apparel,” she says. “Even little things like gels or sports bras all have to be ordered and shipped over.” Unlike off-island athletic superstores, Hynes plans to carry a carefully curated selection of brands that she says won’t overwhelm a customer but surprise them with new and relatively unknown brands. “It’s really important to be something that is bigger than just a shop,” Hynes says, indicating that there will be a strong community component to the Run Centre. “There’s a lot of us runners out there,” she says. “I definitely see the potential for this business to grow.”

BRIDGETTE

HYNES

rom the confines of her home in Chicago, Nicole Tirapelli combed through real estate listings on Nantucket. Stuck in quarantine, the mother of two dreamed of a better life for her family on the island by the beach. When she came across a charming home in ’Sconset’s Codfish Park, Tirapelli instinctively donned an N-95 mask, ski goggles and gloves and boarded the next flight to the island. “Something just felt so right,” Tirapelli recalls of touring the house for the first time. She immediately made an offer, thus beginning her family’s new chapter on Nantucket—but that’s only where her story gets started.

NICOLE

TIRAPELLI

As a new Nantucket resident, Tirapelli now needed to find a job. She was driving by the Rainbow Fleet one day when a pair of white vintage peacock chairs on the side of the road caught her eye. Pulling over to get a better look, she learned that the Lightship Basket Museum was attempting to sell the chairs virtually as part of its annual yard sale fundraiser, which had been canceled due to COVID-19. Tirapelli thought she might be able to help sell the items online and offered her services. So began a brand-new business of managing estate sales. Using the local Facebook group Nantucket Consignments, Tirapelli quickly sold the majority of items on behalf of the Lightship Basket Museum. Word of her services began to spread. Referral after referral, Tirapelli’s virtual estate sale services soon became a full-time job. “People need help organizing payments, furniture pickups and designating who gets to buy an item first on Facebook,” Tirapelli says of her consignment business. “It’s kind of tedious, but I’ve gotten good at it somehow.” With her logo featuring a peacock chair, Tirapelli launched Nantucket’s Best Estate Sales amid the pandemic. It was one of the best moves of her life.

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JENNY

BENCE

TESSA

CRESSMAN

s the pandemic wreaked havoc on the momand-pop shops of America, two life-long friends came together to open a downtown Nantucket market that will specialize in local goods and produce. When Tessa Cressman and Jenny Bence heard about the available storefront at 4 India Street— formerly home to The Bean—they decided the time was right to seize their dream of opening The Green Market. Amidst the first shutdown in the spring of 2020, they got to work creating a space that would not only support local farmers and artisans, but also be environmentally sustainable. As a “downtown extension” to Bence’s successful mid-island fresh juice and sandwich shop The Green, The Green Market on India Street will offer fresh juice and smoothies as well as a grab-and-go selection of sandwiches on homemade breads as well as composed salads. Fresh cut flowers, local jams, honey and “as much locally sourced and homemade goods as possible” will fill out the remaining shelves, says Bence. There are also plans to sell organic wines and cheeses. “We’ll have everything you need to host a barbeque on Nantucket or to grab lunch if you’re working downtown,” says Cressman. “And thanks to Jenny, the food is going to be so delicious and healthy.” The Green Market is slated to open this June. Images courtesy of The Green Market

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n vestigate

B G SHOT A cutting-edge Lyme disease

prophylaxis enters phase one trials

WRITTEN BY ROBERT COCUZZO

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n the late nineties, a highly-touted vaccine was thought to be the shot in the arm that Nantucket had long been seeking to protect its residents from Lyme disease. However, despite being 80 percent effective, the LYMErix vaccine wasn’t approved for use on children, required three shots, and, perhaps most notably, caused side effects that some said were as bad as the disease they were trying to prevent. Within three years, LYMErix was stripped from shelves. For decades thereafter, the possibility of another Lyme disease vaccine was thought highly unlikely. That is until this past winter.

This novel approach to preventing Lyme disease stems back to what Klempner learned from the LYMErix vaccine developed in the nineties. During that time, he collaborated with Dr. Timothy Lepore in monitoring a number of patients at Nantucket Cottage Hospital who had received a vaccine similar to LYMErix. “The most important insight that we learned from that vaccine trial and subsequent studies was that whatever the vaccine was doing to

Dr. Mark Klempner, the executive vice chancellor at MassBiologics

“We’re killing the Lyme bacteria in the tick before it even gets to you.”

In February, news broke that MassBiologics, a nonprofit unit of UMass Medical School, had begun phase one trials of a prophylactic injection designed to prevent Lyme disease. Different than a vaccine, the Lyme pre-exposure prophylaxis, or Lyme PrEP, prevents Lyme disease by injecting humans with a monoclonal antibody designed to kill the Lyme bacteria in the tick. In other words, when a tick bites and begins to feed on someone injected with Lyme PrEP, the person will transmit a bacteria-killing antibody to the tick that will stop the Lyme in its tracks. “We’re killing the Lyme bacteria in the tick before it even gets to you,” explained Dr. Mark Klempner, the executive vice chancellor at MassBiologics who led a team of hundreds in developing Lyme PrEP over the past decade.

— Dr. Mark Klempner

make you immune was an antibody working in the tick,” Klempner explained. “Through our research, we realized that just one of the antibodies that the human body developed after multiple injections of the LYMErix vaccine was sufficient to prevent infection. So we identified which antibody led to immunity and tested it in animals where it proved 100 percent effective.” Testing lab mice that were genetically engineered with human immune systems, Klempner and his team screened six hundred different antibodies until they discovered the one that was most lethal to the Lyme bacteria: Antibody 2217-LS. “The key challenge for us was to develop an antibody that would last for a high enough concentration in your blood for eight or nine months of protection,” Klempner explained.

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“

ur vision is ultimately to have this mirror the other preventative measures that we do on an annual basis. This could be like getting your annual flu shot.” In high-risk places like Nantucket, Klempner envisions all residents receiving the LymePrEP shot each year for protection during the warmer months. After lab mice, LymePrEP was tested on nonhuman primates, which then paved the way for FDA approval of phase one testing on humans in early 2020. “Then COVID hit,” Klempner said, “and every stitch of clinical research that was going on in the United States turned to COVID-related research.” After a six-month delay, Klempner and his team secured a site for their phase one trial in Nebraska where test subjects would have the lowest likelihood of previous Lyme infection. Lasting a year, this phase one trial will test for safety and ensure that the antibody remains concentrated in the blood for eight to nine months, the target

Dr. Mark Klempner in his office at MassBiologics

PREVENTING LYME DISEASE Vaccine compared to antibody pre-exposure prophylaxis

Person receives 3 injections over 6 months of Lyme bacteria proteins and develops many different antibodies. Tick carrying the Lyme disease bacteria bites the vaccinated person, takes in blood containing multiple antibodies including one (red) that prevents transmission.

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Person receives 1 injection of a single protective antibody (red) at the beginning of tick season. Tick carrying the Lyme disease bacteria bites the person and takes in blood containing the protective antibody preventing transmission.

“Our vision is ultimately to have this mirror the other preventative measures that we do on an annual basis. This could be like getting your annual flu shot.” — Dr. Mark Klempner

Scenes from MassBiologics at UMASS Medical School

window for protection. Phases two and three will then test Lyme PrEP’s effectiveness in actually preventing Lyme transmission. If all goes to plan, Lyme PrEP could be available in 2024. As it relates to potential side effects, Klempner said that that’s one of the great benefits of using a monoclonal antibody. “Every single monoclonal antibody used against an extrinsic target, meaning something outside of us, has been very safe and has been used for many,

many years,” Klempner said. “Human monoclonal antibodies have been used for over twenty years to prevent respiratory disease. You can give infants monoclonal antibodies and there are no side effects to that treatment.” With that in mind, Lyme PrEP could theoretically be available for children of all ages—a high-risk category that the previous vaccine did not protect. “The approach is innovative, really different,” noted Lepore, the clinician at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and

widely revered Lyme disease expert. “It probably requires a yearly boost, but I will be interested in the trial.” While Lyme PrEP might be effective in preventing the transmission of Lyme disease, the shot will not prevent the many co-infections associated with tick-borne illnesses such as Babesiosis and Bartonellosis, nor will it treat those already infected with Lyme disease. Nevertheless, for those on Nantucket, where the Lyme disease infection rate borders on 50 percent, this annual shot could be a much-needed injection of hope in a long and painful history of tickborne illness.

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N A N T U C K E T

SOUND P O D C A S T

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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nvestigate WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI

THE SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTAL CONTROVERSY PLAYS OUT ON NANTUCKET

THE HOUSE RENTAL GAME

ith a controversial proposal that could reshape one of the pillars of Nantucket’s tourism economy—the short-term vacation rental market— the nascent island organization known as ACK•Now has made a splash over the typically quiet offseason. The group’s bylaw proposal to regulate and restrict short-term rentals has spawned an intense debate that encompasses property rights, affordable housing and community character, while also catching the attention of the giant online platforms like Airbnb and VRBO that facilitate them. Founded by Peter McCausland, a longtime Nantucket summer resident and the retired CEO of Airgas Inc., a massive distributor of industrial and medical gases, ACK•Now has encountered significant backlash from critics of its bid to rein in short-term vacation rentals. They argue that ACK•Now’s bylaw would trample on individual property rights and have far-reaching, unintended consequences, including kneecapping sectors of Nantucket’s economy that rely on short-term rental activity, and hurting part-time residents who care for and invest deeply in the community. But the organization continues to assert that investor-owned short-term rentals are driving up home prices

and rental rates, disrupting year-round neighborhoods and resulting in the loss of year-round homes as well as over-development that threatens the very character of the island. The rhetoric has ratcheted up over the spring, but like any policy debate, the issue is perhaps best illustrated by the people who are watching anxiously and considering how it could impact their lives. Alison Taylor and her brothers don’t live in the home their father and grandfather built in Madaket, but it’s still in the family. Alison was born and raised on Nantucket and has a strong connection to the island even though the high cost of living led her to live off-island on Cape Cod. She and her brothers rent the family home on Nantucket by the week during the summer season to afford the taxes and upkeep, with the hope that they can spend a week or two there themselves when the offseason rolls around. “We’re all priced out, so this is our last heritage,” Taylor said. The ability to do short-term rentals of the property on WeNeedAVacation.com has allowed her to retain that foothold on Nantucket, she said.

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own the road from Taylor’s home, another Nantucket native, Hollis Webb, has also managed to keep the house he grew up in on Dukes Road where he now lives yearround. But for Webb, an Army veteran who works in preservation carpentry on Nantucket, the neighborhood feels different these days. The house next door is a short-term rental that goes for nearly $10,000 per week, and a massive 12-foot concrete retaining wall has been constructed behind his house to allow for the construction of a pool and cabana structure at what he believes will be another shortterm rental property. “I was born on Dukes Road, my son was born on Dukes Road, and when I was growing up here, there were kids running up and down the road. It was a neighborhood,” Webb said. “Now I have three pools and pool decks surrounding me, and a fourth on the way. I feel like an old man saying this, but the noise is so outrageous my property is almost unlivable. There’s so much activity and so much drinking, so I’m thinking of ways to put up barriers to keep drunk kids out.” Webb and Taylor’s disparate experiences showcase the crux of the unfolding controversy over short-term vacation rentals.

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ACK•Now’s executive chairman, former Select Board member and island native Tobias Glidden, has been the frontman for ACK•Now and the short-term rental bylaw it has put forward. He lays out the issue in stark terms: “Short-term rentals are the biggest culprit in the loss of people and homes on the island. We need control over our destiny. But we’re poorly equipped to deal with investors gobbling up homes in residential neighborhoods and turning them into hotels.” The bylaw proposal to rein in short-term rentals would restrict and regulate them in several ways. All short-term rentals would be required to have a minimum stay length of seven days and be limited to two people per bedroom and one vehicle per rental. Non-resident island homeowners would be limited to renting their property for no more than 45 days per year, while residents would be restricted to renting their home up to 90 days annually. Short-term rental property owners would be required to register with the town, pay additional fees and be subject to daily fines for any offenses. In response to the pushback it has received from year-round and part-time residents, ACK•Now has indicated it intends to amend

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its original proposal at Town Meeting by eliminating restrictions for full-time islanders who rent their homes on a short-term basis. But for Alison Taylor, the Madaket homeowner, the proposed restrictions and regulations could mean losing the home that has been in her family for more than seventy years. “It’s heartbreaking, actually,” Taylor said. “Within a few years we’d be going in the hole and have to sell it. This is so far-reaching.” ACK•Now has attempted to define its fight as one against “investor-owned” short-term rentals, rather than people like Taylor. The group wants to target owners who have acquired residential homes as a business opportunity, with the sole aim of running a mini-hotel and maximizing their profit. The state’s public registry of lodging operators identifies a total of 2,017 short-term rental properties on Nantucket, a number that ACK•Now has seized upon in its communications. But how many of those 2,000-plus properties should actually be considered “investor-owned” short-term rental properties is unclear, and opponents believe the true number is actually quite small. “This is a national industry now and not something Nantucket is immune to,” ACK•Now’s executive director Julia Lindner said

of investor-owned short-term rentals. “It’s a tidal wave that is just going to keep coming. Twenty percent of our housing stock is in short-term rentals now. What’s it going to look like if it gets to 40 percent or 50?” ACK•Now operates as a not-for-profit 501(c)(4) group, otherwise known as a social welfare organization. It is a different designation from the more common 501(c)(3) nonprofits and allows ACK•Now to engage in lobbying and political activities. Not only has its bylaw proposal been highly scrutinized, but the group’s connections to Nantucket’s only newspaper, The Inquirer and Mirror, have put the paper’s coverage of the issue under a microscope. Nantucketer David Worth, who leads the group of investors known as 41 North Media LLC that purchased The Inquirer and Mirror in late 2020 after decades of corporate ownership, previously served as ACK•Now’s board chair. While he resigned from that role and severed ties from ACK•Now in September 2020—shortly before the acquisition of the newspaper—the prior relationship has fueled speculation that ACK•Now is somehow influencing the paper’s coverage of the organization’s proposal. While Worth is still listed on the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s corporate database

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as ACK•Now’s “resident agent,” he said the state had simply not yet updated the listing despite the group having filed to change the incorporation documents to reflect his resignation.

enson. “[ACK•Now] doesn’t seem to understand that the island’s major economy is tourism,” Levenson said. “Without the rental homes on the island, the economy wouldn’t be the same. The restaurants won’t

on whether to support ACK•Now’s proposed bylaw. The thought of restricting property rights and the freedom to rent his home how he sees fit gives him pause. “I don’t know what ACK•Now is but I know there needs to be change,” Webb said. “I’m not the only “Short-term rentals are the biggest culprit in local that’s affected the loss of people and homes on the island... by this formula that But we’re poorly equipped to deal with exists—fix up your investors gobbling up homes in residential house, cookie-cutter neighborhoods and turning them into hotels.” landscaping, pool and pool house, and — Tobias Glidden that’s a maximized short-term rental.” do the same, the shopkeepers, it “Unequivocally, I state that Henry Sanford, an island real trickles down to the t-shirt shops, I have no direct or indirect ties to estate agent and hotel manager, has the charter boats, the tour buses. the organization [ACK•Now], its been one of the leading voices raisThe people who live on the island directors and officers, having seving concerns about the proposed year-round, they work in all these ered my ties last September and am restrictions. Sanford has emphaplaces. I’ve been coming to the isdefinitely not their resident agent,” sized the potential economic imland for 50 years. My family has Worth said in an email to N Magapacts and said that even with the grown up there, my kids worked on zine. “Aside from my former inpotential amendments to lessen the the island. We love the island. We volvement with ACK•Now, there impact on year-round residents, he didn’t just show up one day from has never been any relationship estimates the proposed limits would Boston and start buying up all these between the Inky, our investors and still apply to more than 80 percent investment homes with no care for Mr. McCausland, ACK•Now and of short-term rentals on Nantucket. the island.” its directors or officers.” “What will get crushed are all the Yet ACK•Now has claimed On March 18, The Inquirer and festivals during the nine-plusthat due to The Copley Group and Mirror published an editorial callmonth shoulder season, ones the other short-term vacation rental oping for ACK•Now’s proposal to be Chamber of Commerce has spent erators the island has lost more than tabled for this year’s Town Meetdecades promoting and are relied 600 year-round rentals over the past ing, reworked and brought forward upon by businesses to make the eight years. This assertion has been again in 2022. summer season more sustainable,” On its website, ACK•Now vigorously disputed by Nantucket Sanford said. “The important fact Together, one of several opposition names companies like Inspirato and to realize is that in ACK•Now’s groups that have organized to defeat The Copley Group as the culprits best-case scenario all home values ACK•Now’s proposal. Nantucket that are outbidding island police ofdecrease from a decrease in visitor Together believes ACK•Now is ficers, firefighters and teachers for access, which leads to decreased mischaracterizing federal data, and homes in year-round neighborhoods, vacationer spending, a shorter seathat most of those 600 homes are converting those properties to shortson and decreased livelihoods for actually listed as “vacant homes” term rental businesses and only payall of us who depend on that season. that were bought by people who do ing residential property tax rates. We cannot make policy that seeks not engage in short-term rentals. The Copley Group, which owns to benefit one group while hurting Hollis Webb, the Dukes Road fourteen vacation rental homes another group. Especially a bylaw homeowner, said that despite the around the island, is being unfairwhose results are not quantifiable. impact of short-term rentals on his ly targeted by ACK•Now, said its We are all on this island together, neighborhood, he is still undecided founder and president Norman Levand many of the off-island fami-

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cover the taxes and expenses of the home, and have a strong connection to the property and the community where their children now live and work. They rent to families who typically come for a weekend, a length of stay that would be prohibited under the proposed bylaw. “To me the question is what damage are we doing? How would this actually help affordable housing?” Baird asked rhetorically. “If that [investor-owned short-term rentals] was their target, they would

The Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust, which is advocating for several affordable housing initiatives at this year’s annual Town Meeting, declined to take a formal position on ACK•Now’s proposal. “It’s a hot potato,” said Affordable Housing Trust vice chair Brooke Mohr. “This should be part of a bigger conversation, but there’s no doubt that Airbnb has changed the landscape everywhere and we’re no exception to that. But what the data shows is unclear about the contri-

“...in ACK•Now’s best-case scenario all home values decrease from a decrease in visitor access, which leads to decreased vacationer spending, a shorter season, and decreased livelihoods for all of us who depend on that season." — Henry Sanford

have tons of support. They say that’s their target, but that’s not all who would be affected. The collateral damage is a lot bigger than intended.” That question—whether restricting short-term rentals would create or sustain affordable year-round housing in any meaningful way— has been vigorously disputed. “Last year we lost 65 homes to short-term rentals, so if we want to be serious about having affordable housing in the future, we must address the short-term rental issue,” Glidden said. “Limiting the change from year-round homes to shortterm rentals preserves affordable housing in the future.”

bution to the problem, the degree it contributes and the degree regulations could contribute to minimizing the problem if it’s determined there is one.” The proposed bylaw, which received a unanimous negative recommendation from the Town of Nantucket Finance Committee, now heads to a decisive vote on June 5 during the Town Meeting. Only year-round residents can vote when Nantucket’s legislative body convenes. If approved, the bylaw would take effect on October 1.

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lies most affected by this article are people we call friends, customers, clients and family.” The controversy over shortterm rentals has been playing out across the country, pitting cities and communities of all sizes against the giants of the industry like Airbnb and VRBO. Many other municipalities have attempted to regulate and restrict short-term rentals, some successfully, with local bylaws and zoning amendments. The massive internet platforms that facilitate and monetize them have countered by organizing their users, or “hosts,” and fighting back in court. These major vacation rental platforms have already taken note of ACK•Now’s bylaw proposal for the island and have spearheaded calls to action in the form of emails to Nantucket property owners urging them to oppose the warrant article. “We encourage you to get involved today to ensure your short-term rental is not subject to burdensome regulations in the future,” read an email from VRBO’s government affairs team to some island homeowners. On Nantucket, it’s still unclear whether ACK•Now’s platform has resonated at all with the year-round community that will vote on the bylaw proposal in June. But a groundswell of opposition has manifested in online discussions, and the group of part-time residents that formed Nantucket Together to challenge ACK•Now’s proposed bylaw has fully engaged on the issue. Kathy Baird, one of the co-founders of Nantucket Together, owns a threebedroom saltbox in Tom Nevers that she and her husband rent through Airbnb when they are not staying in it themselves. Like many part-time residents, they rely on the income from short-term rentals to

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n depth

REBEL

WITH A CAUSE WRITTEN BY ROBERT COCUZZO

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

BARSTOOL SPORTS FOUNDER AND NANTUCKET SUMMER RESIDENT DAVE PORTNOY IS ON A MISSION TO SAVE SMALL BUSINESSES

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AVE PORTNOY IS KNOWN TO RANT.

The self-styled “El Presidente” of Barstool Sports—a media empire now valued at more than half a billion dollars—Portnoy readily turns to his millions of followers on social media to air his frustrations, throw jabs at his enemies and dish out opinions that can ruffle more feathers than a My Pillow factory. On December 11th, Portnoy directed his ire toward politicians in New York City who had just reinstated harsh COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants that Portnoy argued would do more to destroy small businesses than destroy the coronavirus. Like many of his social media posts, the three-and-a-half-minute video went viral, reaching more than five million people, including businessman and CNBC host Marcus Lemonis, who shot back: “Put your money where your mouth is…” There’s a lot you can say about Portnoy, but one thing is for certain: He does not back down from a challenge. The very next day, he pledged $500,000 of his own money to launch the Barstool Fund, which would be directed toward supporting small businesses. This wasn’t the first

time Barstool has done charitable work—the company has spearheaded a number of causes over its seventeen-year history, from backing Pete Frates’ campaign against ALS to supporting victims of the Boston Marathon bombings—but the plight of the small business community seemed personal for Portnoy. “In many respects I still view Barstool as a small business,” Portnoy told me earlier this spring. “Obviously we’ve grown, but it took me ten years or so to start making any money. Every cent I earned went back into the business. It was a 24/7 grind. I just couldn’t imagine the pandemic hitting around year-ten of Barstool, because I would have lost everything.” Portnoy’s allegiances to small businesses, particularly restaurants, likely also stem from his wildly popular “One Bite” pizza reviews, a regular video feature on Barstool where Portnoy judges a single slice of pizza from parlors around the country, including several on Nantucket, where he’s owned a summer home since 2016. Since starting them over a decade ago, the One Bite reviews have earned a cult following and can change the fate of a pizza joint overnight. Though he doesn’t shy away from giving critical scores right in front of the shop owners, Portnoy undoubtedly identifies with the hardworking pizza shop owners who like him built their businesses “brick by brick.”

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Portnoy enjoying a glass of wine with one of the Barstool Fund recipients

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fter establishing the Barstool Fund, Portnoy began soliciting donations from both his readers as well as big names in his network. The fundraising effort quickly snowballed, amassing more than 200,000 individual donors including some significant contributors like car czar Ernie Boch Jr. who donated an unsolicited $1 million. Soon a call came from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers who not only donated $500,000, but also became an advocate for the fund. Tom Brady kicked in next, followed by restaurateur and television host Guy Fieri. “There was a day that I was on the phone with Kid Rock and then Sylvester Stallone in a ten-minute span,” Portnoy said. “I was just thinking, ‘What is going on in my life right now?’” Perhaps more memorable than the calls with donors are the calls Portnoy makes to the small business recipients. Dialing them up on Facetime, Portnoy delivers the news personally that the Barstool Fund is coming to their rescue. Once the business owners realize who they’re talking to, the look of relief in their beleaguered faces is undeniable. “It’s certainly gratifying, but in a weird way I’m almost embarrassed,” Portnoy said of the calls, “because they’re thanking me, but it’s really the 200,000 people who donated that made it possible.” At press time, the Barstool Fund had raised more than $37 million and supported over 332

Portnoy's One Bite pizza reviews have earned a cult following

small businesses, everything from a sports bar in Michigan, to a tattoo parlor in California, to a daycare center in Ohio, to a pharmacy in Texas, to a restaurant in Boston. Portnoy’s exchanges with the tearful small business owners cast the media mogul in a very different light than what he typically garners from his El Presidente persona. Controversy and outrage have never been far from the Barstool brand. Even the fund itself has detractors, some claiming that it’s little more "PEOPLE WHO than a vanity projDON’T LIKE ME ect for its founder. DON’T HAVE ANY “They’re the same exact people who CLUE OF WHO have a problem I ACTUALLY AM.” with everything I — Dave Portnoy People who don’t like me don’t have do,” Portnoy said. any clue of who I actually am.” “The same people Portnoy, now forty-four, grew up who have always in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where he attended had issues with Barstool continue to find issues high school before heading to the University of with Barstool regardless of what we do.” Michigan to study education. After a stint working Indeed, for all his fans, there are likely just for an IT firm in Boston, Portnoy launched Barstool as many critics who take issue with controversial Sports as a flimsy newspaper dedicated to fantasy remarks Portnoy has said or written in the past. sports whose lifeblood was mostly sports gambling “The things that people who don’t like me say advertising. The paper lived in relative obscurity about me makes me sound really bad,” he insisted. for four years until debuting on the internet in 2007. “The people who don’t like me say ‘he’s sexist, Over the course of the next decade, Portnoy and he’s racist, he’s this, he’s that…’ It’s just garbage. his growing band of bloggers built Barstool into an enormously popular sports entertainment site that sold a majority stake to the Chernin Group in 2017. At the time, many sneered that the $25 million deal with Chernin was shortsighted, but the partnership supercharged Barstool. Three years later, Penn National Gaming purchased Barstool for nearly half a billion dollars, catapulting Portnoy to a level of fame and fortune unimaginable when he started.

One of more than 300 small businesses supported by the Barstool Fund expressing their appreciation

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hen it comes to public figures, Portnoy is particularly public. There’s very little about his life that doesn’t get broadcasted to the world by way of his blog, podcasts, social media or frequent appearances on FOX News, CNBC, CNN or TMZ. Portnoy has achieved a rare level of fame, transcending multiple industries to become something of an everyman icon where his familiarity with his fan base makes

“Sitting down with Donald Trump doesn’t make me some crazy conservative,” he said. “Trump asked me to do an interview, I said yes because he was the president of the United States. We invited Biden to do an interview; he didn’t accept it.” This hasn’t stopped pundits from speculating that Portnoy, even if unintentionally, is leading a whole new face of the Republican Party dubbed “Barstool conservatives.”

“IF YOU SEE ME AT A BAR, I’M NOT THE GUY DANCING AROUND. I’M SITTING IN A CORNER.” — Dave Portnoy

him approachable. Portnoy says he rarely goes anywhere without being swarmed for selfies. “It is getting a little bit, I won’t say challenging, but it takes some time getting used to,” he said. When asked what most people don’t know about him, he explains that he’s actually far more subdued than his El Presidente persona might suggest: “If you see me at a bar, I’m not the guy dancing around. I’m sitting in a corner.” Politically speaking, Portnoy insists that he’s “super socially liberal.” This might come as a surprise to the many people who watched his chummy interview with President Trump at the White House last June and assumed his political affiliations were right leaning.

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“Regardless of Portnoy’s own ambitions, I fully expect the future of the Republican Party to belong to Barstool conservatives, which is to say, to a growing but so far almost invisible coalition that could very well carry the White House,” wrote Matthew Walther in The Week this past February. “The Barstool conservative movement will not have institutions in any recognizable sense, certainly not think tanks or highbrow magazines, but it will be larger, more geographically disparate, younger, and probably more male. It will also, I suspect, be more racially diverse, much like the portion of the electorate that gave Trump 74 million votes in 2020.” Despite running for mayor of

Boston as a Libertarian in 2013, Portnoy says he has no plans of leveraging his vast following for a political career anytime soon. Still the very speculation around his political ambitions illustrates just how farreaching his influence has become. Whether it’s launching a new sports gambling platform with his partner Penn National, signing Hall of Fame legends like Deion Sanders as Barstool employees or marketing any number of products from clothing to his own pizza line, Portnoy’s influence is a hot commodity. Beyond the Barstool Fund, his most conspicuous foray over the last year has been in finance where he’s helped galvanize a whole new demographic of stock market traders. Portnoy started day trading at the beginning of the pandemic and quickly gained national attention from live-streaming his buying and selling. Soon he was talking stocks on CNBC, which gave rise to yet another Portnoy alter-ego he dubbed Davey Day Trader. Under his banner of DDTG— Davey Day Trader Global—Portnoy activated flocks of new retail traders during the pandemic who had never bought a stock before. The might of this new breed of trader came into full view during the GameStop phenomenon this winter, when thousands of retail traders coordinated online to buy up failing stocks that large hedge funds had shorted. The surge in stocks like GameStop and AMC brought a number of hedge funds to their knees and eventually

prompted the trading platform Robinhood to take the unprecedented action of temporarily halting the trading on these stocks. Portnoy, who said he lost $700,000 because of Robinhood’s actions, blew a gasket, calling the actions of the trading platform’s CEO Vladimir Tenev utterly criminal. “Vlad and company stole it from me and should be in jail,” he tweeted. After Tenev appeared before Congress to explain his actions, Portnoy managed to get the billionaire CEO to answer his pointed questions during a live broadcast aired on his social media accounts. Portnoy lambasted Tenev, grabbing headlines like that of the New York Post,

which gushed: “Congress is nothing compared to Davey Day Trader.” Two weeks later, Portnoy announced that he was backing an exchange-traded fund called BUZZ ETF, which uses an algorithm to poll the positive sentiment regarding stocks across social media for inclusion into its index. After a robust promotion campaign over Portnoy’s social media, the BUZZ ETF debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in early March and ultimately garnered $280 million in inflows during its first day of trading. Barron’s called it the twelfth best debut on record, “making a bigger splash than Black Rock.” Clearly Portnoy’s promotional power was still intact. Come summertime, Portnoy can regularly be seen around Nantucket, where he started visiting twenty years ago before buying a home of his own. “It’s truly my favorite spot in the world—bar none,” he said. As for Barstool itself, Portnoy is riding this rocket for as long and as far as it can go. “Barstool has already done more than I would have ever dreamed in a gazillion years,” he said. “I started Barstool to make $50,000 a year and like what I am doing. It wasn’t to create a media empire, it just happened. We’re so far beyond what I would have ever imagined in my wildest dreams.” And armed with his Barstool Fund, Portnoy is on a mission to help keep the dreams alive for many other small business owners across the country.

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SOUNDING THE

ALARM WRITTEN BY JOSH GRAY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Nantucket Fire Department brings gear safety to national attention

It has long been said that only a certain kind of person is willing to run toward danger to save another, but at the Nantucket Fire Department (NFD), a brave union of the more than thirty men and women have each other’s backs beyond the blazes and business of the fire service. They are a family forged by a calling to community and service, one that recognizes that when one suffers, they all suffer, and that when they take a stand, together they can move mountains. The NFD recently entered the national spotlight in a January 26th article of The New York Times that featured Captain Sean Mitchell’s account of how the department has taken on big business to reclaim firefighter safety. In recent years, studies have revealed that the protective equipment firefighters rely on so heavily is also likely responsible for some previously unknown dangers. This fire-retardant clothing known com-

the issue at the Mass Fire Academy.” As a full-time firefighter with a family, Mitchell found the data concerning, but, he said, it didn’t really hit home until one of Nantucket’s own got a diagnosis in the fall of 2019. “I was diagnosed with seminoma, a form of testicular cancer,” said Captain Nate Barber, who at age thirty-nine is a career firefighter and vice president of the local firefighter’s union. “I got it most likely from being a member of the fire service and being exposed to dangerous chemicals as a result of doing our job.” “WHEN NATE GOT SICK IT WAS A REAL SLAP IN THE FACE. The transgressor: toxic chemical WE ALL KNEW HIS CANCER WAS LINKED TO THESE CHEMICALS, compounds and fire retardants known AND IT WAS AT THAT TIME I DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER...” as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl — Captain Sean Mitchell substances). Conventional wisdom for decades implied that these chemmonly as turnout gear has been engineered over icals were trapped within the layers of the gear, but time to protect firefighters from heat and flames, data has proven that firefighters are twice as likely but after decades of research, it is now apparent to be diagnosed with forms of testicular and kidney that this gear also leaches cancer-causing chemicancer, as well as an array of other maladies and cals into clothing and skin. illnesses, said Barber. “Cancer is a problem in the fire service,” “When Nate got sick it was a real slap in the said Mitchell, a firefighter with the department face,” Mitchell said. “We all knew his cancer was since 2006. “I saw a film in 2016 that covered linked to these chemicals, and it was at that time I the high incidence of cancers in the Boston Fire decided to investigate further and that’s how we Department, then I decided to take a class about ended up where we are today.”

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Captain Nate Barber was diagnosed with seminoma, a form of testicular cancer, thought to be caused by years of wearing firefighter turnout gear

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(Clockwise from top) Captain Sean Mitchell; Alana Macey; NFD Chief Stephen Murphy

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education are a constant for Nantucket’s firefighters ecause of his friend’s diagnosis, Mitchwith their new facility at the Town’s safety complex on ell has taken on this challenge on behalf Fairgrounds Road. of the department to identify these dan“Safety is accomplished through training and gers industry-wide and has worked with providing our people with all the equipment necessary colleagues across the country to provide safe alternato do their jobs,” said Murphy, who said staff will soon tives for fire service families everywhere. The only be training with a new advanced life support system in problem: These safe alternatives don’t exist yet, at ambulances that will substantially improve the prosleast not to scale. While several innovative companies pects of those critically injured in the field. Murphy is have come up with alternative solutions, they have a product of childhood enthusiasm for the fire service not been adequately produced to date and are very having been funneled into a junior firefighter program expensive. at a young age, one that the NFD has continued at Barber—whose cancer is now in remission times throughout the years and has helped shape a and who is back to work—hopes his cancer is in the cohesive and committed department. past but also recognizes that the issues he and his “We’ve been trying really hard for a long time fellow firefighters face are still ongoing. “I’m doing now to create a department that’s invested in Nanwell. I’m on the path to recovery and on the five-year plan for checkups; it’s looking positive,” he said. “But I do want to say what Sean is doing “WE’VE BEEN TRYING REALLY HARD FOR A LONG TIME NOW TO CREATE A is very remarkable because he’s DEPARTMENT THAT’S INVESTED IN NANTUCKET. HALF OUR DEPARTMENT WAS going up against very powerful BORN HERE, AND I THINK WE HAVE A TEAM THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT corporations and he’s winning. TAKES TO LIVE HERE AND BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.” He might be the most important — Fire Chief Stephen Murphy firefighter in this country right now. He’s taking on corporations tucket,” said Murphy, who has been chief since 2017 that are poisoning the world and he’s making a big after being a long-term assistant and interim chief. difference to every firefighter in this country. He’s “Half our department was born here, and I think we taking on an entire industry to effect change. He’s have a team that understands what it takes to live doing it for a lot of people, but in a way, as my friend, here and be a part of the community they serve.” I feel like he’s doing it for me.” Brandon Eldridge, another native and product of Supporting Mitchell’s efforts from day one, the junior firefighter program, has served the departNFD Chief Stephen Murphy turned to the Town, ment for the past eighteen years as an on-call firefighter. which was very cooperative and eager to correct the “They called it the explorer program when I was in my problem. NFD received $150,000 in July 2020 to teens,” he said. “When I turned 18, I knew I had fallen acquire new, safer gear. While some sets of new gear in love with the service and knew it was a way I could have arrived and are in circulation, other sets are still help people.” in production, requiring the department to continue Beyond attracting homegrown talent committed wearing its compromised gear and using safe storage to long careers on Nantucket, Murphy recognizes that and other protocols to mitigate risk. a strong department is one that captures talent no matA Nantucket native and career firefighter on the ter where it may come from. For instance, one of the island, Murphy leads what he describes as a modern most recent additions to the NFD’s ranks, twenty-ninefire service focused on safety and efficiency for both year-old Alana Macey, originally hails from a suburb the citizens they defend and for his firefighters. Turnoutside Sydney, Australia, where she had worked as out gear is just one aspect of keeping members of the an EMT since 2012. After relocating to the island NFD safe on the job. Regular training and continuing

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First documented in 1750, the fire service on Nantucket was created out of need as the island was the center of the global whaling industry. By the late 1800s, the department was equipped with an array of firefighting apparatus, and more than two hundred men on Nantucket served as volunteer firefighters. In 1929, the department moved into the red-brick station at 20 South Water Street, in the heart of downtown Nantucket (now the county sheriff’s office). In 1980, it moved mid-island to upper Pleasant Street and stayed there until voters approved a new station in 2015 as part of the Town’s public safety complex on Fairgrounds Road where the department resides today. Training amenities that were never available to the department before now include a full gym and training tower that allows firefighters to traverse a five-story flight of stairs with gear. David Angelastro

full-time by 2019, Macey began the arduous process of getting recertified in the United States and beginning her career in her new home. Having long been focused on her passion for the medical aspects of her job, Macey said that training to become a full-time firefighter has been a welcome challenge, one made more interesting by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s always been my goal to work in medicine and the EMT service, but it’s been so cool to learn this whole new skill and serve the community in a greater way,” she said. The fire service has always been a profession laden with risk, to be sure, but it’s also one that’s defined by the details with the ultimate goal of prevention, said Murphy. As the size and needs of the Nantucket community have changed over the years, so have those of the department. Today, with the island’s year-round population close to 20,000, and seasonal peaks touching nearly 50,000, the NFD keeps watch on twenty-fourhour shifts with at least twenty-six full-time firefighters and certified EMTs. Another twenty serve the department in an on-call capacity, as well as six in support roles and administration, which include Murphy and Assistant Chief Robert Bates.

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Fifth-year fire fighter Alex Rezendes

Today’s Nantucket Fire Department is a hub of activity every single day of the year, no matter the season, said Murphy. In the relative quiet of the winter months, alarms and emergency calls are common throughout the days and nights, while the summer is a constant cacophony of activity with multiple fire and EMT crews responding to an array of calls at any given time. In 2020 alone, the department responded to twenty-two building fires, eighteen outdoor fires, thirty illegal beach/bonfires, a landfill fire, five airport alerts, seven car fires, four transformer fires, forty-three reported gas leaks and 1,509 fire alarms. Firefighters and EMTs responded to 847 emergency 911 phone calls and thirty-one vehicle crashes, and participated in 157 MedFlight transports and 124 medical transports. That’s not to mention the hundreds of other calls for a variety of emergency and fire prevention needs the department receives every year.

“WHEN I TURNED 18, I KNEW I HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE SERVICE AND KNEW IT WAS A WAY I COULD HELP PEOPLE.” — Brandon Eldridge

All these statistics magnify the department’s need to maintain the high standards and responsiveness of a small force on an isolated island, which brings many in the department back to the need to operate as part of a cohesive unit. “For me, I was drawn in because of the team aspect of things,” said Alex Rezendes, a fifth-year firefighter. “I’ve always played team sports, and the idea of being a part of this team was something I wanted to do, and it was a way to give back to the town that I’m from.” News of this team spirit on Nantucket and the movement to effect real change in the industry that was profiled by The New York Times has since spread far and wide. Just days after the Times published its story, the International Association of Fire Fighters passed a resolution to stop accepting funds and sponsorships from the major corporations producing dangerous gear. As reported in the Times, a suit was filed last October against 3M, Chemours, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and other manufacturers for the presence of PFAS in their products. In April, the NFD announced that five of its members were among the first in the country to wear gear that has a PFAS-free outer shell, proving once again that our fire house on Nantucket is leading the nation in fire safety.

Nantucket native Brandon Eldridge joined the fire service at the age of eighteen. N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER STYLING BY LEISE TRUEBLOOD CO-PRODUCED BY EMME DUNCAN & LEISE TRUEBLOOD HAIR BY MELISSA PIGUE OF MELISSA DAVID SALON MAKEUP BY JURGITA BUDAITE OF NANTUCKET ISLAND GLOW

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JUMPSUIT: CURRENTVINTAGE SWEATER: CENTRE POINTE WHITE BELT: 120% LINO HOOPS, BANGLE: THE VAULT

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DRESS: CURRENTVINTAGE EARRINGS: 120% LINO

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DRESS, JACKET: CURRENTVINTAGE BANGLE: 120% LINO SUNGLASSES: ACK EYE EARRINGS: CENTRE POINTE

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TOP: DAWN BAG: CURRENTVINTAGE NECKLACE: HEIDI WEDDENDORF EARRINGS: SUSAN LISTER LOCKE

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SWEATER, HAT: DAWN NECKLACE, RING: SUSAN LISTER LOCKE PANTS: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP EARRINGS: THE VAULT

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SWEATER: CURRENTVINTAGE JEANS: DAWN EARRINGS, NECKLACE, RINGS: THE VAULT

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time heal to

INTERVIEW BY ROBERT COCUZZO

Heather Unruh opens up for the first time since the Kevin Spacey case For Heather Unruh, 2020 was supposed to be a year of healing. After two years that were marked by the loss of her mother and the incredible trauma of being at the center of a high-profile sexual assault court case involving actor Kevin Spacey, the former Channel 5 News anchor was desperately seeking refuge to rebuild her life on Nantucket. While the pandemic derailed most peoples’ lives, Unruh came to view her quarantine as a blessing in disguise, allowing her time to tend to her wounds and reclaim her inner self. She’s since emerged stronger, armed with optimism, and prepared to seize her future on Nantucket.

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Photo by Brian Sager

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This spring, Unruh broke her silence for the first time since the Spacey case in an exclusive interview on N Magazine’s new podcast Nantucket Sound. During the emotional conversation, Unruh revealed intimate reflections about why she left the news industry as well as details about the Spacey case that she has never shared publicly. While readers can listen to the entire podcast at N-Magazine.com, we’ve excerpted a portion of the conversation here as a preview.

Heather Unruh sitting with editor Robert Cocuzzo for N Magazine's Nantucket Sound podcast

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N MAGAZINE: You have a

N MAGAZINE: Was there a breaking

connection with people that is

point? Was there a moment when you

so deep and intimate from your

realized that the career was no longer

years as an anchor at Channel 5.

good for you and your family?

You reported on 9/11, the Bos-

UNRUH: That’s such a loaded ques-

ton Marathon bombings—events

tion. It was a very tough thing. I had a great twenty-seven-year career that I’m very proud of. But the industry had started changing, and it became really toxic for me. So there came a point where my contract was up for renegotiation and I weighed everything pretty heavily. I actually got the contract on the table and went to sign it and just broke down sobbing and realized that I couldn’t sign it. So I walked away.

that were so impactful for Bostonians—so there’s this indelible connection with viewers. Do you miss being in that role?

UNRUH: I really don’t. I miss the storytelling. The storytelling was my passion. There were so many great stories that I loved communicating. I miss the public service. I miss working for Boston Medical Center, volunteering and using my platform to advance important causes. But in terms of the anchoring and the being on call 24/7, I don’t miss that. When those big stories were happening, it was really important for me as a journalist to be there, telling the stories and conveying the information to people. But it also pulled me away from my family in those important times when my kids maybe needed their mom to be there.

health, if I stayed, I wouldn’t live another five years. N MAGAZINE: Because? UNRUH: It was toxic. Without

getting into details…it had become something that wasn’t healthy. I think people see the real glamorous side of it and I’m sure it does look glamorous. You get invitations to things that people who aren’t in the industry would not get to go to, so there is that aspect of it. But it can really do a number on a woman’s psyche. There are pressures on women that are not healthy. N MAGAZINE: When you stepped

N MAGAZINE: Clearly that was an

away from that industry, Nantucket

incredibly difficult decision knowing how

became a refuge for you?

much it takes to get to that position in

UNRUH: It’s been a tough couple

the industry.

of years. It didn’t start out that way. When I first left the industry, my mother and I went to Thailand and Cambodia together, and I was on this spiritual journey, just finding out who I was. The real me. Who I wanted to be. But then…sort of a cascade of events happened. It got pretty difficult for a while.

UNRUH: I really felt like I had at least

another ten years in the industry. In hindsight, I’m really surprised that I had the courage to stand up to say enough. Because I did love what I did. There are things that I said that I’m not going to discuss, but it had become toxic and I had to get out. I honestly felt that for my

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N MAGAZINE: Right—Nantucket

died maybe five weeks before all that happened. So on top of all the complications of having this very, very public trial was just this tremendous grieving that my family was going through. It was a very challenging time.

became the epicenter of conflicting

N MAGAZINE: The emotional toll

emotions, a place you love but also a

must have been immeasurable. I can’t

source of turmoil?

imagine having that heartache and

UNRUH: Yes, you’re talking about

the Kevin Spacey case. Incredibly difficult. Nantucket had always been a place I would come to just to get away. I used to say that when I crossed the bridge, one eighty-pound sack of potatoes would come off one shoulder. And then when I stepped off the

then also having someone whom you love as intensely as your child being in that situation.

UNRUH: That was very difficult for

[my son]. And it’s still very difficult for him to come to Nantucket. It still haunts him. I think the last six months he’s started to feel differently about it.

...when that [case] ended in July 2019, I hid for a while. I buried myself in my artwork and spent a lot of time in the studio.

boat, the other came off. I was not a very social person. I didn’t go to a lot of events and things. Nantucket was my refuge. This was where I came to blend in with the community. [The Kevin Spacey case] put such an intense spotlight on me and my family in the place that had always been my haven. So when that [case] ended in July 2019, I hid for a while. I buried myself in my artwork and spent a lot of time in the studio. I didn’t spend a lot of time in town, even though I lived in town. I felt like—whether or not it was real or just a little paranoia and my perception— but I felt like there were so many eyeballs on me all the time that I didn’t want to be seen. N MAGAZINE: How did you endure that experience?

UNRUH: It’s hard, because on top

of it, I came out here because my mom got a terminal diagnosis. So I came out to take care of her and she

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And I hope he falls madly in love with Nantucket again…But he suffered a real trauma here at the Club Car years ago. I honestly don’t know what was worse for him, the trauma of that trial or what was done to him. It wasn’t even a real trial. It was an evidence hearing that got out of control. But that was very traumatizing for him. And I know if I felt uncomfortable, magnify that by a thousand and that’s where he was. N MAGAZINE: Reflecting on the case, what can that experience teach us about how we address these kinds of crimes?

UNRUH: In this country, victim

blaming has to stop. I was always a real advocate for believing women because I never thought for a second that a woman would make an accusation like that and put herself in that position because of the scrutiny that was going to come after them. But having gone through this with my son—and I

think it’s that much harder for a man to go through it because it’s such an affront to his masculinity and his identity to have had this happen—but the victim blaming that went on with him was horrendous. I was not prepared for it. I had to leave Twitter. It just was so awful. I think that the people who have the courage to come forward to address someone who is very powerful should be lifted up. Look at the studies. I think it’s 1 percent [who] make up a story like that. Everyone else—99 percent of the people—is 100 percent authentic and speaking their truth. And yet as a society we treat them like they’re lying and destroying someone else’s life. Never mind what has gone on with them. Until the victim blaming ends and until the incredibly wealthy and powerful people don’t have access to these attorneys who just go for your jugular looking for a tiny little opportunity to derail the case, then I think it’s just tragic what happens in a courtroom…If we had three hours, we could talk about the trickery that went on with my son in court that day. It was appalling. N MAGAZINE: What do you mean by trickery? What are you referring to?

UNRUH: Do we have time for this?

Do you really want to know? Because I’ll tell you. I’ve never really talked about it before…

Scan the Flowcode below with your phone to listen to the rest of the conversation on our new podcast Nantucket Sound.

Photo by Brian Sager

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EVERYTHING ELSE IS OLD NEWS

INTRODUCING THE ISLAND’S ULTIMATE E-NEWSLETTER

Nantucket deserves an unbiased, unfiltered and objective news source to keep you informed of all the ever-changing events on the island. From the team that brought you N Magazine, Nantucket Current delivers breaking news as well as in-depth reporting to your inbox four times a week. Written and edited by one of the island’s most respected journalists—Jason Graziadei— the Current will set a new standard for disseminating information on Nantucket. So don’t just get the news… stay Current. SCAN FLOWCODE TO SUBSCRIBE

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FOG GY

S H E ET

The Dreamland’s Live Sessions series was a professionally filmed and recorded music series providing opportunities for Nantucket musicians to get in front of their fans in a safe, engaging, and innovative way during the COVID-19 crisis.

live sessions

FLOYD KELLOGG FOR VIOLENT MAE MOOKIE RICHARDS, DAN DRISCOLL & ANDREW CROMARTIE NIGEL GOSS ALICIA CARPENTER

BECKY KESSLER

COLLIN HARRINGTON

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KELLY EMERY, INGRID FEENEY & LUCY ROSE VAN ARSDALE

GRAEME DUROVICH & NIGEL GOSS

NED RISELEY & ETHAN PHILBRICK

DOUG COTE

NANTUCKET COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER

LUCY ROSE VAN ARSDALE

CHRIS HANSON

FLOYD KELLOGG

FLOYD KELLOGG & OONA CULLEN

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Nantucket Whaling Museum

Adventure starts here Featured Exhibitions Opening this Season!

Anne Ramsdell Congdon

Cape Verdean Nantucket Connection

Abolition & Suffrage

Begin your adventure at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street

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Scan to book your ticket now!

New Beam Press Interpretation

Hadwen House Deco Arts

& more!

nha

Front page of the 'Sconset Pump, 10 July 1888

Flip thro

ugh Na

nt uc ke t

's pr inting past

IMAGES COURTESY OF NHA ARCHIVES

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The staff of the Inquirer and Mirror in the print shop in the early 1930s

An editorial written on the blackboard of the Nantucket Journal in 1954 Printing office of the I&M in the early 1900s.

The upper section of the Town Crier newspaper in July 1947

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The newspaper printing office, probably the Inquirer and Mirror

An edition of The Islander from 1942

Three men operating the printing press at the Inquirer and Mirror in 1910s. (Above) The Hub newspaper store in the 1970s

The newspaper printing office in the Inquirer and Mirror.

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An 1823 edition of the Nantucket Inquirer

(Clockwise from top right) The Inquirer and Mirror on Main Street in 1968; Poet's Corner Press; Portrait of Billy Clark, the town crier. (Bottom left) An edition of the Madaket Free Press; (bottom right) Inquirer and Mirror newspaper staff in 1929.

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2021 Special:

No Booking Service Fees

www.ACKceptional.com

Brokers Protected

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N AN T U CK ET

SOUND P O D C A S T

NANTUCKET LIKE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE

TO SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN, SCAN HERE

RATHER WATCH THAN LISTEN? Don’t miss our Nantucket Sound interview videos, where we’ll be letting you behind-the-scenes for footage of the juiciest parts of the conversations!

TO WATCH, SCAN HERE

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featured wedding

Bride: Maddy Keeshan • Groom: Tommy Greeley • Ceremony: St. Mary Venue: The Club Car • Photographer: Brian Sager Florist: Mary Beth Ferro Floral Design • Bridal Hair: Darya Salon Bridal Makeup: Darya Salon • Bride's Dress: Galvan • Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo 1 0 8

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not so f ast

HOME

A quick chat with yoga-inspired designer Amy Ormond

What’s at the core of your design philosophy? I want you to walk into any home I’ve designed and say “I’d like to stay here a while.” It’s not important to me that the furniture be the most expensive or the artwork priceless. I try to avoid anything that’s too precious if I can help it. My goal is that the design be comfortable and calm and that it serve as the backdrop for my clients to relax and rejuvenate, entertain and create memories. I know I’ve succeeded when the result is a truly beautiful home that still happily welcomes sandy feet and bouncy Labs. What’s one material that you think is underused in today’s interiors? Soul and warmth—in any material. I love a bright white space with blond wood floors, but I need it to also have a Persian rug or a vintage oil painting or a velvet cushion. Maybe it’s unlacquered brass hardware, a leafy fiddlehead fig, a black walnut side table or a tobacco leather club chair. Whatever the selection, bringing in any material with warmth transforms an otherwise austere show house into a home with some soul.

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What is your vision for Yogamere on Nantucket? I was lucky enough to purchase a teacup-sized cottage in ’Sconset just recently that will become my very own wellness sanctuary—a manifestation of Yogamere’s philosophy of making wellness beautiful. Within its very humble 425 square feet, I am creating a calm and simple space with just the basics: a simplified kitchen, bath and living area with enough space to practice yoga and meditation, to read and do some writing, to relax to the sound of the ocean and to sleep with a view of the stars. Within this little Yogamere-inspired cottage, I hope to show how wellness at home can be beautiful and that you don’t need very much to live really well. What advice would you give someone who wants to try yoga but is intimidated? I wouldn’t give them advice! I’d simply grab them by the hand and take them to a local class and they would quickly see how welcoming the yoga community is on Nantucket. There are so many great teachers and studios and lovely people who practice together and at home. No one cares if your warrior pose is perfect. It’s far more important that you give yourself that time, at home or in a class. After all, yoga isn’t exercise. It’s a way of living.

STRETCH

Tell us about your company Yogamere. The idea for Yogamere came to me when I was asked to create a wellness studio in a home I was designing in Shimmo. The design of the rest of the house was to be calm and inviting and simple, but for the life of me, I could not find items for the wellness room that had that same feeling. Most yoga mats and accessories and fitness equipment are designed for commercial use rather than for the home. The colors and materials are often garish and discordant— exactly the opposite of what you want when you practice yoga or meditation or simply want to relax. Yogamere is a collection of exquisite essentials for yoga, meditation, fitness and relaxation that flow with your lifestyle. Designed with naturally luxurious materials, sophisticated colors and an eye for the smallest detail, Yogamere is the belief that wellness can be beautiful.

Interior designer Amy Ormond is the founder of Yogamere, a collection of exquisite essentials for yoga, meditation, fitness and relaxation.

“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.

Our Island’s Common Ground • • • 61 Sparks Avenue PO Box 269 Nantucket MA 02554 P: 5 0 8 - 2 2 8 - 0 1 5 8 • F: 508-2 2 8 -3259 • i n f o@n a n t u c ke t b oy s a nd girl scl u b.o rg

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THE ART OF LIVING

ULTIMATE NANTUCKET WATER FRONT 8 Bedrooms | 6.5 Baths | 2-Car Garage | Price upon request The ultimate Nantucket waterfront beach house! Located on Brant Point, one of the most sought-after locations on the island, offering sweeping harbor views from almost every room in the house. Close to 7,000 square feet of interior living space with an open floor plan that flows out onto several decks, balconies and covered porches overlooking the harbor. On the front side of the house, across the street, lies a large piece of conservation land providing beautiful vistas. All of this is an easy walk to restaurants, shopping, Children’s Beach and the downtown historic district. This beautifully maintained home offers gardens, a two-car garage and a full, dry basement for beach, boat and water sport items. A rare opportunity to acquire a legacy property that has been in the same family for over forty-five years.

BERNADETTE MEYER, BROKER bernadette@maurypeople.com 508-680-4748

CRAIG HAWKINS, BROKER craig@maurypeople.com 508-228-1881, ext. 119

MAURY PEOPLE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY | 37 MAIN STREET, NANTUCKET, MA 02554 | 508.228.1881 | MAURYPEOPLE.COM Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

The Nantucket Historical Association presents

nantucket by design August 5–7, 2021

Presenting Sponsor

NANTUCKET REAL ESTATE • MORTGAGE • INSURANCE

Join us for an unforgettable VIRTUAL experience, including two keynote lectures, engaging panel discussions, antiques show preview, and house tours!

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Alexa Hampton

Corey Damen Jenkins

Steele Marcoux

Pietro Cicognani

Isabella Rossellini

Lead image design by Pietro Cicognani.

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