From the Board Chair
the Light
AS YOU WILL READ IN OUR VARIOUS REPORTS, it’s been a very busy spring for the Trust as we prepare for our 40th anniversary Annual Meeting in early July. Our dedicated board and great team in the office are feeling energized coming fresh out of the recent strategic planning review and are working hard now to execute on this mandate from our membership and community. Here’s a quick summary of the outcome of this initiative using “4” for our 40th as an easy way to remember the details:
• 4 months to conduct and complete the strategic review over the winter
• 400 people provided input through interviews and surveys
• 4 key action items emerged from all this feedback for the Trust:
u continue with its successful legacy of land conservation
u invest to protect the commercial center in the village
u work to preserve the lighthouse and chart a plan for its future
u move aggressively and with urgency to protect key properties in ’Sconset
At the Annual Meeting in July, we will outline the details of our 40th anniversary plan. We are not wasting any time and have already been busy working on some key initiatives. Hopefully you have already heard about some of these: partnering with the Coast Guard to secure a new LED beacon for Sankaty Lighthouse, acquiring the ’Sconset Market, partnering with the Land Bank on a new set of stairs down to the beach at Magnolia Avenue, working with homeowners on preservation easements for historic structures, etc. There is a lot more activity going on behind the scenes, and I’m confident we’ll have additional news to share this summer.
Stay tuned and hope to see you for a presentation and celebration (and libation) at the Annual Meeting on July 5th at the Casino.
As always, thank you for your support of the Trust and its mission.
—Bill Holding, Board Chair
Photo: Sara Schwartz,
Photo: Rob Benchley
A Message from the Executive Director
IT HAS BEEN SAID TO ME more times than I count, “it must be so quiet in ’Sconset in the off-season”. Well, while that is true out on the streets, if you head inside the doors of our office at One New Street, you will witness a much different story. I won’t steal the thunder from our newsletter contributors, but here are some highlights.
For the first five months of my tenure, we were engaged in an in-depth planning process. In conjunction with this, I met with numerous conservation, preservation, and nonprofit counterparts across the island. It was a great way to introduce myself and for some, to introduce and/or expand their knowledge of all that the Trust does. In January, thanks to the over 400 of you who provided input, we adopted a new Strategic Plan and revised Mission Statement, which we will be presenting, along with an overview of the feedback we received, at our July 5th Annual Meeting. I encourage you all to attend!
The planning process was quickly followed by the excitement of the Trust’s purchase of the ’Sconset Market.
In addition to the above, we have kept busy with our regular day-to-day work on preservation restrictions, additional house profiles, new lighthouse signage, working with the Land Bank and Conservation Foundation on the ACK Trails app, monitoring the Magnolia Stairs rebuild, planning for our off-island winter soirees and this summer’s 40th Anniversary Night Under the Light Gala, coming up with ideas for new Trust and 40th Anniversary swag (don’t you just love our 40th logo!), managing a rental process for The Aldrich House to help our village businesses with employee housing, and participating in discussions on erosion, geotubes, and Baxter Road alternate access plans.
As you can see, the “off-season quiet” clearly doesn’t apply to the workings of the Trust. To help us manage all that we do, I was excited to announce the addition of Amanda McGovern Moriarty as our Development and Communications Manager as of April 1. Amanda came to the Trust with a great background in both fundraising and strategic communications, having served as Executive Director (2014-2018) of Seas It, a nonprofit promoting
recovery through recreation for cancer patients and their caregivers that she cofounded in 2004 with her late husband, Todd McGovern. In this role, Amanda was responsible for leading development initiatives, fundraising, event planning, managing grant requests, and creating strategic plans. In addition to Seas It, Amanda enjoyed a career in the luxury retail industry, first at Cartier North America, and more recently at Moxie Professional Development, where she worked with numerous luxury brand clients.
In her “free time”, Amanda sits on the Board of The Taft School and previously (2019–2023) on the Allenhurst Board of Education. She plays on a women’s ice hockey team and coaches her boys’ teams. Amanda loves spending time with her family (husband, JD, and twin 11-year old boys, William and Andrew) and their two yellow labs, playing tennis, family travel, and cooking.
Not only is Amanda’s experience a perfect fit for the Trust’s needs, but she also has long-term ties to Nantucket and more recently to ’Sconset, having bought a house on Lincoln Street in 2021. Amanda has already proven to be invaluable to both me and the Board. She will be back in ’Sconset and in our office mid-June. Please stop in to welcome her!
Before I sign off, I want to make sure to recognize the incredible time, effort, knowledge, and expertise of our Board. I have worked with many over the years and have never seen a more hard-working and dedicated group. We should all be extremely grateful for their leadership. I know I am!
I look forward to seeing everyone back in our little corner of paradise called ’Sconset!
—Julie Ruddick Meade, Executive Director
Photo: Rob Benchley
Photo Sara Schwartz, @sconsetandbeyond
Beacon
Alexandria and Michael Altman
Jessica and Drew Guff
Barbara and Amos B. Hostetter
Amanda and Blair Jacobson
Holly Johnson and Parker Harris
Sally and Bob Michler
The Seaver Family
Suzy Welch
Trailblazer
Philippa and Jim Burke
Kathy and David Cheek
Kathy and Chip Cruice
Sarah and Peter Gailliot
Elizabeth and Bryan E. Frist
Karyn McLaughlin Frist
Heather and Greg Garland
Victoria Hagan and Michael Berman
Pam and Bill Holding
Chandra Miller
Karen and Harry Pinson
Don and Mary Shockey
Julie and Brian Simmons
Peter Soros and Electra Toub
Susan and John Whitney
Founder
Tracey and Scott Biedron
Mark Bono and Elizabeth Gilbert-Bono
Jo and Courtney Carson
Chip Carver and Anne DeLaney
Christopher and Christina Crampton
Lori and Eric Dannheim
Martha Dippell and Danny Korengold
Clement and Rick Durkes
Lynn and Mark Filipski
Robert Franklin and Charles Mappin
Matthew and Samantha Fremont-Smith
John and Cynthia Gallagher
Elliot and Barbara Gewirtz
Sara Schwartz and Will Hannum
Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Henry
Julia and John Hilton
Christine and John Maraganore
Julie Ruddick Meade
Charles Byrne and Ellen Mitchell
Liz and Jeff Peek
Noreen and Jack Poulson
Jenny Price
Martha and Charley Polachi
Robin Rednor and Robert Kennedy Veghte
Deedee and Steve Renehan
Susan and Kennedy Richardson
Bruce and Nancy Shaw
Eileen Shields-West
Jennifer and Seth Shortlidge
The Spivy Family
Bob and Missy Veghte
Nell and George Wilson
Laura Wrightson
Mr. and Mrs. P. Rhoads Zimmerman
Villager
DeWitt and Ilia Alexandre
Annie and Eric Baurmeister
Ashley Patterson Beaty
Lisa and John Bermel
Chris Bierly and Margaret Boasberg
Bunny Bispham and Gavin Hale
Lesley F. Blanchard
Elizabeth Boe
Marianna and Chris Brewster
Tim Carruthers and Liz Weiss
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Cokorinos
John and Maggie Cooley
Rhett Currier
Mark Donato
Barbara and Dick Detwiler
Helen and Ray DuBois
Lucy and Mark Engebretson
Gerald Fallon
Marilyn Fahrman
Edward and Deborah Ference-Gray
The Freter Family
Karel and Frank Greenberg
Kat and Tim Gregor
Betsy and Ray Grubbs
Ellen Hallock Hakes
Pam and Doug Hendrickson
Timothy and Elizabeth Higgins
Bob Hockaday and Julie Moriarty Hockaday
Wendy Holding and Lindsay MacIndoe
Winifred and Richard Kumpf
Ginger Laytham
Bonnie Levison
The MacDonald Family
Russell MacDonell
The Mathey Family
Fred and Gail McRobie
Carolyn Capstick Meehan
Betsy Michel
Merdith Moldenhauer
Bill Moore and Siobhan O’Mahony Moore
Amanda and Peter Mortimer
Deborah and John Osborn
Suzy O’Toole
Lindy L. Paull
Lydia Petty
Kate and Ben Phillips
Larry and Julia Pollock
Phyllis Rappaport
Robin Ried and Chris Staudt
Brett Robertson
Molly E. Ryan
Fred and Beth Singer
Catharine and Jeffrey Soros
Lynne and John Stahler
Carter and Helen Strong
Connie Tevebaugh
Katie and Conor Tochilin
Lauren Hill Theodorakos
Karen Urban
Emma and Tom Ward
Sara and Kyle Warwick
The Westbrook Family
Joe and Betsy Wright
List as of May 1, 2024
Village Keepers Initiative
The ’Sconset Trust has been actively involved in preserving the village center since 2013 when the Town, the ’Sconset Civic Association and local businesses worked together to establish the Village Neighborhood district to preserve our small commercial core. This district was extended in 2018 to include One New Street, the Chanticleer and expanded parts of the Casino. In 2023, the Trust launched Village Keepers, an initiative to further preserve ’Sconset’s commercial core. We are proud to share that we have made great strides towards these goals with your support.
The most exciting news to date in 2024, of course, is that the Trust acquired the ’Sconset Market property in January. This beloved resource is vital to our community and an asset that differentiates ’Sconset as a true village.
Around the world, there is a movement to recreate “the 10-minute neighborhood”: a community where residents can walk short distances from home to destinations that meet their daily needs. Before cars, ten-minute neighborhoods were ubiquitous. But over the last century, 10-minute neighborhoods have largely been replaced by sprawling suburbs which require a car. Yet ’Sconset has remained an exception. We can meet our daily needs within a short walk. This is, of course, because of the ’Sconset Market, which enables us to buy our coffee and newspaper in the morning, that missing dinner ingredient in the evening, and just about everything we might need in between.
We can’t take the Market’s existence for granted, or any other commercial property in the village for that matter. The real estate pressures on the island are enormous, and without intentional action to preserve these properties for commercial uses that are meaningful to residents, the businesses which make our village thrive could easily be replaced with new uses that change the essential character of the place.
This is why the Trust worked closely with Mark Donato to acquire the property that the Market occupies, following his 40-year tenure as owner. The Trust will now assume the role as a “Mission-Driven Landlord” of the property to tenants Rolf and Cindy Nelson, who will continue to
—Robin Ried, Chair
operate the Market since taking over from Mark 6 years ago. We extend a heartfelt thank you to Mark for the opportunity to purchase the property, as well as Rolf and Cindy for serving as stewards of this vital village asset.
We also know that the businesses in our village core need more than just the storefronts they occupy to remain vital. They need staff to run their operations! With housing in extremely short supply, ’Sconset’s businesses are finding it increasingly challenging to secure staff.
With this in mind, the Trust acted towards preserving the commercial core in yet another way: by acquiring The Aldrich House in 2023 and renting it to employees of businesses in the village core. This historic residential property, located at 6 Elbow Lane, sits just behind the Market and the ’Sconset Cafe. This summer, The Aldrich House will once again house employees of the Market and Claudette’s. It is the intention of the Trust to continue to make its housing resources available to ’Sconset businesses to help our village core continue to thrive.
As a community, we can only ensure the vitality and usefulness of our village core if all of us come together to make it happen. Now that we have put down a down payment on the Market property, we must pay for the rest, and we need your help doing so! We hope we can call upon all of you for your support, especially on the Trust's 40th year anniversary.
’Sconset Market
Hosted by Bunny Bispham
January 19, 2024
The Chilton Club
Boston Soirée Host Bunny Bispham and fiancée Gavin Hale:
Thank you to our generous sponsors
’Sconset Light Sponsors
Kathy and David Cheek
Heather and Greg Garland
’Sconset Rose Sponsors
Anne Apgar
Bunny Bispham and Gavin Hale
Charles Byrne and Ellen Mitchell
Cheryl Clarkson and Daniel Townsend, M.D.
Lynnette and Gerard Fallon
Matthew and
Samantha Fremont-Smith
Chris and Megan Holding
Pam and Bill Holding
William Moore and Siobhan
O’Mahony Moore
Kathryn Ryan
Nancy and Bruce Shaw
Liz Weiss and Tim Carruthers
Trust Soirées
Hosted by Kate Heller O’Reilly
April 19, 2024
at The River Club
Thank you to our generous sponsors
’Sconset Light Sponsors
Kathy and David Cheek
Brian and Mary MacDonald and Family
Bob and Sally Michler
’Sconset Rose Sponsors
Bunny Bispham and Gavin Hale
Philippa and Jim Burke
Carrie Capstick and James Berman
Christopher and Christina Crampton
Rhett Currier
Lori and Eric Dannheim
Peter and Sarah Gailliot
Jamie and Hollie Holt
Rahul and Ashley Kadakia
Terri and Peter Keogh
Carolyn Capstick Meehan
Betsy Michel
William Moore and Siobhan
O’Mahony Moore
Kate Heller O’Reilly
Colleen and Will Overlock
Marshall and Holly Pagon
Katie and Conor Tochilin
A fun crew at our NYC Soirée.
OF DIRECTORS
2023 – 24
Members from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England gathered at Sankaty on April 23rd to induct Sector Commander, Captain Clinton Prindle into the Chief’s Mess by making him an honorary Chief Petty Officer for his service to the enlisted force. The ’Sconset Trust’s lighthouse keeper Rob Benchley was on hand
Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands.
William B. Holding, Jr.
PRESIDENT
David J. Brown
VICE PRESIDENT
Siobhan O’Mahony Moore
SECRETARY
Charles S. Cruice
TREASURER
William E. Hannum, III CLERK
Lisa R. Bermel
Barbara H. Bispham
Katherine P. Cheek
Christopher Crampton
Robert Franklin
Matthew Fremont-Smith
Karyn McLaughlin Frist
Ashley Ghriskey
Drew J. Guff
Holly Johnson
Sally S. Michler
Robin Ried
Nell P. Wilson
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Julie Ruddick Meade
DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Amanda McGovern Moriarty
ADMINSTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Jennifer M. Ahlborn
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER
Rob Benchley
One New Street P. O. Box 821
Siasconset MA 02564 508 257 4100
info@SconsetTrust.org SconsetTrust.org
Photo: Rob Benchley