N Magazine Winter 2011 by steve williams

N o

4 1 / 7 0

ChristmAs

Stroll guide inside the

nantuCKet

projeCt

greta Feeney bACk on A high note An islAnderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

arCtiC ADVeNTUre

the Fight to sAve our

SCallopS Nantucket Magazine Winter 2011

N magazine

Editor & Publisher Bruce A. percelay Managing Editor Robert Cocuzzo Art Director paulette Chevalier Head Photographer Nathan Coe Operations Consultant Adrian Wilkins Contributors peter B. Brace Kristen Kellogg jen laskey Debra McManis Marie-Claire Rochat Marjan Shirzad Andrew Spencer Photographers Meghan Brosnan lisa Frey Kris Kinsely Hancock Martin Hartley Cary Hazlegrove Dr. Greg Hinson Kit Noble George Riethof / Nantucket Aerial joshua Simpson Advertising Director Fifi Greenberg Advertising Sales Audrey Wagner Publisher N. llC Chairman: Bruce A. percelay

N magazine

Nantucket Times 17 North Beach Street Nantucket, MA 02554 508-228-1515

ÂŠCopyright 2011 Nantucket Times. Nantucket Times (N Magazine) is published seven 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 3025 Woburn

inter Wonderland

“Getting back to nature” is a phrase we usually associate with the summer months, but for numerous reasons the concept has a deeper meaning this holiday season. With many Americans facing serious economic challenges, people are beginning to look beyond the material aspects of life in search of what is truly important. To this end, we celebrate Nantucket’s great outdoors as the richest of holiday presents. Farmer Ray Owen is an exemplar of this back-to-nature Editor & Publisher — Bruce A. percelay way of life. Owen’s Bayberry Patch Farm yields him a crop of not only healthy food, but also many friends that tout him as a local farming legend. Come Thanksgiving, Ray Owen is one of the most sough-after men on the island, his turkeys widely regarded as prized poultry. Harvesting a different sort of bounty, shell fishermen wade into the harbors in search of Nantucket’s beloved bay scallops. Over the last two decades, the scallop population has been startlingly erratic, with bushel numbers dwindling drastically in years of late. We explore a campaign by marine biologists and local shell fishermen to “Save our Scallops.” Meanwhile, other fishermen are asking that we stop saving our seals, or at least stop protecting them. Since 1972, gray seals have been protected by a Federal act, resulting in a massive population growth of the local colonies. Many local surfcasters are at odds with these mammals, lamenting that they hinder the island’s onshore fishing. We bring you to the sandy front lines of this “Battle for the Beach.” From our ocean to one more frigid, the NHA’s Director of Outreach and Special Programs, Marjan Shirzad, takes us onto the ice of the Eastern Arctic in our cover story. Accompanied by the images of world-renowned adventure photographer, Martin Hartley, Shirzad’s chilling account reveals the Arctic’s global significance and explores an inhospitable world that Nantucket whalers once roamed. In these crisp winter nights, we also look up with awe at the island’s dazzling, star-filled sky. For local astronomers, Nantucket’s nightscape is more than just beautiful; it is a source of endless intrigue and learning. For the rest of us, it is the gift that keeps on giving. We hope you have a meaningful holiday season and remember that one of the greatest gifts Nantucket has to offer is just outside our front doors. Warm regards,

N magazine

Bruce A. Percelay Editor & Publisher

WINteR 2011 22 King oF tHe Coop

ray owen’s Bayberry patch Farm and the rising sustainability movement

33 Brain Camp

a cram course on the nantucket project

36 arCtiC adventure journey into the arctic with the nHa’s marjan Shirzad

46 CatCH a riSing Star meet some of the island’s professional and amateur astronomers

17 S.o.S.

nantucket’s campaign to Save our Scallops

BehIND thoSe eYeS World-renowned adventure photographer, Martin hartley, snaps this Stroll’s cover shot of “arctic adventure” (pg. 36) writer, Marjan Shirzad.

N 4 1 / 7 0o o

ChristmAs

Stroll guide inside the

nantuCKet

projeCt gre ta Feeney bACk on A high note

a rCtiC ADVeNTUre An islAnder’s

the Fight to sAve our

SCallopS Nantucket Magazine Winter

2011

N magazine

55 The Siren Returns

A profile on opera singer Greta Feeney and her new non-profit, Nantucket Island Arts & Music

62 Bulgarian Nights The Muse goes Eastern European

70 The Fight for the Beach

A look at the strained relationship between beach fishermen and gray seals

79 christmas Stroll guide

From Christmas trees to gingerbread houses, shopping tips to fun events â&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all here!

26 Serengeti Style Featuring the fall clothing line of local designer Charlotte Hess

N magazine

Photo by Nathan Coe

89 Holiday Shopping on the High Seas

Check out the holiday shopping lists of early Nantucket whalers

N magazine

’nsider

news tidbits items of interest

tHE giLDER Nantucket Writer Kathryn Kay’s Debut Novel Written by marie-Claire roCHat Nantucket author, Kathryn Kay, is feeling

of age. The story leads readers through the

exhilarated – and a bit apprehensive – about the

romantic streets of Florence as they follow

launch of her debut novel, The Gilder, at the end

protagonist, Marina Nesmith. A young woman

of December. “This book evolved from a short

seeking more than the gilding apprenticeship that

story that I wrote when I was finishing my

has brought her to Florence, Marina ultimately

undergraduate degree at Lesley College,” Kay

discovers more about life than she could have

says about the book’s start nearly 20 years ago.

imagined. “I sought to make the protagonist

At the time, life was already going full speed

a sympathetic character,” the author explains.

numerous details woven throughout that are

ahead. Kay was busy raising a young daughter

“Marina got herself into trouble as a very naïve

based on real places and real people. “As in any

on her own while juggling multiple jobs. Over

young woman, and didn’t know the right thing

work of fiction, there are bits and pieces of me,

the next 10 years, she returned to the manuscript

to do. This is certainly a very human struggle.”

my experiences, the people I know, mixed in with

whenever she could. The Gilder was well worth

Kay continues, “I really believed in this story,

the fantasy,” she recently posted on her website.

the wait.

because I thought from the beginning that I had something to share that people could really relate Following the book’s release on December 27th,

The Gilder is rich in themes of love and

to. I was fascinated by the idea of what happens

Kay will begin a tour on the West Coast. In the

relationships; making mistakes and seeking

when a good person does a terrible thing.”

spring, her publicist will orchestrate a re-launch,

forgiveness; covering up and coming clean; vulnerability and strength; youth and coming

with speaking engagements and book signings Kay’s writing style is fluid, her weighty themes

on the East Coast and, of course, on Nantucket.

bedded in vivid descriptions of the sights,

In the meantime, Kay will stay focused on the

sounds and smells of Florence, from the winding Nantucket Writers’ Studio, the weeklong path of Via Luna and the gentle babbling of the

creative writing workshops for women she

Arno, to the damp, antique smell of the air in the

founded and runs from May to October. She’ll

church of Santa Croce and the bustle of Anita’s

keep pace with her husband, Robert, a busy real

Trattoria.

estate broker on the island, remain active with her hobbies and carve out plenty of time to visit

While many threads in the book tie to her

her daughter and grandchild in California.

own life, Kay insists that The Gilder is not an autobiography. Like Marina, Kay moved to

“I have two ideas for my next book,” Kay says.

Florence as a young adult to study art restoration

“I need to make the time to just sit and put some

(Kay studied 15 century inlay technique, while

words down and see which one takes off.” For

her protagonist landed in a gilder’s workshop).

the moment, however, she is content to focus

Both raised daughters as a single parent (though

on The Gilder, working toward its successful

Kay’s daughter did have a relationship with

launch and relishing her experience as a newly

her father while growing up). There are

published author.

N magazine

The exhibition’s name said it all: “Jettisoning the Safe, Delving into the Uncertain.” For curators Reggie Levine and Christie Cure, the uncertainty was the exhibition’s only certainty. Invitations were sent to local artists to participate in the exhibition, giving them few parameters. The invitation read, “The idea behind this exhibition is to concentrate on those areas in the visual arts not often seen or featured in most galleries on the island and to focus on those artists who are willing and eager to take chances and explore new ways of seeing.” With that, the doors of the Preservation Institute on 11 Centre Street were opened to some of the island’s most creative. The artists responded accordingly, adorning the walls with works faraway from the still lifes and landscapes of ye olde Nantucket. Whether it was a one-piece bathing suit made of seashells, a cubist-inspired wall installation, or deformed animal crackers, the works reaffirmed important tenets of art: Don’t give answers; challenge the audience to think; let the audience come up with their own conclusions. Made up of both professional and amateur artists working in everything from water color to oil, photo to print, sculpture to mixed media, the exhibition celebrated art for art’s sake—no price tags, no auction, just titles and artists’ names.

Self-portrait by Kevin Stanton

DiFFEREnt stROKEs

Though only open for ten days, “Jettisoning the

For better or for worse, the Nantucket art scene has long been dominated by

and, at times, a little bit weird. Encouraging such

coastal, maritime art. Gallery windows showcase striking paintings of seascapes,

daring, innovative expressions of creativity has

lighthouses, and sailboats while deep within abstract “non-Nantucket”

long been the drive behind the Nantucket Arts

pieces hang less pronounced on its walls. Only on occasion does one of these

Council.

By Suzanne Greene

Safe, Delving into the Uncertain” was perhaps the first stroke in a much bigger picture of opening the Nantucket art scene to something fresh, exciting,

Arts Council kicked off their 19th Annual Arts Festival by devoting an exhibition to these works that tend to hang in the darker corners of the galleries.

Photos by liSa Frey, Courtesy of nantucket arts Council, 2011

N magazine

atypical pieces find its way to the front glass. This past October, the Nantucket

N magazine

Save Our

Scallops Written by Robert Cocuzzo

Photography by Nathan Coe

N magazine

In 1980, 117,000 bushels of scallops were harvested from the waters of Nantucket. In 2010, that number fell to around 7,000. Today, local shell fishermen and marine biologists have teamed up in an effort to revitalize Nantucketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bay scallops and rescue one of the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s storied professions.

hen it comes to scalloping, Matt Herr is a

romantic. The 20-plus-year veteran shell

fisherman speaks of the island’s scallop industry with a sense of time and place: “We’ve always had a certain cadre of people that plowed the harbors in the wintertime, and did so year after year, and passed it on from generation to generation.” In the last 20 years or so, however, the scalloping fleets have diminished. Old salts have hung up their rubber boots with few greenhorns willing or interested to take their place. “People are dropping out, the attrition is really high,” says Herr. “With that you start to lose the culture, you start to lose the stories and the old-timers. That whole culture was one of the last vestiges of our working waterfront, which I think a lot of people on Nantucket like to see and know that it’s there.” Come Christmas Stroll, scalloping is an offseason income stream for many whose jobs thrive in the spring, summer, and fall. Carpenters, painters, and landscapers take to the harbors with rakes and baskets while shell fishermen like Matt Herr board their boats, and hone their dredges on the growingly elusive Nantucket bay scallop. According to Shellfish Warden, Dwayne Dougan, and Harbor Master, Dave Fronzuto, the average price per pound last year was $11.50—grossing a total of $644,000 in scallops. To put that figure in perspective: In 1980, the local commercial scalloping market grossed a staggering $3,700,000. (The price per pound was $4.70.) Whether looking at it in terms of bushels or dollars, there is little question that the number of Nantucket bay scallops is erratic, if not on the decline. Although there are several contributing factors, the decline in scallops ultimately comes down to water quality. According to a recently drafted Scallop Management Plan, Nantucket’s harbors have an excess of nutrients due to run-off and direct dumping. When it rains, fertilizers and pesticides seep into the harbors along with other nutrient rich chemicals from sources such as septic tanks and boat cleaners. This increase in nutrients devastates the bay scallops’ eelgrass habitat. Exacerbating the situation, climate change has caused a rise in torrential storms, thus a rise in the run-off of these detrimental nutrients. “A lot of people are starting to become aware that our harbor is struggling right

N magazine

now with all the human impact,” says Herr. “Any time you

add more people, the natural order of things suffers a little bit, and we need to be careful in what we are doing.”

“We’ve always had a certain cadre of people that plowed the harbors in the wintertime, and did so year after year, and passed it on from generation to generation.” — Matt Herr

N magazine

nter marine biologist, Tara Riley. Riley came to

Riley has implemented a “Larval Release Strategy” in which

Nantucket two years ago to work for the town’s

bay scallops reproduce in a controlled environment. Millions

Marine and Coastal Resource Department.

of released larvae are then placed in large circular oil booms

Previously, she had been putting her masters degree in

set throughout the harbors in locations of thriving eelgrass

fisheries and aquaculture to work in campaigns raising

beds. They remain in these containment enclosures until they

flounder and striped bass at NC State University, and, more

are ready to drop down and attach to the eelgrass. As Riley

recently, raising clams and oysters for a private company

surmises, “The idea is to take millions and millions of these

in Virginia. When Riley was offered the job at Nantucket’s

small larvae that are healthy and drop them in the harbor

Marine and Coastal Resource Department, she only needed

where they might have a chance.” In total, Riley has released

to take one glimpse at the department’s boathouse to say yes.

around 70 million bay scallop larvae in Madaket and

In this underutilized building on Brant Point, Riley saw the

Nantucket Harbor.

potential to save Nantucket’s scallops. Also giving these scallops a fighting chance is an unprecedented “The Brant Point boathouse was kind of like a storage

collaboration between the fishermen and the town. In years past,

facility, but to me it looked like a blank slate,” Riley says.

a schism has divided the two parties. “It has been a strained

“Slowly and surely, we’re trying to turn it into a hatchery,

relationship mostly because nobody really took the time to

and we’re producing a fair amount of shellfish down there.”

get to know each other,” attests Herr, who has been working with

N magazine

Below: Matt Herr, Tara Riley, and fellow fisherman Doug Smith motoring through the harbor at dawn.

Riley for the last two summers as a newly sponsored fisherman

funding comes from the sale of recreational licenses.

intern. “There was no cooperation, there was no reaching out,

Beginning October 1st (a month before the commercial season

and no respect for each other’s opinion.” Riley and Herr have

commenced), islanders clipped on their scalloping licenses

helped bridge the gap between the two groups, elevating the

to reap their daily quota of a bushel-a-day. Methods range

scallop issue to an imperative beyond the petty disputes of

from pushing a rake along the bottom to donning a wet suit

the past. This marriage of science and local knowledge has

and snorkel to dive for them. In a good winter, dinner tables

helped Riley effectively implement her strategy, and cater it

throughout the island relish in the sweet little delights of bay

specifically to the dynamic marine ecosystem of Nantucket.

scallops, perhaps wrapped in bacon, served in a soufflé, or

“Fishermen like Matt Herr are really good about paying

simply seared in butter.

attention to unique situations in the harbor. Just going out on Only time will tell if Tara Riley’s campaign will return the

about the bottom,” says Riley. “He has been very valuable to

scallop numbers to their historic heights. In the meantime,

have around.”

fishermen like Matt Herr continue to plow the ocean’s bottom, stirring up what they can, and preserving the long

Of course the campaign to save scallops is not solely for the benefit of commercial shell fishermen; most of the project’s

tradition of shellfishing on Nantucket.

N magazine

Matt’s boat, he’s taught us how to rig all the gear and a lot

KING C OP of the

Written by deBra mCmaniS

ay Owen is the antithesis of corporate American farming. He is a small farmer’s small farmer—a man who

will give you all the time you need, and not because he has a surplus. He gladly stops to share every last kernel of the joys and challenges that define a lifetime of farming, having spent the last thirty years coaxing an impressive yield from an island not known for its agricultural powers, or fertile soil for that matter. Not to worry, Ray has a remedy for that out back. “Liquid gold,” more commonly known as manure, awaits any brave soul willing to gamble on nature and risk

N magazine

throwing down a crop or two.

Photography by natHan Coe

N magazine

griculture runs deep in the Owen family heritage, and Ray’s farming prowess bears witness to this. However, for many aspiring do-it-yourself

growers, providing the family pantry with a variety of leafy greens, fresh fruits and vegetables from the domain of one’s own backyard has never been so en vogue, agriculturally speaking, that is. “Boutique choice,” a trendy term made popular by the USDA to describe this niche in the local food market, appeals to an increasing number of health conscious consumers who are literally rolling up their sleeves and taking their family food supply into their own hands. This turning back to the way things used to be—eating seasonally and buying locally—represents a consumer movement aimed to counter the negative effects of industrialized farming and mass food production. Many Nantucketers are choosing to become selfsufficient and sustainable by growing gardens or raising small pocket farms, by supporting local farm markets, or by shopping directly from farmers like Ray Owen. While Ray is known for growing gargantuan pumpkins, robust vegetables, succulent tomatoes, choice greens and exquisite cut-flowers, it is his obvious flair for raising superior turkeys that distinguishes him as the most sought-after farmer come holiday time. Ray also delivers the finest

All this crowing about poultry should come as little surprise considering

eggs this side of Needham, MA, his native hometown

Ray spent the first two years of his life literally “cooped up” alongside

where his sons continue to run the poultry operation and

his mother, as she singlehandedly kept the family chicken business afloat

farm market started by his father in 1936.

while his father recovered from pneumonia in the hospital. One needs to peek no further than Ray’s own henhouse—aptly named Le Chanticleer— to recognize his devotion to raising healthy and seemingly happy chickens. “Two hundred old ones and two hundred young ones…about 175 eggs a day,” confirms Ray with a quick grin. Just beyond the coop, a handful of friendly goats proudly scale up and down a modest mountaintop. (Ray says they need to summit rocks to “feel like goats.”) Alongside the fanfare of a bustling turkey enclosure, a few well-groomed pigs lie dozing in the bucolic warmth of the autumn sun. In the

N magazine

distance, teeming beehives are positioned between rows of grape and berry

vines, a near-perfect metaphor for the “fruitful hive” that depicts not only Nantucket but also this special farm that Ray magically transformed from an old town dump site.

Ray concedes that his showy white turkeys—an American hybrid of

turkeys never reach this stage because the market prefers younger birds

the traditional White Holland breed—provide him with the greatest

that weigh less. Ultimately, Ray’s turkeys stand above the rest due to a

social equity. “People started to figure out that I could raise turkeys…

process he calls the “prime finish,” a special six-week ration of organic

I had to cap it off at fifty birds and now I have a waiting list. I do

whole grains used to fatten the birds. This is followed by an on-farm

bartering; you can always get something done for you quicker if you

slaughtering and a “dressing ritual” in which the turkeys are kept to

have a turkey. I keep a couple spares for that reason. I save one of the

“age and soften” for an additional week. From the first day the poults

‘big strutters’ for Thanksgiving Day and bring him down to Children’s Beach

(baby turkeys) arrive, Ray assures me, “All of it is done entirely by hand.”

for the [Turkey] Plunge. He gets a big bow and then he comes home.” Ray Owen is proof that a committed grower armed with a plan can The secret to Ray’s success is that he grows his birds to maturity, about

remain, to a large degree, self-sufficient in providing a sustainable table

7 months or 25 pounds for the average tom. This allows the meat to

for one’s own family and friends. Pursuing the so-called “dirty life,”

tenderize during a natural marbling process. Most commercially grown

whether on your own acreage, in a community space, or from your own balcony or rooftop, might just prove to be the cleanest, if not the tastiest, game in town.

N magazine

serengeti style

By Nathan Coe

N magazine

Charlotte Hess

With a model for a mom,

isobel and Cleo seeks “to preserve the intimacy, tradition,

Charlotte Hess grew up in

and quality that is the essence of a hand-knitted garment”

the world of high fashion,

while also being “made-to-wear high-end fashion.” Although

learning to knit at the tender

preferring to work in alpaca, merino wool, and cashmere,

age of eight. After graduating

she often ventures into more challenging materials such as

from the School of the Art

leather cord. Environmentally conscious, Charlotte knits with

Institute of Chicago, she

yarn from a fair trade co-op in Uruguay known as Manos,

studied textiles at the

she purchases recycled sari yarn from India, and acquires old

Glasgow School of Art in

yarn stock that would otherwise be discarded.

Scotland. Her ravishing

knitwear has since caught the discerning eye of fashion’s

For 11 years, Charlotte has been summering on Nantucket.

elite, winning Charlotte the Emerging Designer Competition

This past spring, the young designer opened Union Textiles

at the 2011 Charleston Fashion Week as well as a

on 2 Union Street with fellow weaver, Cara Deheart of

development grant from the Scottish Arts Council.

Seaweaver. Most recently, on a crisp evening this past fall, local models strutted a makeshift runway at Cisco Brewery

Boasting natural hues of rust, browns, and tans, Charlotte’s

wearing Charlotte’s line, earning the up-and-coming designer

isobel and Cleo Fall 2011 Collection was inspired by

many oohs and aahs from her adoring Nantucket fans.

Native American art and culture. Previously only available

N magazine

for women, her knits have branched out to include men’s

— KriSten Kellogg

sweaters, scarfs, and accessories. Truly a labor of love, each garment can take days to complete. See more of Charlotte’s work at www.isobelandcleo.com or facebook.com/isobelandcleo

photography+ videobrandide ntitycreativedi rectiondesignl ocation+produ ctionservices... let’s coecreate ® www.coecreate.com

508 680 4143

coecreate® is a full service design + ad agency

N magazine

BrainCamp Written by Bruce A. Percelay

Photography by Meghan Brosnan

What do you get when you gather a few dozen of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most innovative thinkers under one tent and have them present their ideas in rapid succession over a two day period? The answer is the equivalent of a six pack of Red Bull administered directly to the frontal lobe.

N magazine

Top: Moderator Erik Schatzker of Bloomberg Television with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Harvard economist Lawrence Summers. Below: Poet Sarah Kay had the audience entranced with her eloquent prose.

elcome to the Nantucket Project, the island’s

version of the Aspen Institute held at the White

Elephant this past fall. The brainchild of Plum

TV’s Tom Scott and Kate Brosnan, the event lured

look prehistoric. Kamen also vented his frustration with the FDA, lamenting that it mangled the approval process for his device in supreme government fashion, thus denying needy recipients the product of his genius.

over two hundred participants to hear from those who are re-thinking ways for a better future. At $3,200 a pop, Project-goers were

Then there was Peter Diamandis, founder and CEO of the X PRIZE

exposed to an extraordinary array of creative minds that shared

Foundation, which leverages large cash rewards to those who solve

their expertise on everything from design to finance to medicine

critical societal problems. X Prize projects range from designing

to the arts. The event was a cerebral buffet of gourmet thinking

super high-mileage cars to creating cost-effective, reusable rocket ships

that, if anything, left the mind overfed, but highly nourished.

for the exploration of space. One prize, sponsored by Wendy Schmidt, was motivated by the failures in cleaning up the BP oil spill.

Take Dean Kamen for example, the inventor of Segway and one

Just last month, it produced a winning technology that may

of America’s most prolific creators of advanced technologies.

revolutionize how we deal with environmental disasters.

N magazine

Kamen presented a prosthetic arm designed for Iraq War veterans

that had such dexterity it could pick up a grape as delicately as a

Deb Roy from MIT’s Media Lab, presented a system that

human hand. The device made the conventional hook prosthesis

simultaneously gathers data from every television program and its

immediate social media reaction, providing instant feedback on

the tent. Philbrick joined other talented entertainers that helped the

what America is watching, from political debates to sporting events.

audience digest the wealth of material being presented.

Made possible by super computers, the scope and sophistication of Roy’s system makes George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four read like

And on the topic of digestion, bestselling author, Dr. Mark Hyman,

an exercise in privacy management. Nonetheless, the technology is

gave compelling testimonials on the power of healthy eating

remarkable and the applications far reaching.

and the elimination of gluten from our diets. Hyman’s talk was concluded by one of the event’s bigger ironies, as the healthy

Deemed one of the “Most Influential People in the World” by

living presentation was followed by a catered feast of pasta,

Time Magazine, Craig Venter was among the first to sequence the

breads, soda and deserts (perhaps secretly designed to increase

human genome. Venter shared with the audience the relatively

Hyman’s patient load).

near prospect of all Americans being able to afford the map of their DNA. This will not only give us a picture of what kind of

From former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers to Chicago Mayor

health we can look forward to, but also provides an invaluable

Rahm Emanuel to Broadway producer Julie Taymor to Nantucket’s

tool by which pharmaceuticals can be tailored to each individual,

Bob Wright, the gathering was unlike any ever seen on the island

dramatically increasing their effectiveness.

and is likely to yield a second act next year. For many of those in attendance, The Nantucket Project was like going back to college

Speaking of good genetics, a portion of the event’s entertainment

with the best professors, broadest curriculum and most interesting

was provided by the son of island visionaries Melissa and

classmates—all delivered at warp speed. Despite the steep price

Nathaniel Philbrick. A masterful cellist, Ethan Philbrick offered

tag, those who ponied up were unquestionably richer for the

a much-needed lyrical reprieve from all the wisdom flying around

experience, but probably went home after the mental marathon and took a long, long nap.

Below: Ethan Philbrick set the mood with his cello during a break from the presenting.

Arctic

Adventure

N magazine

Written by Marjan Shirzad

Photography by Martin Hartley

When Marjan Shirzad is not serving as the Nantucket Historical Association’s Director of Outreach and Special Programs, she’s exploring the world. Her passport bares stamps from Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, India, China and countries all over South America and Europe. If Antarctica had customs, she’d have a stamp from there too. This past spring, climate scientists. Joined by world-renowned adventure photographer, Martin Hartley, Shirzad takes us onto the ice.

N magazine

Shirzad journeyed out into the High Canadian Arctic with a group of elite

t is the end of March 2011. I am clearly on Arctic time now

Climate scientists have long warned that what happens in the Arctic is

as it seems like months have passed since a rugged, ski-fitted

a harbinger of what may follow elsewhere; in other words, the Arctic

Twin Otter plane dropped us off on this particular patch of

Ocean acts as an early warning system for ocean systems across our

Arctic ice. Back then it was simply a point on a map. Now

little blue planet. However, due to the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extreme inaccessibility,

it is our neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;Śno, our home.

the Arctic science model remains largely enigmatic, even today. This is what brings us here now. A multi-year, international research program, the Catlin Arctic Survey supports Arctic scientists as they study processes affecting the Arctic Ocean, namely ocean acidification and thermohaline circulation. With ocean acidification, scientists understand that carbon dioxide is absorbed faster in colder waters, like those of the Arctic Ocean. The question is how increased acidification affects sea life and marine food chains at the poles, and whether similar conditions may arise in warmer locations.

In the case of thermohaline circulation, one could think of the Arctic Ocean as a central hub for global water currents of differing densities, all circulating, rising and falling at pivotal points. Some of the currents consist of fresh water while others are salty, some are cold and others are warm. As the primary meeting point for these currents, the Arctic Ocean acts like a giant pump, which maintains the overall flow of our vital ocean systems. However, higher temperatures and increased melting sea ice could change the pumping process, with devastating results for the planet. Hailing from the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, the 2011 Catlin scientists aim to fill these gaps in knowledge and gather data for these

Image courtesy of NHA Archives

models. No other team of scientists is taking ice core samples or conducting field research in the Arctic so early in the season. Therefore, this “pre-season” data is unparalleled in the scientific community, and pushes the boundaries of Arctic research into the realm of “extreme science.”

arCtiC WHalerS

efore 1848, the Arctic was the exclusive hunting grounds of Eskimos. That was until New York whaling captain Thomas Welcome Roys got wind of the territory’s bounty of whales. In July of 1848, Roys navigated the Superior and its anxious crew through the Bering Strait and into the unknown Arctic. Greeting them were pods upon pods of whales. Over the course of one month, the Superior slew an astonishing 11 Bowhead whales. Word of the Superior’s success shot through the whaling grapevine, and soon hundreds of vessels were setting their compasses to the far North, including a number of whaleships from Nantucket.

Many thanks to the NHA’s Bob Hellman for lending his whaling expertise.

N magazine

Of course, whaling in the Arctic was hardly a pleasure cruise. As NHA historian, Bob Hellman, explains, “This was the Arctic Ocean—the pack ice froze solid in the winter and receded inconsistently…The most noteworthy of all ship losses happened in September of 1871 when the ice closed in early—of the 39 whalers that went into the Arctic that season, 32 were caught by the ice, abandoned, crushed and lost.” As for whaling, the ice allowed the giant mammals a quick escape, and the whales became exceedingly difficult to harvest. Whalers journeyed deeper into the Artic, and, with improved technology, decimated the Bowhead whale population to near extinction.

he Catlin Ice Base is not a particularly natural place

time I felt my nose hairs turn into tiny, spear-like icicles or the skin

for human life, pitched over the frozen waters of

on my cheeks pinch together and sting, I could not comprehend what

Deer Bay off Elef Ringnes Island at 78 degrees north, in the

was happening. Now, a veteran of sorts, I use the feeling as a weather

uppermost region of Canada’s Nunavut province. We are a

gauge: “Frozen nose hairs? It must be colder than – 20°F.”

small team consisting of an expedition leader, a few polar guides, a cook, a communications manager, four scientists

and our polar bear deterrent and mascot, Tuk, a Canadian Inuit camp dog.

A daily battle occurs between the elements and one’s body, and the only way to victory is by creating warmth from the inside. On a typical day back home, an adult male might consume 2,500 calories.

The ice base functions as one tight unit, however each member

In the Arctic, you need a minimum of 5,000 calories to maintain basic

also performs a specialized role during the expedition. As ice base

body warmth—and your body tells you when it is not receiving its

communications manager, my mission is relatively straightforward:

fair share. At ice base, I don’t think twice about eating an entire tablet

Do not freeze—either myself or my technical equipment—and capture

of chocolate at both lunch and dinner. I also cave in to a deep, primal

all daily life and scientific happenings at the base via photographs,

voice that orders me to mix copious amounts of peanut butter, maple

short films, blog posts and educational videos. I also need to shoot

syrup and bacon into my bowl of morning oatmeal. “Delicious” does

special footage for the BBC, and support visiting journalists like Frank

not do this dish justice.

Pope, oceans correspondent for The Times newspaper in London, and CNN special correspondent Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of

Around me lies nothing but the vastness of pure snow and ice in every

oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.

direction for as far as the eye can see. Our camp sits on 5 ½ feet of frozen sea ice, with 820 feet of dark, cold Arctic Ocean beneath it. I have never wanted ice

meals, chores and sleep. We arrive as relative strangers but are now a

to remain frozen more

community of neighbors, friends, co-workers and confidantes. At some

than I do now. The lack of

point it reminds me a lot of the community feeling on Nantucket, on

running water at camp is barely noticeable, and it is

N magazine

The team works every day, no weekends off, mostly stopping for

a minuscule scale. Every day, public enemy number one is the cold. It is not your run-of-

change our socks and

the-mill, ski-slope kind of cold. This Arctic version bites, burns and is

underwear every 48 to

inescapable. It certainly hurts and even has the power to kill. The first

72 hours.

a really good week if we

Raising the NHA’s colors.

Overnight, our sleeping bags retain our body moisture, which can then freeze into dangerous ice chunks and make our bedding excruciating. To combat this phenomenon, every morning after breakfast, we hang our bulky sleeping bags and elaborate liner systems on a communal clothesline. Sublimation dries our bags by dinnertime.

N magazine

Some nights I fall asleep wondering what it would feel like to be swallowed by melting sea ice while I lay slumbering in my sleeping bag. Other nights, I wonder how many bites it would take for a polar bear to devour a woman of my size.

No plumbing also means no formal sewer

shipments of fuel and food. More importantly,

system. The ice base toilet consists of an

it’s our only way off this block of ice. We are

unheated portable expedition shelter with two

running low on supplies, and the ski-way must

5-gallon buckets, one for liquid waste and

be protected. Of course, there is no number

another for solid waste.

to dial for emergency assistance, no “them” to call for help – just “us” to get the job done.

I sleep in a one-man unheated tent pitched

And it is in these dark hours that the true

directly on the ice, its floor covered with a

beauty of the expedition spirit is felt.

few insulated mats to soften the frigid blow. Temperatures dip to -54°F (not accounting for

Fighting through perpetual exhaustion, each

wind chill, which can make it feel like -76°F).

team member gears up, grabs a shovel, and

My breath freezes across my face as I sleep,

treks the quarter-mile to the ski-way. The

and I awake to it hanging from the walls of

challenge in polar regions is that constant

the tent like fairy stalactites. Some nights I fall

winds move snow from place to place, creating

asleep wondering what it would feel like to

formidable sastrugi, sand dune-like, irregular

be swallowed by melting sea ice while I lay

ridges on the snow surface – and a deterrent to

slumbering in my sleeping bag. Other nights,

safe airplane landings. Reaching the ski-way,

I wonder how many bites it would take for a polar

we begin the arduous work of flattening and

bear to devour a woman of my size. Both are long

stomping down the sastrugi.

shots, but this is the Arctic and seemingly lowprobability risks are real nonetheless. I channel

After hours of shoveling, as if to reward our hard

my thoughts into positive ones, thank the

work and team spirit, the skies open as they never

universe for Tuk the dog, and fall asleep.

have before, granting our indefatigable team the most sublime sunset we have yet to see in that

We awake to the walls of our tents shuttering

Arctic sky. We gather together on a patch of ice,

violently in the wind. A five-day blizzard descends

shovels in hand, our laughter permeating the

upon us, wielding howling winds, ferocious

Arctic air. Basking in our trust in each other, all

temperatures and whiteout conditions. But there

memories of hard work dissipate. The unspoken

is no waiting out this weather from the relative-

realization is enough: It is a privilege to be

comfort of our sleeping bags. There is only one

standing here together, suspended in this one

lifeline to the outside world and that is the ski-

moment in time. Soothed by the whisper of

way, a crude runway specially fitted for

calming winds, the horizon aglow with endless

Twin Otter or DC-3 planes to land with vital

columns of Arctic light, we wouldn’t trade these shovels for the world.

N magazine

For more images and videos from the Arctic, visit Catlinarcticsurvey.com.

FoggySHeet nantucket

Scott Capizzo, Bruce Percelay, Bill Voss, Natalie & Will Smith

Brad Stein, Patience Killen & Len Collins

Marixa Pena Beth English & Liliana Dougan

N magazine

N Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x153;White Coolâ&#x20AC;? Party

Jody Dole & Nathan Coe

Kristen Kellogg, Jessica Hicks, Jennifer Shalley & Heather Duval photos by joshua Simpson

Front row: Renata Shapovalova, Graeden Ambrose, Marixa Pena, Fifi, Doug Foregger Back row: Liliana Dougan, Marty McGowan, Michael Hartrick, Holly McGowan

Jenny Whitlock & Scott Corry

Susan Warner (in the middle) with her A-list catering staff

Catch a Rising Star

N magazine

Written by Robert Cocuzzo

Image by Dr. Greg Hinson

antucket has long been home to stargazers. Back in the pre-GPS days, Nantucket mariners relied on the constellations to navigate back to port. Then, of course, there was the great Maria Mitchell, the matriarch of American astronomy

who famously identified a comet from the roof of her island home using a telescope in 1847. Mitchell went on to establish an astronomy program on Nantucket that continues to flourish. Today, passion for Nantucketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night sky has hardly faded. Just ask Dr. Vladimir Strelnitski, N magazine

the Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Observatory.

The Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Observatory, Dr. Vladimir Strelnitski manning the refurbished antique Clarke telescope at The Loines Observatory on Milk Street.

“

Photo by Kit Noble

antucket is arguably the darkest astronomical place

when discussing not only the tremendous work being done at the Maria

on the East Coast,” Dr. Strelnitski says, his Russian

Mitchell, but also the unifying appeal of astronomy.

accent harking to the days when he served as Vice President of the Committee in Search of

“One of the unique things about astronomy as a field is that the amateur

Extraterrestrials in the USSR. “In the winter time,

community works in concert with the professional community,” he says.

the nights are longer and the moisture is often frozen so the atmosphere is

“An amateur has the ability to do years or decades of observations on a

more clear. There are excellent nights [to observe] in the winter time.”

particular star to learn how it changes over the long-term, where a

Dr. Strelnitski sits cross-legged in his office, stroking the point of his chin

professional doesn’t have that type of time.” Indeed, Nantucket’s

as he muses over his years at the Maria Mitchell. On a shelf just over his

amateur astronomy community is a star in it of itself. Which brings

left shoulder sits a photo of him in the Blue Room of the White House.

us to Clyde Myers.

Last January, President Obama presented the astronomer with The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and

Clyde is everything you would hope for in an amateur astronomer:

Engineering Mentoring. Over the course of his tenure, Strelnitski has

passionate, knowledgeable, and a little bit quirky. When the mood strikes

nurtured one of the country’s most competitive astronomical internships

him right, Clyde slips into an authentic Soviet jet fighter cap to operate

at the Maria Mitchell, with well over one hundred students vying for six

his Orion SkyQuest telescope set up on his back deck—goggles and all.

spots each summer.

Peering into the telescope, he talks out of the side of his mouth, “You

N magazine

know, with all that’s going on in the world—all this talk about the

Many of Strelnitski’s students have gone on to accomplished careers in

economy and what not—all you have to do is look up to realize how

astronomy, including his most recent assistant, David Sliski. The 23-year-

truly insignificant it all is.” He pulls away from the scope, and points to

old headed off to Harvard this past fall to lead a campaign to digitize and

a picture of a star he photographed the night before through his telescope:

catalogue around 500,000 glass plate images of the night sky (a similar

“The light of that star took around 51-million light years to reach the lens

task he tackled at the Maria Mitchell). The young astronomer beams

of my camera. In all likelihood, that star no longer exists.”

“You know, with all that’s going on in the world, all this talk about the economy, all you have to do is look up to realize how truly insignificant it all is.” — Clyde Myers

N magazine

Photo by joshua simpson

Yet another amateur stargazer, Darius Kersulis

tracks it, and compensates for the rotation of

Also interestingly “out there” are those

takes astrophotography a step further. Over the last

the Earth. An autofocus helps for crisp images.

who devote themselves to studying it.

two years, the local astronomer originally from

Once everything is dialed in, Kersulis retreats

In them, we see the same passion as

Lithuania has captured staggering celestial images

to the comfort of his home where he monitors

Maria Mitchell, the same intrepid zest for

that border on the sci-fi. “You would expect

the telescope using specialized software. The

exploration as the early Nantucket

someone who is interested and knowledgeable in

resulting images are, well, out of this world. “In a

mariners.

astronomy to eventually attempt photographing

lot of ways astronomy changes my outlook on life

celestial objects,” he says. “Nope, not me. I got

and my place in it,” says Kersulis. “Seeing that those

into astronomy purely for taking pretty images.”

objects in the sky are real—the planets, the nebulas, the galaxies—somehow makes life more real.”

Achieving these photographs is a painstaking process that calls for more than just a telescope

Whether looking through a powerful

and camera. Kersulis uses a highly sensitive

telescope at the Maria Mitchell or simply

monochrome (black and white) camera that

laying on the beach under the stars,

enables him to glean a large amount of detail from

Nantucket’s dazzling night sky

even the faintest night sky. From there, he adds

boggles the imagination.

filters to bring explosive colors to the image. The actual snapping of the photo involves a

N magazine

computerized mount that targets the celestial object,

Above astrophotography by dariuS KerSuliS.

Photo by natHan Coe

clothing & accessories... wine & beer... home & gifts.

4 Easy Street N magazine

508.228.5073 www.currentVintage.com Find us on Facebook for news & deals!

FoggySHeet nantucket

Khaled & Jennifer Hashem — Boston Pops Jill & Steve Karp — Boston Pops

George & Sondra Baker — Boston Pops Keith Lockhart & Carly Simon — Boston Pops

Peter Greenhalgh & Stacy Stuart — Boston Pops

N magazine

Maureen Hackett, Natalie Jacobson & Kim Corkran — Boston Pops

Gail Huff & Senator Scott Brown — Boston Pops

Eric Goddard — Boston Pops

John Kerry — Boston Pops

Alice Rogoff Rubenstein, David Rubenstein & Sheila Rogoff — Boston Pops

Mike & Cindy Roberts — Boston Pops

Sarah & David Steinberg — Boston Pops

Gary & Heide Collins, Chuck & Julie Gifford — Boston Pops

Denise Olsen & Andrey Stanev

Porter, Eliza, Cathy & Bill Bowman

— Boston Pops

Photos by Kris Kinsley Hancock/Nantucketpix.com

N magazine

Siren returnS the

Written by jen laSKey

Why is world-class opera star Greta Feeney turning the tides on her performance career to run a nonprofit music and arts organization on Nantucket?

N magazine

Photo by Kit noBle

er singing has already

At the point when most singers in her position

solo parts off-island in the beginning, her auditions

taken her all over the

would be wrapping up their doctoral dissertations

went well and she quickly found herself singing

world to perform with

and seeking European festival contracts, Greta

in All-State Chorus. In 1993, she was cast in the

major symphony

renewed her commitment to the island she

island’s musical production of Oliver!, a role that

considers her home and to Nantucket Island Arts

led to Greta’s first-ever rave review.

orchestras. She has

attended top conservatories like Juilliard and

& Music (NIAM), the nonprofit performing arts

Mannes. She was selected for the prestigious

organization she founded here just over a year ago.

Adler Fellowship with the San Francisco

success to the support of generous Nantucketers.

Opera, where she starred in main-stage

“I realized that I wanted to make Nantucket

She believes that the idea of becoming an

productions for six years. She has performed

an important part of my life again,” says Greta.

opera singer was very much the product of

at the renowned Spoleto USA Festival twice

“And I also wanted to help make creative,

being allowed to dream big here on Nantucket.

– the first time as a young singer in 2001, and

fulfilling work for musicians on the island,

“I don’t know if that would’ve happened for me if

again, earlier this summer, when she sang

so I was compelled to bring my knowledge

I hadn’t been here,” she says.

the role of Papagena in the festival’s hit

and experience back to the extraordinary

production of The Magic Flute. A winner of

community that nurtured my dreams and

In addition to the training she received from

the Schwabacher Debut Recital Award and an

talents, and help do the same for other artists.”

Barbara Elder, Greta was taken under the wing

N magazine

Intermezzo Recitalist at Spoleto, she is at the

Eighteen years later, Greta attributes much of her

of music theater hobbyist, Howard Lewis,

height of her powers as a concert artist and

Greta’s singing aspirations began here on the

while she was still in high school. Greta and

on the verge of receiving a Doctor of Musical

island. Her family moved to Nantucket from

Howard started performing together at various

Arts (DMA) degree. Despite all this, opera

New Jersey when she was fifteen years old.

Nantucket events, and Lewis introduced her

diva, Greta Feeney, recently made the biggest

She began singing in the chorus with

to vocal coaches like Peggy Krewson and

decision of her life – to take everything she’s

Barbara Elder, and Elder encouraged her to

Paulette Allemande, who helped her hone her

learned and bring it back home to Nantucket.

start singing chorale music competitively.

voice and prepare repertoire for the auditions

Though Greta was too terrified to try out for

that would help launch her professional career.

Halston-inspired black one-shoulder maxi dress $142, courtesy of Current Vintage Ted Muehling oxidized bronze ‘turret’ earrings $380, courtesy of Patina

Photo by Kit Noble

When Greta was admitted to Mannes Conservatory, she was awarded a scholarship from Mannes alum and Nantucketer, Deborah Beale. Peter Sutro, a Nantucket resident and opera aficionado, also stepped in to set up a fund to help Greta cover the high tuition expenses at Mannes. “I was one of four kids being raised by a single mom and there was no way I could’ve afforded to go there without that help,” says Greta. “The community of Nantucket stepped up to fill that need and the funds they donated also made it possible for me to keep coming back to the island to perform.” Having the chance to return to Nantucket and try out new repertoire was key to Greta’s growth as a singer. “It was a safe place to make mistakes, to learn how to manage my stage fright, and to figure out how certain arias were going to feel in a more pressure-intense situation. Here, people didn’t seem to mind that I was still learning how to sing,” says Greta. “It was a valuable kind of workshop environment for me.” It was during her DMA studies when Greta had what she refers to as an “Aha!” moment, and the idea of starting an organization that could help make Nantucket a destination for great art and music emerged. Greta launched NIAM in August of 2010, and once again, the Greta performing at NIAM’s “Recital” with pianist, Barbara Podgurski, at the First Congregational Church this past Fall. Photo by Nathan Coe

community rose up to help. NIAM has had a very successful first year. The organization has 15 dedicated board members. It was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in May and has received over $20K in funding from private donors as well as a grant from the Nantucket Arts Council. The 2011 summer season was filled with a wide range of events from the Fluxus New Music series, featuring performance art, live painting, contemporary chamber music, and improvisational jazz with both Nantucket and New York City-based artists to an intimate recital benefit concert that was part of the Great Music in Grand Homes series and took place in the recently renovated historic house at 75 Main. It featured Greta singing a program of Baroque and classical music, accompanied by NIAM’s music director, Barbara Podgurski, playing a newly restored 17th century Chickering piano.

N magazine

“I realized that I wanted to make Nantucket an important part of my life again... I was compelled to bring my knowledge and experience back to the extraordinary community that nurtured my dreams and talents, and help do the same for other artists.”

But the biggest hit was NIAM’s free Opera Under the Stars event at Children’s Beach, which took place in August. Greta was joined by mezzo soprano, Jennifer Lane, dramatic soprano, Melissa Citro, and accompanied by Barbara Podgurski for a night of opera’s most beloved arias that ended with a finale for the children—a hilarious yet artful rendition of Rossini’s “Duet for Two Cats” that had the entire audience in stitches. “All too often, when people think of Nantucket they think of it as a resort destination for the elite, but the history of the island is steeped in a rich legacy of creativity, innovation, and progressive thinking,” says Greta. NIAM hopes to join the other arts organizations on the island in rejuvenating this legacy and helping to redefine the identity of Nantucket as a place where the arts, more than anything else, bring people together to celebrate beauty, creativity, passion, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence. What can Nantucket music and arts enthusiasts expect from NIAM in 2012? Greta is continuing to evolve the organization and model its summer festival after the renowned Spoleto, Tanglewood, Caramoor, Chataqua, and Glimmerglass festivals. Audiences can expect more events in the Fluxus New Music series, the Great Music in Grand Homes series, and Opera Under the Stars. Additionally, NIAM will be launching a Jazz Festival organized by pianist and summer island resident, Matthew Hutchinson, that will feature an exciting concert series as well as master classes with musicians who are on the leading edge of the contemporary jazz music scene. Nantucketers will be happy to know that Greta is not giving up performing entirely. She will be returning to California during the off-season to join her husband, Larry Samuels, and continue performing as a freelance artist. As NIAM grows more successful and gains more significant funding, Greta is looking

N magazine

forward to putting more energy into her role as

General Director and bringing many more worldclass artists to Nantucket to take center stage. To learn more about NIAM’s upcoming events or to make a donation, visit niamusic.org. Photo by Nathan Coe

N magazine

FoggySHeet N magazine

nantucket

Maureen & Kelly Hackett Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Bud Carvey, Margot Hartmann & Bruce Korson Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Tamara Stewart, Aly Sonwellman, & Courtney Brown Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Eileen McGrath, Ema Hudson & Jascin Leonardofinger â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Maura Dick & Caroline Cannon Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Elizabeth Grubbs, Kathy Cheek & Ray Grubbs Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Michael May & Tom Richards — Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete Chris & Gail Camalier — Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Melissa Wing, Liliana Dougan & Susan Chambers — Pam Waller & Brian Garvey —Row Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete Petticoat

Helen Cheng, Erick Sonsmith, Brenda Ferrera & Laura Stone Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Lynne Stahler & Ken Kinsley — Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete

Bonnie Roseman & Chris Bourbeau Nantucket Preservation Trust Fete Photos by Kris Kinsley Hancock/Nantucketpix.com

bulgarian

Nights

N magazine

Written by Robert Cocuzzo

Photography by Nathan Coe

IT’S MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MUSE AND DJ R.T.G. IS SPINNING RECORDS. The 25-year-old, otherwise known as Yanko Georgiev, is decked out in skinny jeans, throwback Nikes, and an “I ❤ NY” t-shirt. Around 10:30, he mounts the stage, dons his headphones, and begins fingering through a milk crate of vinyl. Pretty soon he has a track dialed and the Muse is bumping. This is Bulgarian Night on Nantucket. Dancers wade onto the open floor, first bobbing heads, then shoulders, and eventually breaking down into a full-on fit of techno-charged grinding. A cloud of smoke hisses out from a smoke machine and turns green under overhead lights. Faces poke through the mist, glistening in sweat, their eyes fixed in a musical trance. In the matter of a few songs, the Muse has transformed into an Eastern European dance hall.

N magazine

s with all art forms, music can tell the story of a culture. In this case, the Muse’s Monday night soundscape

pumping in the chaos of strobe lights. Only outside can the diverse cross-section of the island be observed as it spills out onto

lends itself to cultures both local and abroad. Woven into

the back deck for a breath of cool air, a smoke, or perhaps a few

mainstream jams and heavy hitting house music, Georgiev’s

minutes of reprieve from R.T.G.’s relentless barrage of beats. With

repertoire harks to his homeland Bulgaria, a genre known as

heat wafting off their heads in the chilled night, thoughtfully dressed

“pop-folk” or Chalga in the native tongue. “In the beginning

guys chat up nubile blondes and brunets in the pick-up-line-tradition

Chalga was more oriental, but now it’s more dance and house

that has gone to shape societies since the beginning of mankind.

music all mixed up together with some Turkish influence,” the DJ explains. “This is Bulgarian Night, but I do not just play

As the night creeps past the witching hour, Georgiev slows the beat

Bulgarian music. I have to take care of the whole audience who

and dials in a classic piece of chalga. On cue, Bulgarians flood the

is Jamaicans, Americans, South Americans and, of course, a lot

dance floor, linking arms in a circle and proceeding into a Bulgarian

of Bulgarians.”

dance known as Horo. It doesn’t take long for bystanders to pick up on the Horo’s folksy steps, and pretty soon most everyone is arm-in-

From the DJ booth there’s little to distinguish those swimming

arm spinning around the floor. “The Horo is something traditional,

in the undulating sea of dancers—just hips dipping and fists

something we are proud of,” Georgiev told me earlier in the night.

N magazine

As the human merry-go-round spins, clothing illustrates the social patchwork at hand: provocative skirts, pleated khakis, swim trunks, leather jackets, tube tops, silk blouses, Polo shirts and every type of jeans—ripped, tight, baggy, patched, black, white, capris, and even “jorts.” The unassuming lot is present for a fun evening free of the pretentiousness that can often dampen the Nantucket night scene. Or as one bleached blond Adonis insisted, “You don’t have to answer the same old questions: Where you’re from, what school went to, who you know…” The same can be said for most any night at the Muse, whether it’s Latino, Jamaican, Air Band or B-I-N-G-O. The Muse is old school Nantucket—a bar that has remained in the same ownership since 1989. Co-owner, Michael O’Reilly Sr., came to Nantucket in the late 1970s from Ireland by way of New York. While still involved, O’Reilly’s son, Mike Jr., now runs the bar day to day. “We’ll keep changing as things change. As the customers change, we change with them,” says the younger O’Reilly. And there lies the Muse’s mystique: The venue evolves with the island, celebrating not only its new residents, but also their music and culture—as if to say, “Give us your tunes, your fashion, your huddled masses yearning to dance the

N magazine

night away.”

N magazine

FoggySHeet nantucket

Beck, Sydney & Rourke Barsanti — Autism Speaks Walk

Judith Ursitti

— Autism Speaks Walk

Kayleigh & Sherrie Chitester — Autism Speaks Walk

N magazine

Lia & Julia Newman, Casey Lendway & Nina Slade — Autism Speaks Walk

Roberta & Olivia Esposito — Autism Speaks Walk

photos by Kris Kinsley Hancock/Nantucketpix.com

Tristy Marks — Autism Speaks Walk

Attention

non-profits In Search

of Office Space Brant Point office space available for 1 or more non profits at a preferred rental rate. The total space is 1200 square feet consisting of 3 separate offices plus common areas and can be used by 1 or more non profits. N magazine

The property is located at 17 N Beach Street. For rate and availability information, call Bruce A. Percelay at 617-407-0731.

THE BATTLE FORMTHE BEACH AN SEAL VS.

N magazine

Written by peter B. BraCe

Not long ago, there was a bounty out on sealsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the price was $5 per nose. Today, more humane strategies are being pursued to level the playing field between fishermen and gray seals.

N magazine Photo by george rietHoF/nantuCKet aerial

Photo by Kit noBle

urfcaster Kenny Kassan planned his retirement

Shunted from their traditional hangout by “rare” seals and birds,

around living on Nantucket and fishing on Great

once free-ranging surfcasters and beachgoers are feeling locked

Point. “It’s the serenity of the place,” said the

out of their special piece of Nantucket. Add to their indignation

fisherman. “[Great Point] is like a chapel to me.

a relatively new wrinkle in which some gray seals are actually

It’s a religious experience up there; the things you see, the people stealing blues and bass off of fishermen’s hooks, and you’ve you meet, in addition to the fish that you catch.”

got an army of sand people aggressively seeking a practical way to reclaim their beaches. “I may live here, but I’m still

For those making their seasonal fishing and beach pilgrimages

the inveterate surfcaster and my hobby has been hamstrung by

to their sacred fishing ground of Great Point and the rest of the

what’s going on with the seals,” lamented Kassan, who has

1,117-acre Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge, the growing gray

been coming to fish Great Point since 1979.

seal population in Nantucket waters is a nuisance. Over the last three or four years, hundreds of gray seals have occupied

The gray seals occupying Great Point and breeding on Muskeget

this beach almost year-round, forcing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Island are part of massive expanding Canadian colonies on

Service, the Trustees of Reservations, and the collective owners

Nova Scotia’s Sable Island and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The

of Great Point, the Galls and Coskata, to fence off the shorebird

population boom is also attributed to the Federal Marine Mammal

and seal-occupied portion of their land.

Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) that lists the gray seal as rare and

N magazine

protects it from harassment and physical harm.

Gray seal researchers Stephanie Wood, a contract biologist

most East Coast breeding colony on Nantucket’s Muskeget Island,

for Integrated Statistics in Woods Hole, and Solange Brault, an

which was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980.

associate professor in the UMass Boston biology department, admit that the “rare” status is quite outdated because the gray

In addition to the Canadian colonies, Wood believes that the

seal population in the Northwest Atlantic has exploded since the

MMPA of 1972 and lack of human presence encouraged the

MMPA was adopted. However, the National Oceanographic &

establishment of the gray seal breeding population on Muskeget.

Atmospheric Administration began reconsidering that status in

In 1988, NOAA documented five gray seal pups born on

late October based on current population figures.

Muskeget. Wood’s last survey in 2008 counted around 2,000 pups. Combined with the gigantic Canadian breeding colonies,

According to Brault, in 2008, 55,400 pups were born on Sable

the gray seals are no longer “rare.” As Brault elaborated, “They

Island and 13,000 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These figures

were [rare], right up until the beginning of the Muskeget colony

more than double when considering that they do not account

in the mid-80s. They were actually extirpated from the area, but

for adult females who annually raise one pup each nor reflect

now they have increased to the point where the Northwest

an untold number of males. Such enormous colonies mean

Atlantic population isn’t at any risk. Part of the risk is whether

scarcity of their prey of sand lance and other ground fish, as well

the population is able to increase, and this population is

as highly competitive mating. With gray seals ranging as far

obviously in an exponential mode of growth.”

south as Long Island, they quickly established their southern-

THE FACE OF THE ENEMY: In 1988, five seal pups were reported born on Muskeget Island. Today, that number is in the thousands.

N magazine Photo by dr. greg HinSon

SEAL TEAM THREE: S.A.C. founders, Guy Snowden, Peter Howell and Peter Krogh

Photo by kit noble

A new Nantucket group calling itself the Seal Abatement

If such an exception were granted, SAC would invest in a

Coalition, founded by three island fishermen—Peter Krogh,

Scottish-made “Seal Scrammer,” a device that emits sound

Guy Snowden and Peter Howell—is seeking to change the

waves to drive away seals. Scotland’s fishing fleets use the “Seal

MMPA to allow fishermen to nonviolently repel the abundant

Scrammer” to dispel seals from its nets and weirs by sending out

seals from recreational fishing areas. “It came out, principally,

sound waves that are inaudible to human ears. At the same time,

of our experience in the Cranny Cranston Fall Classic Bluefish

the SAC wants to amend the MMPA to de-list gray seals as a

Tournament last year when we were, all of us, getting stripped of

rare species, something that is already in the works.

N magazine

our fish by the seals, not only our fish, but our gear,” said Krogh.

“So, this put a big damper on the tournament, reduced the results,

Currently, SAC is incorporated, has secured its tax-exempt status

and really drove people away from this island.” Grabbing

and is online at www.sealabatement.com, and Krogh expects

sympathetic signatures in island tackle shops, at cocktail parties,

results from their efforts in about 21 months. “This is our plan,”

on the beach, from their web site and 500 from the Nantucket

he said. “We call it a humane approach. Now, a lot of people

Anglers Club (only the second time in its history that it’s joined a

with whom you talk about it, they want to shoot the [seals],

cause), the SAC plans to establish chapters on Martha’s Vineyard

I mean, there are a lot of them. Practically every person I’ve

and Cape Cod. It will then get busy solving its problem on the

approached to sign this petition has signed it eagerly and wants

Federal level by appealing to Secretary of the Interior Kenneth

to up the ante, so we’re hanging back and want to take a

Salazar for an exception to the 1972 MMPA.

humane approach...”

“Getting to the top can be a challenge. It should not be one once you’re there.” “After working with some of the most successful families in the world, we have seen certain systematic patterns emerge. Creation of wealth and its preservation across time and generations demand distinct perspectives and approaches, some of which are easy to see but many of which are simply not apparent. Issues not in full view during the climb to the summit can arise and become as challenging as those overcome while climbing to the peak.” — Chris Geczy, Ph.D. Partner of GKFO, LLC

GKFO, LLC was founded as a private family office and asset management firm by Christopher Geczy, Ph.D., Stephen Kitching and a team of skilled professionals trained in multi-generational wealth management. Along with his work at GKFO, Dr. Geczy is Academic Director of the Wharton Wealth Management Institute and Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance at The Wharton School. If it is time for you to take money management to a higher level, contact us for references and a description of our services.

For further information email: info@gkfo.net or call us at 888-797-4090. Redefining Wealth Management

FoggySHeet nantucket

John C Wilton, Henri & Earl Kegler Scallopers Ball Charlie & Laura Stewart, Ashley & Fletcher Haigh — Scallopers Ball

Marion Conley, Glen Nardone & Ann Maury Scallopers Ball Ola Colman, Marina Finch, Tim Griffin, & Chris Roberts — Scallopers Ball

N magazine

Angela Phillips, Jessica Hicks, Alicia LaBrie & Julie Hynek — Scallopers Ball

Gary Pardee & Kate Hamilton Pardee Scallopers Ball

Steve Heck, Tara Riley & Ian Evans — Scallopers Ball photos by Kris Kinsley Hancock/Nantucketpix.com

Homer & Carrie Ray — Scallopers Ball

J Pepper Fraizer Company & Luxury Portfolio Angel Frazier (508) 367-9557 afrazier@jpfco.com 19 Centre Street Nantucket MA 02554 www.jpfco.com

N magazine

Julie Almand

The entire collection is available through the artist

SUSANLISTERLOCKE.COM

508-257-1306 NANTUCKET IN DIAMONDS ™

Now in two sizes

Studio visits encouraged By appointment

FESTIVALS of WREATHS & TREES F E ST IVAL o f W RE AT H S

F E STIVA L o f T RE ES

Wreath Festival & Silent Auction

Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street

FREE to the community

December 2, Friday, 11 A.M.–8 P.M.

Wednesday, November 23 Friday, November 25 Saturday, November 26

December 3–19 Thursday–Monday, 11 A.M.–4 P.M

10 A.M.–5 P.M. Holiday Magic December 17, 5–8 P.M.

Sunday, November 27 10 A.M.–2 P.M. Successful bidders announced at 2:30 P.M.

December 26–27 Monday & Tuesday, 1–4 P.M.

Need not be present to win

N magazine

January 2–3 Monday & Tuesday, 1–4 P.M.

’Tis the Season! NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

NHA Members FREE Children under 6 FREE Nantucket Year-Round Residents $5 General Admission $17

13 BROAD STREET

508 228–1894

www.nha.org

christmas stroll guide pg 81: building the gingerbread House of Your dreams pg 84: the Festival of trees pg 86: Hoilday gift guide pg 88: stroll events list pg 89: Holiday shopping on the High seas

N magazine

Image by dr. greg HinSon Peanuts is a trademark of Universal Press Syndicate

N magazine

Home

christmas stroll guide

SWeet Home

petticoat Row Bakeryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Don and Tiina polvere teach us how to build the gingerbread house of our dreams.

N magazine

Made by petticoat Row Bakery

Made by Petticoat Row Bakery

Photos by Nathan Coe

iina and Don Polvere Jr. do not have degrees in architecture, but

boy do they know how to design one sweet gingerbread house. The proprietors of Petticoat Row Bakery teach gingerbread building classes during the off-season and offer kits for those looking to get their hands sticky at home. “The idea behind a great gingerbread house is to make it as edible as possible,” says Tiina with a smile. “You want to be able to eat it after the holidays.” Accompanied by their helpful staff of Jessica Manning, Emily Benson,

N magazine

and Alison Wypyycha, Don and Tiina

threw on their aprons to share some of their tasty tricks of the trade.

Gingerbread Recipe ½ cup shortening

½ teaspoon ground clovers

½ cup sugar

½ cup mild-flavored molasses

1-teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1-teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon vinegar

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Royal Icing Recipe 2 ¼ cups of confectioners’ sugar 7 ½ teaspoons meringue powder ¼ cup water

Glue the gingerbread walls together using the royal icing. The walls need to be held together for the royal icing to dry. Wait for the walls to completely dry, around three hours.

When decorating a Nantucket-style gingerbread house, Don & Tiina recommend: f Chewing gum for shingles f Broccoli for bushes (who says a gingerbread house can’t be healthy?) f Gummy fish, sharks, lobsters f Seagulls made from fondant f Pretzels for pilings f Melt clear mints in the microwave for windowpanes. Or use Fruit Roll-Ups for stained glass.

N magazine

f Ground graham crackers for sand

O Christmas

Tree O Whether

it a two-story ceiling-scraper, a runt of the tree lot, or an artificial evergreen, a Christmas tree is all about how you decorate it. Of course, everyone has their preferences: white lights or colored, ornaments or bulbs, candy canes or tinsel. No matter how you choose to deck your halls, nothing heralds in the holiday spirit quite like a thoughtfully decorated Christmas tree. For those looking for some inspiration this holiday season, the NHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival of Trees at the Whaling Museum

N magazine

(December 1st - January 3rd) unveils a forest of innovative

takes on the traditional tree. The event boasts wildly creative conifers that will have your inner Martha Stewart gushing with admiration. While great ideas do not grow on trees, the NHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual event proves that they can surely hang on them!

Hottest NANTUCKET’S

HANDBAG IS OLD NEWS

Carry a piece of history with the new, First Edition Handbags™ by Bonnie Roseman’s BLT and the Nantucket Gazette. The bags feature a copy of the Gazette’s front page from 1816 and are being produced in an exclusive limited run of only 100.

N magazine

Each bag is $179* and can be ordered by emailing bonnie@bonnieroseman.com, by calling 561-835-0058 or by calling N Magazine at 508-228-1515. Give a historic gift this holiday season! *An additional charge of $10 will apply to mail order purchases.

image by nathan coe

Each bag is individually numbered and fully lined, with brass hardware, a faux tortoiseshell handle, and a magnetic lock. The handbags are hand-made in the USA from recycled materials. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Nantucket Atheneum.

FreedmAn’s oF nAntuCket 14 Centre street, 508-228-3291

posh 4 south Water st., 508-228-6003 jessicahicks.com

the hAul over 7 salem st. 508-228-8484 www.haulovernantucket.com

wAter Jewels gAllery 14 Centre st., 508-228-0825 BarbaraHarrisWaterJewels.com

islAnd Airlines 508-771-7774 islandair.net

susAn lister loCke 508-257-1306 susanListerLocke.com

mAdAket mArine 20 n. Cambridge st. 508-228-1163 www.madaketmarine.com

the ClAy Art studio 508-228-2376 www.clayartstudioack.com

the FrAme Center 2 Mary anne Drive, 508-228-1550 www.frame-center.com

geronimo’s 119 Pleasant st. 508-228-3731 geronimos.com

Current vintAge 4 Easy st. 508-228-5073 currentVintage.com

J. mClAughlin 1 salem st. 508-325-6351 jmclaughlin.com

heidi weddendorF 508-228-2592 heidiweddendorf.com

www.nantucketﬁlms.com

Johnstons CAshmere 4 Federal st. 508-228-5450 johnstonscashmerenantucket.com

25 giFtS oF Stroll

Hyannis. gift certiﬁcates are also available!

7 a commuter book of 10 one-way tickets via nantucket or

and oxidized silver with an array of colorful stones and sparkling diamonds. $780 - $4,850.

6 Handcrafted bangles by Jessica Hicks. available in sterling

and white coral set in sterling silver. available at nantucket artists association and at Erica Wilson.

5 nautilus shell necklace by Heidi Weddendorf. Flourite, pearl

and a sophisticated, stylish design.

4 Britney Carryall boasts multiple interior pockets, extra straps

custom frames.

3 Enhance your photographs and paintings with exquisite

high enough to see out the windows. Micro-suede cover zips off for machine washing. $199.99.

14 Large Lookout car seat raises even the smallest dogs up

at Madaket Marine in a range of sizes.

13 great bag for the boat, beach, or everyday. Exclusively

grace necklace with natural aquamarine clasp, 18k white gold. Barbara Harrisfor Water Jewels. $9,800.

11 Handmade, buttery-soft, black italian leather women’s wallet. 12 Hand carved and water polished ﬁne labradorite multi-strand

teas, and artisan chocolates.

20 Design your own beautiful gift of organic spices, delicious

Bonnie Roseman, a vintage carry on for jetsetters and commuters alike. $79 + $10 shipping & handling.

19 travel in style with the Pan am shoulder bag by

pink, aqua and black. starting at $45.00.

18 sterling silver and enamel pendants. available in navy,

the nantucket Historical association in creating “nantucket,” a thrilling look at the island’s history and natural beauty.

17 Emmy-award winning ﬁlmmaker Ric Burns teams up with

10 Warm, luxurious scottish cashmere. sweaters, jackets, socks, gloves & wraps 30-50% off.

available in Breton Red, natural and navy $99 - $109.50.

16 100% cotton shaker stitch crewneck sweater.

by nature.” available at the Haul Over, the Hub, nantucket Book Works, Force 5 and many other ﬁne establishments.

15 Local ﬁlmmaker Kit noble’s moving masterpiece “nantucket

peter beAton 16.5 Federal st. 888-PBEatOn peterbeaton.com

19 AmbrosiA ChoColAte And spiCe 29 Centre street 508-292-3289

nantucket gazette. Features a copy of the gazette’s front page from 1816. Only 100 available. Each bag is $179 and can be ordered online at bonnie@bonnieroseman.com

25 First Edition Handbags ™ by Bonnie Roseman’s BLt and the

toward building a water well in tanzania africa, Project tZ452. Visit www.changeagents02554.com for more information.

24 100% of the proceeds from each HYDREX watch goes

hidden hood in funnel collar. Fits into matching bag for easy carrying. available in black, crimson and olive. $250.

23 Feminine yet functional. Packable, water-repellent with

of oval canary diamonds and 6.32 carats of colorless full cut diamonds. $36,300. 18 karat white and yellow gold diamond bracelet; 2.04 carats of oval canary fancy yellow diamonds and 2.63 carats of colorless full cut diamonds. $14,300.

22 18 karat white and yellow gold diamond necklace. 5.52 carats

your backyard come wintertime on nantucket. $148.99

First edition hAndbAgs™ bonnie@bonnieroseman.com

21 the Weber Wood Burning Fireplace Fire Pit is ideal for enjoying

bonnie rosemAn www.bonnieroseman.com

Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and sonoma County Cabernet sauvignon. $18-24.

own distinct personality. $195 - $500.

9 signature wines from currentVintage. Russian River Valley

boulder, opal, moonstone & diamond earrings.

travel by land or by sea.

2 stunning 14.32 carat sugarloaf cabochon Rubellite, australian

Zero mAin 34 Centre st. 508-228-4401

8 One of a kind, handmade ceramic whales. Each with it’s

shreve, Crump & low 0 Main st., 508-228-6246 shreveCrumpandLow.com

nAntuCket historiCAl AssoCiAtion 15 Broad street www.nha.org

17 blue beetle 12 Main st. 508-228-3227 BlueBeetlenantucket.com

1 Patagonia Black Hole Duffel—ruggedly designed for adventure

mArine home Center 134 Lower Orange st., 508-228-0900 www.marinehomecenter.com

nobby Clothes shop 17 Main st. 508-228-1030 nobbyshop.com

stroll Events Guide Friday December 2nd

Saturday December 3rd

18th Annual Festival of Trees

Christmas Stroll Craft Show

When: 11:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M. When: Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street What: Come explore a forest of fantastically decorated holiday trees. Free to NHA members and children under six years old, $5 year-round Nantucket residents, $17 general admission.

When: 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. WheRE: Preservation Institute, 11 Centre Street

Christmas Craft Show When: 1:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. Where: Preservation Institute, 11 Centre Street Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s production of Oliver! When: 1:00, 3:00 & 5:30 Where: Bennett Hall, 62 Centre Street Contact: 508-228-4305 or www.theatreworkshop.com

Christmas Stroll Used Book Sale When: 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. WheRE: Atheneum WhAT: All money raised from the Atheneum’s three annual Used Book Sales helps fund the Literacy Volunteers of the Atheneum program. 2nd Annual Dreamland Holiday Dance When:11:00 A.M. When: Main Street WhAT: In flash-mob fashion, Nantucketers young and old take to the street in a fun choreographed dance number. 18th Annual Festival of Trees

Annual Holiday House Tour When: 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. What: Tour six historic decorated homes ending at The Whaling Museum’s Festival of Trees. Benefits Friends Of Nantucket Public Schools. Contact: Nantucket Chamber at 508-228-1700 The Artists Association’s Cool Yule Holiday Party

When: 11:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. WheRE: Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street What: Come explore a forest of fantastically decorated holiday trees. Free to NHA members and children under 6, $5 year-round Nantucket residents, $17 general admission. Performances on Main Street

When: 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. When: Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery, 19 Washington Street What: Join AAN artists at a fun gathering to see the Holiday Small Works exhibition, exchange hand-made ornaments, and share the good cheer of the season. AAN’s Holiday Small Works Exhibition When: Exhibition open through to December 24th When: Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery, 19 Washington Street What: AAN’s most popular annual exhibition. AAN artists submit up to six works, 11 inches by 14 inches or smaller. Great gift buying opportunity: Affordable, beautiful art by Nantucket artists. 2nd Annual Nantucket Mystery Art Show When: 6:00 P.M - 8:00 P.M. WheRE: Quidley & Company Gallery, 26 Main Street What: Local artists will anonymously hang original work for sale at a fixed price of $125. Only after the completion of the sale will the artist’s name be revealed. All proceeds will go to the Marla Ceely Lamb Fund as administered by Palliative & Supportive Care of Nantucket Foundation. Family Night Film: Oliver! When: 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. WheRE: Nantucket Atheneum’s Great Hall What: In collaboration with Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s production of Oliver!, the Atheneum offers a family night of entertainment with the 1968 Academy Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale. Rated G. Free admission. Recommended for ages 5 and older.

When:11:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. What: Enjoy performances featuring Victorian Carolers, The Accidentals & Naturals Student Choir and much more. Stop by the Stroll info table at the Chamber office for a complete schedule. The Town Crier rings in Christmas Stroll When:12:00 P.M. WheRE: At the top of Main Street. Santa & Mrs. Claus Arrive! When: 12:30 P.M. WheRE: Straight Wharf What: Old Saint Nick arrives aboard a Coast Guard vessel, and then parade up Main Street to The Jared Coffin House in a horse-drawn carriage. Visit the Talking Tree When: 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. WheRE: The Jared Coffin House Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s production of Oliver! Location: Bennett Hall, 62 Centre Street Showing Times: 1:00, 3:00, & 5:30 Contact: 508-228-4305 or www.theatreworkshop.com A Child’s Christmas In Wales read by John Knox Johnston

N magazine

When: 2:00 P.M. WheRE: Nantucket Atheneum’s Great Hall

Sunday December 4th 18th Annual Festival of Trees

Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s production of Oliver!

When: 11:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. When: Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street What: Come explore a forest of fantastically decorated holiday trees. Free to NHA members and children under 6, $5 year-round Nantucket residents, $17 general admission.

Location: Bennett Hall, 62 Centre Street Showing Times: 1:00, 3:00, & 5:30 Contact: 508-228-4305 or www.theatreworkshop.com

Holiday

Shopping Written by Andrew Spencer Images courtesy of the NHA

on the High Seas

Back in the whaling days, many a Nantucketer did their holiday shopping on the open ocean or at exotic stops along the way. Undoubtedly, this made returning or exchanging presents a real hassleâ&#x20AC;Śeven with a receipt!

N magazine

’

is the season for giving—when hearts and minds

talented carver. For a variety of reasons, a Susan’s tooth created

turn to finding gifts for the special people in our

by Myrick is often thought of as the Holy Grail of engraved

lives. And while Charlie Brown might argue that

whale teeth. Aside from their scarcity, one reason for their value

the holidays have become too commercialized,

is the beauty of the detail that Myrick depicted. Whaleships’

few things match the expression on the face of a gift recipient who

complex rigging systems were reproduced with incredible

unwraps that perfect present you worked so hard to find. Despite

accuracy. Additionally, each tooth is dated in chronological order,

their rough reputation, Nantucket whalers were no different when it

providing a valuable historical record of the Susan’s voyage.

came to bringing special gifts to their loved ones on returning from

The two Susan’s teeth in the Nantucket Historical Association’s

their multi-year journeys.

permanent collection are displayed in the Scrimshaw Gallery of the Whaling Museum.

Of course, gift-giving was not quite so easy for those sailors, with no Main Street shops in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They had

Scrimshaw was not the only thing sailors brought back from their

to resort to creating gifts, using what they had available to them.

voyages. Given the faraway and exotic nature of the ports they visited, whalers were

Fortunately, the teeth of

introduced to all sorts

sperm whales are ivory,

of new treasures,

which proved to be

including

an excellent medium for

seashells of

creating

varieties they

beautiful and

had never seen

collectible

on Nantucket

works of art.

beaches. An

These

unknown artistic genius

scrimshawed

devised a way to

whales’ teeth are the

create beautiful shapes

quintessential example

and patterns using shells

of the creative efforts of

of differing sizes and types to

whalers, elaborately decorated creations that so many antiques collectors covet.

create these artistic treasures, known as sailors’ valentines. Sailors’ valentines were typically mounted within an octagonal wooden

Some of the most highly sought-after examples of scrimshawed

frame and featured imaginative designs incorporating geometric

teeth are those etched by legendary scrimshander Frederick

patterns, flowers, hearts, and even messages to their sweethearts

Myrick, who served aboard the Nantucket whaleship Susan from

such as “Think of Me” spelled out in shells. What woman wouldn’t

1826 to 1829. Myrick etched some thirty-five known teeth on a

swoon at the thought of her husband or boyfriend sitting on a ship,

single whaling voyage; upon returning to Nantucket, he ceased

gluing individual shells to a backing to create this gorgeous gift,

production and no more scrimshaw was forthcoming from the

truly an indication of the sailor’s love for his one-and-only? But at the risk of killing that romantic notion, those valentines were more the equivalent of the modern-day last-minute purchase at the airport gift shop. As it turns out, native women in the port of Barbados—often the last stop Nantucket whaleships made prior to the long voyage back to the island—were quite enterprising, and they

N magazine

discovered that the sailors would pay top dollar for their shell cre-

ations. As a result, they turned the sailors’ valentine into a cottage industry, offering up their collections of imaginative artwork for purchase. And suddenly, the Main Street of the Pacific appeared, as if by some sort of magic.

One “gift shop” in particular is thought to have been the epicenter of the sailors’ valentine production on Barbados—the New Curiosity Shop on McGregor Street in Bridgetown. Luckily for the sailors, this fact didn’t come to light until an antiques restoration specialist was repairing a sailors’ valentine in the mid-twentieth century, and discovered that the backing behind the shells was actually a piece of newspaper from Barbados, which led to further research and the ultimate discovery about the truth of the valentines’ origins. So while their stories of creation might have been fish tales, the whalers’ secrets were safe at the time and their sweethearts were none the wiser. Regardless of purpose or source of creation, these gifts from whalers serve today as a tangible reminder of the remarkable skills those brave men possessed, as well as the cleverness and creativity that were born of years of tedium aboard ships. were not “out of mind” for the sailors.

N magazine

Although they were definitely “out of sight” of their loved ones, their loved ones

FoggySHeet N magazine

nantucket

Danielle O’Dell & Jen Karberg — Cranberry Harvest Festival

Tony, Cindy & Tee Cahill — Cranberry Harvest Festival

Briana & Tiffany Vittorini, Ashley Gosnell, Ximena Levander & Karen Beattie Cranberry Harvest Festival

Carol & Ken Kinsley Cranberry Harvest Festival

Shane Hanlon Cranberry Harvest Festival Mary West & Ann Oliver — Cranberry Harvest Festival

Pete Sheppard — Cranberry Harvest Festival

photos by Kris Kinsley Hancock/Nantucketpix.com

Tom Larrabee, Pat Hancock Cranberry Harvest Festival

N magazine

NUPTIALS Featured Wedding

B & G: Ashley Hilton & Rahul Kadakia Gown: Vera Wang Rehearsal Dinner: The Chanticleer Ceremony: Siasconset Union Chapel Reception: Sankaty Head Golf Club Coordinator: Aisling Glynn/ACKtivities Florist: Michael Molinar/Flowers on Chestnut Cake: Jodi Levesque/Jodiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes Rentals: Jennifer Shepherd/Placesetters Band: Soul Sound Review Lighting: Capron Lighting and Sound

N magazine

Photographer: Cary Hazlegrove

N magazine

CHANGE AGENTS WANTED

THE LACK OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER WORLDWIDE IS A $20 BILLION PROBLEM T H AT K I L L S 5 , 0 0 0 C H I L D R E N A D AY. INSURMOUNTABLE? HARDLY! IN 2009 AMERICANS SPENT OVER $40 BILLION DURING BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND ALONE.

TIME WELL SPENT 100% OF HYDREX WATCH PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT WAT E R P R O J E C T T Z 4 5 2 . AVA I L A B L E AT P E T E R B E AT O N O R W W W. C H A N G E A G E N T S 0 2 5 5 4 . C O M A % OF YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE

N magazine

HYDREX

PHILANTHROPIC

N Magazine ADVERTISING DIRECTORY A-1 Taxi A-1 Transport Accessible Dental ACK Eye Ambrosia Bartlett’s Farm Black Eyed Susan’s Blue Beetle Brooke Boothe Design Cape Air Cape Cod Five Cathedral Woodworking Clay Art Studio Cold Noses Current Vintage Danelian & Coe Dreamland Foundation Epernay First Republic Bank Four Winds Painting Frame Center Freedman’s of Nantucket GFKO Glyn’s Marine Haulover Heidi Weddendorf Heron Capital Island Airlines Island Properties J. McLaughlin J. Pepper Frazier - Angel Frazier J. Pepper Frazier Co. Jean de Montaillou Design Johnston’s Cashmere Jordan William Raveis Real Estate Kathleen Hay Designs Landrover Cape Cod Lola 41 Madaket Marine Maury People - Craig Hawkins Maury People - Gary Winn Maury People - Kathy Gallaher Nantucket Airlines Nantucket Clambake Nantucket Gazette Bag Nantucket Historical Assoc. Nantucket Insurance Nantucket Land Council Nantucket Lightscapes Nobby Shop NPR Cape & Islands Ocean House Ocean Wings Otis & Ahearn Pan Am Bags Peter Beaton - Hydrex Posh Pumpkin Pond Farm Shreve, Crump & Low Stephen Swift Furnituremaker Susan Lister Locke Jewelry Susan Warner Catering Thirty Acre Wood UPS Store Water Jewels Zero Main

97 16 98 45 93 93 67 59 97 98 4 59 67 78 51 31 32 67 100 13 77 59 75 54 67 9 77 80 11 78 77 69 7 67 13 3 54 32 16 99 2 93 98 67 85 78 6 51 93 77 98 7 80 97 69 97 93 16 5 51 78 67 8 78 8 9

N magazine

Dental Implants Bone Grafting Extractions

Dr. Miner of Accessible Dental PC welcomes Dr. Rubeiz to his practice at 15 Amelia Drive. Tony Rubeiz DMD is a Board Certified Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon currently accepting new patients. By Appointment Only. Saturday Appointments Available.

Call 508-325-0583 Proudly serving Nantucket since 1997