Nantucket Today Winter 2024

Na ntucket

The Winter Issue

Philanthropy Guide

PHOTO BY KEVIN STANTON

The

Downyflake closed just before we sent this issue to the printers. It was not only a place to get bacon and eggs, or a fried scallop roll, it was a meeting place where people got together, had a coffee, some breakfast and maybe hashed over the local gossip or solved the problems of the day.

There is talk of a new Downyflake, but whether it will become one of those places where we run into people we know is anybody’s guess. One thing we do know is that there is a need for such places.

David Patterson, who ran a marine salvage business here in the 1850s, once found himself at the center of an ongoing argument about a new shoal he claimed to have discovered. He wrote in his personal papers that the debate continued through the winter, “in all of our sitting down places.”

I like that phrase. All our sitting down places. It implies sitting down together. Why we gravitate to some places rather than others, finding in them very small moments of what you might call accidental community, is a difficult question to answer.

Those places often do not start out that way, they grow into it over the years.

The Chicken Box is one of those places. There are plenty of places to buy a beer, but there is a certain something in that little bar on Dave Street you don’t find other places.

Steve Sheppard writes about the origin story of The Chicken Box in our lead story this month. Properly writing about this place requires a writer who has spent time on a barstool there. Sheppard more than qualifies. He has also performed music from its stage.

It was only five years ago when we began hearing the acronym PFAS. Now that group of chemicals, known as forever chemicals since they do not break down naturally, are ubiquitous and can lead to health problems.

Dan Fost gives us an overview of what has become an existential problem and local efforts to deal with it.

The search for treasure will never lose its thrill. For over 40 years, Capt. Martin Bayerle has been chasing down a secret cargo of gold coins that went to the bottom of the Atlantic on the ocean liner RMS Republic in 1909. That gold, he estimates, was worth $25 million then and is worth much, much more today.

The wreck of the Republic is famous for more than the rumor of riches. It was the first time a Marconi wireless was used in a rescue at sea and the New York Herald’s Marconi station in Sconset was part of the rescue.

In those day before the use of S.O.S. as a mayday code, the Marconi telegraph operators used C.Q.D, which meant “seek you” and “distress.” We tell that story in this installment of History Insider.

As we head into a seasonal hiatus, I just want to thank the writers and photographers whose work has helped us bring you the stories of this island that we call home. We hope that we have brought our readers some entertaining insight into real life on Nantucket.

John Stanton Editor

CONTENTS: WINTER 2024

FEATURES

10 LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION

In which Housing Nantucket’s Anne Kuszpa answers, Are we ever going to be able to make housing more attainable for year-round islanders? by Kaie Quigley

12 HISTORY INSIDER: THE REPUBLIC

A sunken ship, a treasure-hunter and a fortune in gold. by John Stanton

18 OBJECTS OF INTEREST

What is it about certain objects, especially tools, that seem to conjure up the spirit of the jobs they have done? by John Stanton

20 PFAS

One community’s response to the dangers of the ubiquitous forever chemicals. by Dan Frost

28 ORIGINS OF THE CHICKEN BOX

The diverse history of Nantucket’s “haven for pleasure-seekers, 30 miles at sea.” by Steve Sheppard

37 PHILANTHROPY ON NANTUCKET

The organizations that add to the quality of island life.

82 BLACK CAKE

This isn’t your traditional Christmas fruitcake. by Marianne Stanton

84 DRINK: THAT’S AMARO!

Seasonal nostalgia in a glass. by Kevin Stanton

86 BIRDS: MAPPING THE WORLD BY GULL

The amazing journey of the lesser black-backed gull. by Virginia Andrews

EDITOR’S NOTE

9 CONTRIBUTORS

106 WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE

110 THE QUESTIONS: DAN DRISCOLL

COVER PHOTO BY NICOLE HARNISHFEGER

Ice boaters sailing on Hummock Pond.

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Published by The Inquirer and Mirror Inc. 1 Old South Road Nantucket, MA 02554 508 228-0001 nantucketmag.com

Publisher Robert Saurer rsaurer@inkym.com

Editor John Stanton jstanton@inkym.com

Production & Design Peter Halik plhalik@inkym.com

Advertising Director Mary Cowell-Sharpe msharpe@inkym.com

Advertising Sales Peter Greenhalgh pgreenhalgh@inkym.com

Alexandro Sforza asforza@inkym.com

Circulation Karen Orlando korlando@inkym.com

Contributing Writers & Photographers

Virginia Andrews

Sean Davis

Neil Dougherty

Dan Fost

Kaie Quigley

Steve Sheppard

Kevin Stanton

Marianne Stanton

Contact Us: Nantucket Today, P.O. Box 1198, Nantucket, MA 02554. Phone 508 228-0001. Fax 508 325-5089. Advertising and subscription rates online at www.nantucketmag.com

© Nantucket Media Group. 2024 All rights reserved. Nantucket Today is published six times a year by The Inquirer and Mirror Inc. Subscription information: Annual subscriptions are available in the US for $40. For customer service regarding subscriptions, call 508 228-0001, ext. 10. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication in any way is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA. Send address changes to: P.O. Box 1198, Nantucket, MA 02554.

PHOTO BY NEIL DOUGHERTY

CONTRIBUTORS

These are just some of the people who bring their talents to the pages of this magazine, and allow Nantucket Today to reflect genuine island life.

Virginia Andrews comes by her love of birds through her late mother, ornithologist Edith Andrews. Ginger gives bird walks and does barn owl research for the Maria Mitchell Association, and writes the weekly “Island Bird Sightings” column for The Inquirer and Mirror.

Steve Sheppard Writer, editor, teacher, author, musician. Steve Sheppard has just about done it all in creating a life for himself and his family on Nantucket. A graduate of Bridgewater State University, he cut his teeth in journalism at The Inquirer and Mirror and the Quincy Patriot Ledger before embarking on a second career in music education while still finding time to hit the stage with his band The Shep Cats.

Dan Fost is a freelance writer in San Rafael, California. He was a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle for nine years, and the author of two books about the San Francisco Giants.

Let Me Ask You a Question…

STORY AND PHOTO BY KAIE QUIGLEY

In which we ask a question, and maybe a follow-up or two, of a town official or nonprofit head. This month we ask Anne Kuszpa, of Housing Nantucket, this question: Are we ever going to be able to make housing more attainable for year-round islanders?

“The only way most year-round islanders will afford a home on Nantucket in the future is if a secondary real-estate market exists.”

Q: What is the idea behind a secondary real estate market?

“The town and nonprofits need to buy up properties, then reserve them for year-rounders at fixed affordable rates.”

It ensures we have enough people to make this whole economy run, and the island functions properly. It’s one thing when you talk about sewer, and electricity grids and things like that. But our workforce is part of the infrastructure, too.

How long is someone expected to live in substandard housing before they just need to move on, or they’re not in a good place mentally?”

Q: What would that look like, in practice?

“When you have a bifurcated market, then you’ve got certain requirements of owners. For Nantucket, it would be year-round employment, or somebody who is contributing year-round to the community.

The Affordable Housing Trust, for example, they have their first pilot program, and they can serve up to 240 percent of the area median income. That means there’s going to be a price cap on what these homes can transact at.

There’ll be a permanent deed restriction on the property at that first transaction. In perpetuity, it can only be owned by year-rounders, and can only be sold below that price cap.

That approach accomplishes the goal of providing housing without having to find land and appropriate funds through tax overrides.

Neighbors often oppose the density and cost of proposed projects. So, the town buying up and redeveloping more scattered properties would be a win-win.”

Kaie Quigley is a staff writer for The Inquirer and Mirror.

The Hunt forThe Republic

BY JOHN STANTON | PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARTIN BAYERLE

A young telegraph operator named Jack Irwin was working the overnight shift at the Marconi wireless station in Sconset when the first call for help came in through the cold January morning air.

It

was 1909 and in those early days of wireless telegraph the mayday code for ships in distress was not S.O.S. but C.Q.D. It stood for “come quick, danger” or “seek

you, distress.”

The message came from a telegraph operator on the RMS Republic named Jack Binns. The Republic , a White Star passenger liner and older sister ship of the Titanic , had sailed from New York bound for European ports.

It was known as the millionaire’s ship because of the number of wealthy Americans who traveled on her. There were 1,600 passengers on board when, in heavy fog, an Italian liner, the SS Florida , slammed into her side.

The Republic began to sink. Binns began to radio for help.

“It seems that Jack Irwin, the man on watch at Siasconset, had had a very quiet night and had dozed off to sleep. As a result, his fire had died down and presently he began to feel uncomfortably cold,” Binns told the magazine Radio Broadcast in 1924.

“He woke up with a start so suddenly, in fact, that he became wide awake. He was just in the act of putting on more coal when he heard my call. He dropped the coal, jumped over to the key and replied instantly.”

It was the first time a wireless telegraph had been used in a rescue at sea. Irwin was able to send out a distress call that brought ships in the area, including two from the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, the precursor to the modern Coast Guard, to the rescue. Only two passengers died, both in the

original collision. The Republic stayed afloat for 39 hours and sank as it was being towed into New York Harbor.

Binns became famous. Guglielmo Marconi, the 27-year-old Italian inventor who had won out over American inventor Nikola Tesla in the race to put a wireless telegraph system on a Nantucket lighthouse, won the Nobel Prize in 1909. He was eventually forced to sell the U.S. part of his wireless telegraph company, in 1914, after the government accused him of violating neutrality laws in the early days of World War I.

“By 1923, when the station finally closed, it was being operated by the Radio Corporation of America. David Sarnoff, one of the telegraph operators since 1910, tried to convince his bosses at RCA that radio could be used to entertain the general public,” Amy Jenness wrote in Yesterday’s Island

“Finally, in 1921 Sarnoff arranged to broadcast a heavyweight boxing match between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier. More than 300,000 people listened and broadcast radio was born. Sarnoff’s stature rose quickly at RCA. In 1926 the company purchased a radio station and formed NBC.”

It all unfolded in one of those deceptively straight narrative paths that history sometimes tries to make us think is

Martin Bayerle is mounting an expedition to search for gold on the wreck of the RMS Republic.

how things play out.

Except for one thing. Almost from the day it sank, rumors began to swirl that there was gold on the wreck of the RMS Republic: a U.S. Navy payroll of $800,000, to pay the sailors of then-President Teddy Roosevelt’s so-called Great White Fleet, and a mysterious cargo of $3 million that did not show up on the ship’s manifest.

All of it was supposedly in U.S. double-eagle gold coins down there some 270 feet beneath the Atlantic, 50 miles off Nantucket.

Over a century later, a treasure hunter named Capt. Martin Bayerle says he is just a year away from getting his hands on those gold coins. What has upped the ante, he says, is that the $3 million was more likely $25 million. It is a treasure that he estimates might be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 billion today.

He is now putting together the funding and resources needed to mount a 2025 expedition, he said.

Bayerle owned and operated a dive shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., until he came into some money as the result of a lawsuit. The legend of the RMS Republic was well known, and he decided to open a dive shop as his base of operations on

Martha’s Vineyard, near the Black Dog Café.

“I was familiar with this shipwreck, knew all the dive captains, knew guys who had dived on the Andrea Doria, and the Republic is out near the Andrea Doria,” he said.

“I acquired a side-scan sonar. So, I had the tech to find the wreck, the location and two Coast Guard reports with the locations.”

In the mid-1980s his crew dove on both locations in the Coast Guard reports but found nothing at either one.

“Both reports said she sank on the 40-fathom line, so we drew a line there between the two locations and there was this big object exactly halfway between the two points,” Bayerle said.

There it was, sitting in a rough, unsheltered section of the Atlantic known for poor visibility and dangerous currents.

Treasure hunting on shipwrecks is a mix of diving and work in archives, customs records and bank reports. Bayerle said his research indicates that the $3 million was money from the sale of Russian tsarist government bank bonds in New York.

That cargo was kept secret, he said, for fear of a financial panic if it was known that so much gold was leaving the

country.

“Lives lost in the wreck. All the cargo lost. But no official inquest. If they had an official inquest, they would have had to identify all the cargo own ers, show manifests, put people on the stand under oath,” Bayerle said. “They could not allow the loss of this much Russian gold to be made public for fear it would cause the collapse of the Russian government and financial panics around the world. That is why it was not on any chart until I found her.”

On top of the lack of inquest, Bayerle adds the location as an argument that the gold was officially kept secret.

“It is directly in the center of outbound traffic in what is sometimes called the 42nd Street of the Atlantic because of all the ship traffic,” he said, adding that wrecked ships were often cleared during both world wars to make it easier for the U.S. Navy to detect the presence of German submarines.

“It is unlikely the government would have overlooked a wreck like this for two world wars,” he said. “The chances of that are non-existent.”

He wrote a book about it in 2013 called “The Tsar’s Treasure: The Sunken White Star Liner with a Billion Dollar Secret.”

The billion dollars of the title refer to what $3 million in 1909 gold coins would be worth when the book was published.

Except the amount was not $3 million. In 2009, on the 100th anniversary of the first use of C.Q.D. as a distress call, there was a conference of radio operators in which the granddaughter of Binns gave a presentation.

She remembered her grandfather, Binnsy she called him, putting the amount of the secret gold cargo at $25 million.

“I thought she didn’t know what she was talking about. All I knew about was the $3 million,” Bayerle said.

In 2017 Bayerle, who has an MBA, took another look at his research. He did what he called a forensic analysis of the bank papers he had been able to find.

“I finally had a chance to put my education to a practical use,” he said.

He estimates $25 million in 1909 gold coins weighs about 45 tons. He said that one could melt those coins down and sell them as gold, or sell them as what is called a coin horde for between three and six times the market value of their gold.

“Ten to twelve billion, easy,” he said.

He is working on another book, this one he is thinking of calling “G.O.A.T.: The Greatest Treasure of All Time.”

Finding a shipwreck and finding the gold allegedly stored on it over a century ago, however, are two very different problems to solve.

The Republic sits under 270 feet of water. Working at that depth puts a diver in danger of decompression sickness, also known as the bends. Nitrogen is dissolved into the blood and tissues of divers at that depth and can form bubbles in the bloodstream if a diver surfaces too quickly. It can cause severe pain, joint damage, paralysis, stroke, even death.

Exploration of the wreck has so far been done by what is called surface supply diving, which shortens the time divers can work because a 40-minute dive might require several hours of decompression time.

Bayerle expects to bring up the gold in 2025 and said his team will use what is called saturation diving. It is a strategy that uses a pressurized chamber on the deck of one of the ships and a pressurized diving bell, which maintains the pressurized state of the depth and allows teams to work six-hour shifts on the wreck.

Saturation diving reduces the number of times divers must be in the decompression chamber, since they are not subjecting their bodies to constant changes in pressure. At the end of the work week, they have one long session in the chamber.

Getting to the gold will require the excavation of several thousand tons of collapsed debris.

“The analogy I used to use was the federal office building,

Facing page: Divers with a fitting brought up from the wreck of the RMS Republic.

Left: The Nantucket Shoals lightship warned passing vessels of shallow water near one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

25 stories tall, in Oklahoma City that was bombed,” Bayerle said. “You had hundreds of men working 24 hours a day, heavy equipment, on land, and it took them three to four months to excavate that building.”

Doing the same job offshore is considerably more complex. The first step will be to photograph the entire wreck and create a computer-generated 3D model of the wreckage and the potential locations where the gold was stored. He said it might take two to three weeks to reach the gold chamber, but several years to recover all the gold.

He is looking to find investors to put up $7.5 million that would bring the recovery project to the point where they can see the gold, then borrow enough to recover it all.

“The Navy cargo alone, the $800,000 face value in 1909, which is easily $500 million today, if that is all the money we find, that would be worth the recovery,” he said. “The Russian state bank money, the $25 million, is the home run.”

Asked if he is excited to see the potential end to a four-decade search for treasure, Bayerle laughed. “I joke that it’s taken me longer to find the Republic’s gold than it took Moses to find the promised land.”

John Stanton is a writer, documentary filmmaker and editor of Nantucket Today.

Who’s NANTUCKET

Sylvia Antiques was established on Nantucket in 1927 by Frank Sylvia, a dealer in marine antiques. His grandson, John Sylvia joined the business in 1995 and, over the years earned his reputation as a well-respected dealer, specializing in marine antiques, American folk art, contemporary fine art and traditional Nantucket art and crafts.

Having the largest collection of Nantucket related items on island, including vintage and used Nantucket Lightship baskets, John Sylvia is exceedingly knowledgeable when advising customers about starting a collection.

“Over the years, we’ve bought and sold thousands of items and established life-long relationships. These relationships keep me smiling,” he said.

You’ve been involved in buying and selling antiques your whole life. What interests you most about your business? I meet collectors from all over the world and they’re unique and fascinating. They keep me sharp because they’re obsessed, and I relate to that.

What one item do you remember as a great find?

There have been many, but the ship’s wheel from the USS Constitution was an exciting acquisition.

What have you learned over the years you’ve been in the business? I started buying and selling all kinds of things, like doorstops, when I was about ten years old. I took so many loses before I learned that quality will always appreciate in value. Finding those items is what makes this business exciting.

What should a customer look for when starting a collection? Always buy from a knowledgeable and reputable dealer and always buy the best you can afford.

Photo by Willy LeMay

Who’s NANTUCKET

HEIDI WEDDENDORF

HEIDI WEDDENDORF, Jeweler

Heidiweddendorf.com

774-236-9064

Heidi Weddendorf creates unique handcrafted jewelry from pearls, colored stones and other natural elements, such as deer antlers, shells and coral set in gold or sterling. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind. When you wear one of her exquisitely handcrafted items it speaks volumes about your style and taste.

Heidi’s jewelry transcends trends. Her 14K gold pieces and pearl bangles have become sought after status symbols, recognized for their chic elegance and craftsmanship. Heidi’s jewelry is showcased on island at Erica Wilson, 25 Main St. and the Artists Association Of Nantucket Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson Gallery, 19 Washington St.  Online at Heidiweddendorf.com or @heidiweddendorf on Instagram.

How long have you been designing jewelry? How long on Nantucket?

After spending summers on Nantucket, I stayed year-round starting in 1988 and took my first class in metalsmithing at the Artists Association.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration is everywhere and never where I expect it.

What made you decide to become a jewelry maker?

As an art history major studying highly adorned Byzantine art & architecture decorated with jewels set in gold, I began drawing jewelry in the margins of my notes and thought it would be fun to make earrings or rings incorporating these elements. Eventually I studied at the Jewelry Arts Institute in New York.

What is your best-selling item?

I specialize in all sorts of unusual and classic pearls. Everyone loves pearls.

Do you have a favorite piece?

At the moment, I’m wearing my barnacle cluster earrings in patinated sterling with large baroque pearls. Typically, I don’t wear silver much but the patina highlights the details, so I wear these all the time.

Photo by Willy LeMay

Objects of Interest

What is it about certain objects, especially tools, that seems to conjure the spirit of the jobs they have done? The tools in this photo come from the toolbox of a carpenter whose work spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Pick up this carpenter’s plane and even if you have never shaped a piece of wood, you can feel the balance and the simple elegance inherent in the best tools.

It sits in your hand, the metal blade still sharp and the wooden body worn smooth by the memory of every house it was used to build. The same can be said of the draw knife that shaped the beams in those houses.

Old tools can sometimes tell a story. These are from the days when the 19th century was giving way to the 20th. Like many Nantucket stories, this one begins on the ocean. These tools belonged to a man who worked as a shipwright on his father’s packet ship, running between Osborne Harbor, Nova Scotia and Boston.

On one trip to Boston, he met a Nantucket woman, the daughter of a whaling captain, who was visiting the city with her parents. He decided he would move to Nantucket and build houses instead of ships.

Thomas Hayden Giffin imprinted his initials T.H. on these tools. It is a good bet that every carpenter working today has some of these tools in his toolbox. They are what connects their trade across the centuries.

In 1897 he married the woman he met in Boston, Charlotte Coffin Nye, and opened a carpentry shop on Lily Street, near the house they lived in at 14 Hussey St. Instead of the pick-up trucks of today’s carpenters he went to job sites in a wagon pulled by his horse Charley.

Over the next six decades he gained a reputation as a master carpenter, building cottages in Sconset and fan-

cier houses in town. He signed his work. Some place on every house he built there is a board, most often buried under shingles or trim, with his signature.

He also built a third-floor winter worship space in the Methodist Church, at 2 Centre St., complete with a stage and altar, to be used in winters, when the congregation moved from the larger and unheated main sanctuary.

The chance meeting in Boston with the woman who became his wife led to a son and a daughter, Norman and Charlotte.

The son fought in World War I, then came home and took a job as the station agent with the steamboat. The daughter had a career as a social worker before coming home to care for her ailing father in his later years.

T.H. Giffin went back to his early days as a shipbuilder once, to build a small skiff so his grandson Thomas could learn to sail from a dock at his parents’ home on Easton Street.

His great-granddaughter Marianne grew up to be a journalist and the editor and publisher of The Inquirer and Mirror for over 40 years.

What is it about certain objects of interest, most often tools of somebody’s trade, that hold their stories until they decide to tell them? ///

John Stanton is a writer, documentary filmmaker and editor of Nantucket Today.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN STANTON

Thomas Hayden Giffin and Charley.

PFAS Problems

BY DAN FOST | PHOTOS COURTESY OF AYESHA KHAN BARBER

There’s a scene in the 2019 movie “Dark Waters” in which Mark Ruffalo, playing a corporate attorney investigating whether DuPont illegally dumped chemicals in West Virginia, discovers an acronym in the company’s paperwork: PFOA.

Ruffalo’s character, the real-life attorney Rob Billott, pursues the lead, ultimately discovering an entire class of chemicals used to make, most prominently, Teflon, and a host of other everyday items. He learns that DuPont and other chemical companies knew for years these chemicals caused cancer and other serious diseases, yet covered it up.

Around the time that “Dark Waters” hit screens, those same chemicals, now known by the acronym PFAS – perand polyfluoroalkyl substances – became a household word on Nantucket.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was looking into the levels of PFAS used in foam which had been deployed in fighting fires and in training exercises at the Nantucket airport. The Federal Aviation Administration eventually banned nationwide use of the foam, called aqueous film-forming foam.

The revelation unleashed a wave of concern on the island that many now see as an existential threat to the community. Nantucket firefighters have received cancer diagnoses, as have people who get their drinking water from wells near the airport. High levels of PFAS have been found in those and other wells.

More than 10,000 chemicals that fall under the PFAS rubric are now under investigation nationally for the danger they pose to human health, as well as damage to the environment. They’re known as “forever chemicals” because they break down so slowly and are so hard to get rid of.

A series of test wells have shown high levels of PFAS near the landfill, although the jury is still out about whether

those levels are reflected in private wells along Long Pond.

Nantucket has already undertaken extensive efforts to combat PFAS. It’s suing manufacturers; it’s purchased new firefighter turn-out gear with far less PFAS than previous versions; it’s delivered town water, from an aquifer deemed safe, to people with contaminated wells and has facilitated testing of other wells.

Home field advantage?

In many respects, Nantucket is better off than many communities.

“One of the things to keep in mind is Nantucket is in a unique position,” said Kyla Bennett, Ph.D., director of science policy for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

“The town is concerned, and not all towns are. Secondly, because they’re an island, they don’t get neighboring towns’ PFAS contamination. Pollution knows no political boundaries. Nantucket has the benefit of being 30 miles offshore. They can control how much PFAS they have on their island.”

The town appointed Chuck Larson, its manager of strategic projects, as its PFAS lead. Larson was hired to help the town deal with coastal-resilience projects relating to climate change and sea-level rise – another existential threat the island faces.

Unlike the long view problem-solving that dealing with sea-level rise requires, the PFAS problem carries with it the urgency of cancer-causing chemicals seeping into the

groundwater.

“The work the town did was completely voluntary,” Larson said. “We weren’t under any mandates from the state or federal government. This was a voluntary effort to look into some of these other potential sources.”

From the very beginning, however, the call to address this problem was sounded by private citizens who found themselves at the dangerous end of several PFAS equations.

The town was pressed by a group of its citizens, led by Ayesha Khan Barber, who founded the Nantucket PFAS Action Group after her husband, Nantucket firefighter Nate Barber, was diagnosed with cancer.

“Public pressure is forcing our town to do things,” she said.

Larson got the job because of his experience bringing various stakeholders together, and PFAS represents an issue with a lot of stakeholders. Nantucket has separate boards for the airport, the water supply and public health, not to mention the Select Board which oversees the fire department and other town entities.

Larson hired consultant CDM Smith to develop an action plan for the town.

In September the town convened a meeting including many of those stakeholders, as well as officials from the state DEP and CDM Smith, to report on the town’s efforts to date, and what needs to happen next.

A ubiquitous problem

One thing quickly becomes apparent to anyone looking into the PFAS problem: It’s everywhere. The so-called forever chemicals because of their inability to break down in nature are used in products from food wrappers to dental floss, from clothing to cars to Teflon frying pans. The list goes on and on.

“It’s a problem around the world,” Bennett said. “It’s been found in the Arctic Circle. It’s been found in our rain.”

“There are so few essential uses of these chemicals,” she said. “They’re all for convenience: nonstick pans, guitar strings that strum easily, waterproof mascara, period underwear. What the hell? You’re giving us cancer so people can have convenience? I’m sorry, but no.”

Testing has turned up PFAS in Nantucket’s deer, and in the

Meri Lepore, center, with her son Henry and mother Cathy. Lepore’s well water is contaminated with PFAS, and she was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

shellfish in Nantucket’s waters. Several years ago, a debate over whether to use artificial turf in a proposed new athletic field at Nantucket High School centered on the threat of PFAS contamination from the synthetic grass.

“We need to identify and contain the really bad PFAS,” Larson said. “We’re still trying to learn that right now. We can test for about 40 to 60 different PFAS compounds using EPA-certified standards, but PFAS is a class of 10,000 or more chemicals.”

“We really need to focus our energy on where are those really bad actors. How can we find those in the different products and goods and waste streams, and work to remove those from the environment quickly?”

Key areas for the town in its efforts to deal with PFAS

remain the airport, wastewater treatment, the potential for PFAS runoff from the landfill and, perhaps above all, the water supply – both private wells and town water.

The town has completed two rounds of PFAS sampling at the landfill, with concentrations ranging from less than 20 to over 1,000 parts per trillion. The state DEP put the level of PFAS considered safe in drinking water at 20 ppt.

But in April of this year the Environmental Protection Agency established a new level of four parts per trillion for public drinking water, as opposed to private wells. Those new levels will not go into effect until 2029.

The town is addressing PFAS in groundwater and surface water, with ongoing investigations and future plans for additional monitoring and remediation.

“We really need to focus our energy on where are those really bad actors. How can we find those in the different products and goods and waste streams, and work to remove those from the environment quickly?”

– Chuck Larson

Above, from left: Nantucket Fire Department Capt. Nate Barber; his wife Ayesha Khan Barber and Jaime Honkawa, co-founders of the Nantucket PFAS Action Group; and former Nantucket deputy fire chief Sean Mitchell were honored at the Massachusetts State House for their efforts to combat the effects of PFAS.

Right: Kyla Bennett, Ph.D., director of science policy for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

The risk to drinking water

When PFAS is found in a homeowner’s well, the solution has been to connect that home to the town water supply, provided by the Wannacomet Water Company. While that source is considered very safe, it might not always be that way.

“The geology on Nantucket is layers of sand and clay and silt, with pockets of groundwater in these confining layers,” Larson said. “Predominantly, the public water supply comes from a deeper part of the aquifer that’s isolated from these higher layers.”

A private well is generally only 30 to 60 feet deep, while the aquifer is 150 or more feet deep.

That’s not to say the aquifer won’t ever be contaminated by PFAS.

“The aquifer is definitely at risk,” Bennett said.

The town is also concerned about the threat to the aquifer.

“There could be movement of water from the surface to the aquifer,” Larson said. “We are concerned. We want to be monitoring that. The water company does test water quality quarterly for PFAS to try to be proactive.”

Meri Lepore, a school nurse and vicechair of the Nantucket Board of Health, said the stakes couldn’t be higher. “We can’t go to the next town and tap into their aquifer,” she said. “This is all we have. I’m glad we are ahead of the game. Otherwise, we would all have to leave if we don’t protect our water.”

The filters used to remove PFAS from drinking water are themselves another issue.

“There are filters that work really well,” Lepore said. “But then when the filter is full, what do you do with it? There is no good way to get rid of the filters. They can get sent to incinerators but they don’t stay at high heat long enough to break up all the PFAS.”

The Nantucket PFAS Action Group is seeking funding for a filter take-back program, to collect filters and send them to an appropriate disposal location.

The Board of Health has passed a new rule requiring any property that changes hands to test its water for PFAS, Larson said.

Homeowners can also test their well water at any time. Between January and August, 75 PFAS tests have been conducted through the Health Department, which is working on providing information for people whose wells test above 20 parts per trillion, most notably the types of filtration systems they can use.

The Nantucket PFAS Action Group has comprehensive information on its website, pfasactiongroup.com, on how to set-up a test, as well as a host of other resources.

Two Families and PFAS

Nate Barber grew up on Nantucket, met his wife Ayesha Khan Barber at Boston University and returned to the island to work as a firefighter. In 2019, then 38 years old, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Khan Barber started investigating the causes and a culprit quickly emerged: PFAS in the gear that firefighters wore. She began advocating for further investigation, and established the Nantucket PFAS Action Group.

She found an ally in Meri Lepore, a school nurse and member of the Board of Health. She is also the daughter of Ayesha’s boss, Tim Lepore, MD. Meri Lepore lives near the airport and, when her well was tested in August 2020, was found to have 36 parts per trillion PFAS in it. The state has set an acceptable threshold of 20 ppt.

Lepore’s son had just turned 3. “I started giving him baths at my mother’s house,” she said.

The town provided everyone in the neighborhood with bottled water until they could connect to town water. Meanwhile, several people – including Lepore – were diagnosed with cancer.

“Three neighbors all in a row have prostate cancer, which can be caused by PFAS exposure,” Lepore said.

Although no one can prove definitively that any individual’s cancer was caused by PFAS, the correlation has raised alarms.

Lepore had her thyroid cancer removed in July.

“I was not expecting that,” she said. “They asked me, ‘Were you exposed to radiation? Do you have a family history?’ I don’t have any of those things. They can’t say that it was caused by my PFAS exposure. But it could have been. It’s one of the types of cancers caused by PFAS.”

Meanwhile, Ayesha Khan Barber found Kyla Bennett and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, bringing scientific advocacy into the mix.

In addition, the firefighters led a national fight to stop using gear with PFAS in it. In August, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed a

Keeping an eye on the landfill

Those common consumer products containing PFAS usually head straight to the landfill, where, Larson said, they often leach into the environment. Testing done by CDM Smith has shown the groundwater and surface water around the Madaket landfill to be heavily contaminated with PFAS.

Test wells indicated a number of places showed PFAS levels greater than 1,000 parts per trillion. The results frame the question of whether that water is contaminating private residential wells nearby. Private wells across Long Pond on Long Pond Drive, less than a mile away, are also contaminated.

Kerry McKenna, a Board of Health member, said he is aware that some private residential wells near Long Pond are testing in the 40 parts per trillion range and higher. The monitoring wells near the dump measure the

bill ordering the phased removal of PFAS from all turnout gear.

The PFAS Action Group also fought to keep Nantucket from installing turf athletic fields containing PFAS.

While Nate Barber’s cancer is now in remission, Khan Barber is continuing the fight. The PFAS group, teaming with the Nantucket Land and Water Council, sponsored an event this summer bringing scientists and advocates to the island to talk about the threats PFAS poses.

Among many other projects, the network is working with professors from Northeastern and Michigan State universities on a “PFAS medical guidance video for clinicians,” she said.

The never-ending fight

Khan Barber and Bennett praise each other for essential contributions in the ongoing, and potentially never-ending, fight against the forever chemicals.

She was often fearful about making assertions, but Bennett, a Ph.D. and director of science policy for PEER, helped her make the best possible case for action.

Bennett lives in Easton, where a pesticide containing PFAS was sprayed as part of a mosquito-abatement effort. She wound up with a brain tumor; her latest scan has turned up clear.

Bennett says that, in addition to places like Easton and Nantucket, the fight against PFAS needs to take place at a national level. She used to work for the EPA, and said the agency is “broken.”

“We’re constantly trying to catch up with the science and we’re losing the battle,” she said. “The EPA refuses to regulate them as a big class.”

“People in America think if they go to Walmart or Target or Home Depot, whatever they buy is going to be safe because this is the U.S. of A.,” she said. “Nothing is farther from the truth.”

groundwater at 20 feet below the surface and 60 feet below the surface. The measurements at 20 feet were significantly worse, with a number of monitoring wells near the western and southern edges of the dump measuring at a level above 1,000 parts per trillion.

The water company plans to extend town water to areas west of the landfill in Madaket, just as it did in the area surrounding the airport.

At the wastewater treatment plant on South Shore Road, discharge and filter beds sit at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The water – which contains PFAS –leaches into the ground and flows directly into the ocean.

The town is waiting for state and federal governments to issue standards for that water. Larson said the town has “a goal of someday reducing the flow.” ///

Dan Fost is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to Nantucket Today.

Origins of The Chicken Box

BY STEVE SHEPPARD | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

It sits in what today is pretty much the center of the island. But when it was first opened

by Willie House,

in 1949, as a gathering place primarily for people of color, The Chicken Box was considered out of town and out of the way.

“Willie was from down south and he realized there was no place for people of color to hang out,” said Anthony “Rocky” Fox, one of the three current owners. “And I use the term ‘people of color’ loosely.”

Today the unremarkable-looking joint with the low-slung roofline is just as the slogan on its T-shirt says it is: A haven for pleasure-seekers, 30 miles at sea.

It is the island’s local bar.

“The honey-fried chicken was very, very famous at The Chicken Box. People would get food to go on weekdays and sit in to eat on weekends because of the music.” – Cindi Hopkins

It has always been a place of refuge from the work week and a place of community. It has seen the changes this island has gone through, and along the way somehow became famous.

You could travel to Antarctica and find someone who knows about The Chicken Box or, more likely, has been to The Chicken Box. Jimmy Buffett often threw in a verse about the place during his arena shows. Elin Hildebrand writes about the venue in her best-selling books, inspiring her fans to make pilgrimages there.

The place has the powerful draw that is common to all great bars. As the late David Halberstam once said about another island watering hole, there is a need in every community for a place to get a beer after work, sit with people you know and have the feeling that you are known.

House had been working on the island for several years when he bought much of Dave Street and opened a little bar.

“It takes a lot of different ingredients to make a good soup,” Fox said. “He was a visionary. He opened up a spot and put it up little by little. He owned this whole area, from here down to what is now Chin’s Way.”

As his gathering spot became more popular, House added on a kitchen and invited friends to help him with his endeavor.

“We came to Nantucket because of my parents’ friendship with Willie House,” recalls Cindi Hopkins, who moved to the island in the early 1960s and now lives in New Jersey.

“We lived in the little cottage next door to The Chicken Box and Willie had a house in the back. He was very close friends with my mom and dad.”

How close? Willie House was her godfather.

And, yes, The Chicken Box did sell chicken. It was Cindi’s mother, Priscilla Odum, who, with House, came up with the special recipe and ran the kitchen.

“The honey-fried chicken was very, very famous at The Chicken Box,” Hopkins said. “People would get food to go on weekdays and sit in to eat on weekends because of the music.”

“Willie knew a lot of people in the entertainment field, and my sister and I saw a lot of bands: Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, the Temptations, Tower of Power.”

Cindi was too young to be in the bar at night, but while her mother worked in the kitchen, she allowed her daughters to attend afternoon band rehearsals.

“We couldn’t move around,” she said. “We just had to sit there and listen.”

And where did these famous bands stay?

“The bands stayed at Willie’s house,” Cindi said.

From the beginning, music has provided the backbeat of The Chicken Box’s identity. While House originated the tradition of weekend engagements with blues and soul, the offerings expanded over the years, and music from across a wide spectrum was embraced, from show bands to funk to rock and roll.

Some may recall hearing NRBQ for the first time at the Box, or the Energetics, or the Savage Brothers, or Grace Potter, or even, on occasion, the aforementioned Mr. Buffett, who liked to sit in with island bands.

In the late 1970s, House sold The Chicken Box to his friend Robert Reed, also known as “Cap’n Seaweed.”

Legend has it that several of Reed’s boats sank, thus the tongue-in-cheek moniker. The bell that hangs behind the bar was originally from a ship Reed served on in the Navy. It is still rung every night at last call.

The good vibe laid down by House was continued by

Reed, right down to the spotlight on music.

“Seaweed always wanted music you can dance to,” Fox said. “He brought reggae to the island.”

Reed expanded The Chicken Box’s notoriety in the mid1980s by publishing a newsletter, “Nantucket Nite Life,” distributed at the bar and in copies of The Inquirer and Mirror

It was a humorous take on life and culture, written in the inimitable Seaweed style. The newsletter not only featured upcoming musical acts, but an advice column, “Ask Agatha.” The appellation “Le Box” featured prominently in the newsletter’s headlines and became a popular nickname for the watering hole.

Like Cindi Hopkins years before, another kid from the neighborhood had occasional afternoon access to the establishment.

“I grew up down the street,” Fox recalled. “There were Pac-Man and pinball machines in here. I’d come in and Windex them and Seaweed would give me a roll of quarters. Now here I am 35 years later owning the place. It’s kind of surreal.”

From facing page, left: Chicken Box founder Willie House; A mural of The Chicken Box painted along the wall near the stage; Long-time owner Robert “Seaweed” Reed.

He eventually took on more responsibilities under Reed’s tutelage: bartending, creating work schedules, hiring staff. It was a long way from his younger days listening to the Sunday jam sessions to being part of the management team.

After 23 years, Reed decided to sell the business, along with the Dave Street real estate it sat on. Jimmy Buffett expressed interest. So did Fox.

“At that point Seaweed was selling the whole side of the street,” Fox said. “I approached him and asked what the price would be just for the bar.”

Reed gave him a number, and Fox got to work. He asked a couple of friends, Thomas “Packy” Norton and John Jordin, each of whom he’d hired years before as bar-back and door man, respectively, if they’d be interested. They were.

They mortgaged just about everything they had to come up with the cash.

“We bought the bar and half the street (where the parking lot is now). It’s unbelievable that we got that opportunity,” Fox said. “Jimmy Buffett outbid us, but Seaweed decided to sell to us. He was always there to help you.”

Just as Willie House passed the baton to Reed, the legacy was handed down to Fox, Norton and Jordin.

“Willie House and Seaweed did all the heavy lifting to create the atmosphere,” Fox said. “We sort of carry that torch. It’s the culmination of their hard work. We stand on their shoulders.”

That hard work includes the cross-generational bridge The Chicken Box represents.

“There are people coming in now who were 21 or 22 when they first came in, and now bringing their kids in here. Some things never change. I’ve hired kids whose parents I hired,” Fox said.

As always, it remains a leveler of cultural divides.

“This is a melting pot, where millionaires are sitting next to billionaires sitting next to the guy who cuts their grass. It’s unpretentious,” Fox said.

On one night this fall, The Box was filled with patrons of The Nantucket Project and the next night brought in a post-wedding party. On any given afternoon, it could be mistaken for any blue collar, working man’s – or woman’s – corner tavern in Queens or Chicago or Boston. The place has been host to both weddings and funerals.

“The song changes every day,” Fox likes to say.

The Chicken Box was, and still is, one of the places that define island life.

“My first winter on this island, that is what I landed on and landed to,” said long-time islander Chris Westerlund. “I still remember putting my quarter on the rail to get in line to play pool.”

He also remembers the mural painted along the wall near the stage. It is a dreamy painting of foggy yellow streetlights hanging over The Chicken Box on a midnight-blue evening that evokes the spirit of the place.

Island artist and educator Linda Zola painted the mural in 1977. It remains where she painted it.

“We try to keep things as close to the original as we can,” Fox pointed out. “You can’t build buildings like this anymore.”

Today The Chicken Box serves the community beyond providing music and pouring beverages. For years Fox has given his time by serving on numerous island boards and committees, including the School Committee, the Nantucket STAR program, which provides recreational opportunities to children with special needs, and Nantucket Elder Services, to name just a few.

“If you are not giving, you’re taking,” is his sometimes mantra.

Two years ago he was honored by the Dreamland Theater with its Community Dream Believer Award, and he was recognized in September as Volunteer of the Year by the

Rocky Fox

Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce.

The Chicken Box has hosted fundraisers for a variety of nonprofits and charities, including, but not limited to, the annual STAR fundraiser, along with Elder Services, Small Friends early-childhood center and a teacher appreciation night.

Fox is quick to credit co-owners Norton and Jordin for “jumping in with both feet” with community outreach efforts.

“What this building is able to do is put a lot of eyes on the charity,” Fox said. “People are able to see the people who are behind the scenes (at the nonprofit or charity) out here running the event.”

Fox, Norton and Jordin have been approached to lend The Chicken Box name to mainland bars but the answer is always no.

“This is not something you can put anywhere else,” Fox insists. “It’s unique. It took 75 years to get to this point. You can’t just buy it.”

In the off-season the pace becomes more laid-back. The dart league still meets every week, a tradition that is now decades old. When bands play there’s more room for knees and elbows on the dance floor.

Afternoons everybody at the bar knows each other, even

if everybody does not quite know your name.

The long history begun by Willie House still hovers over everything. If you listen closely, you may even hear the distinctive phrasings of blues legend Muddy Waters in the winter atmosphere.

One thing that’s also for certain is that the recipe for the famous honey-fried chicken will remain a secret. Fox has it locked in a safe, and Hopkins says her sister has her mother’s original copy somewhere, but her sister’s not telling.

House ran The Chicken Box for 28 years, Seaweed for 23. Fox, Norton and Jordin are in their 25th year of ownership and have no plans of going anywhere.

“There’s been a lot of blood, sweat, tears and beers,” Fox said. “As Seaweed used to say, ‘We may doze, but we don’t close’.” ///

Steve Sheppard is a former reporter and editor at The Inquirer and Mirror, former school teacher and the author of the novels “Tourist Town: A Nantucket Idyll” and “Nantucket Nocturne: A Winter’s Idyll.”

By Leslie Linsley

4

Good design never goes out of style and the Star of the Show at Marine Home Center is the new Window and Door Gallery in Bayberry Commons, across the street from the main campus and the lumber yard. The reimagined space in the former appliance building is now showcasing what is considered in the industry, to be the best quality and innovation in doors and windows being made today.

The Gallery is sleek and modern and accessible to tradespeople and homeowners alike. The conceptual plan to design and create a space where the consumers can view and compare the best windows and doors for their situations, was the brainchild of Building Materials Manager, Greg Marsh. Marsh and his team visualized and conceived the ultimate space to showcase different product lines within the brands.

Boston Sash & Millwork, Andersen, and Marvin are all displayed side by side so you can compare products as you walk through the Gallery. Conference tables are set up for private meetings, laying out plans, and viewing the products in use on a television screen. Greg says, “We’re fortunate to have these nationally known brands, to showcase side by side with a full line of products. Options for the most common Nantucket doors and windows are easily accessible for comparison.”

Entering the Window and Door Gallery

Whether you’re building a new home, renovating an early Nantucket home, or in need of replacements for your current home, the Window and Door Gallery offers the experience of seeing how different products look and function. Cutting edge technology has gone into the design of many windows and doors to respond to modern living requirements, and the Gallery enables the customer to compare how different products look and perform on site. For example, the Brosco Nantucket Collection features doors made to withstand the coastal weather, combining weather-resistant wood with a modified mortise-and-tenon construction technique. The result is a door that is at once durable and goodlooking, low- maintenance, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient.

The Window and Door Gallery is as beautifully designed as any art gallery, enabling the customers to experience what is possible for Nantucket homes today and into the future. The featured products are meant to be touched, experienced, and used to create a home as unique as this island, and the discerning customers Marine Home Center has been serving for over 80 years.

What inspired you to design the Window and Door Gallery?

The new Gallery was created to keep up with design changes the manufacturers are making to their products. Building codes are changing, making more stringent requirements to the manufacturer’s products. The sleek and simple design in the new space give MHC the ability to swap out displays with ease, showcasing the most current products on display with minimal disruption to the new space.

What are some of the new technical innovations available?

The conference room showcases a line of windows and doors from Marvin’s “Modern” collection of products. Included is a “Marvin Connected Home” electric unit that brings in built-in, automated technology, as well as a picture unit showcasing “Clic glass” with a switchable privacy glass, that, when turned on, the water crystals align, making the glass transparent. When the power is off, it causes a frosted look that is modern, clean, and simple for privacy without the use of blinds or curtains.

What is the goal of the Window and Door Gallery?

The main goal is for customers to visit our showroom and decide what options they like the best. MHC recognizes that windows and doors represent a significant investment, so they want to give their customers the opportunity to see the differences between manufacturers and their product lines in person. In this way the customer can view and operate what they are purchasing, in order to make informed decisions.

Photos by Bruno Luna - ACK Luna Photography

Boston Sash & Millwork windows and doors

Rows of Andersen’s and Marvin’s windows and doors

Interior and Exterior Doors from Brosco, Jeld-Wen, Simpson, and Trustile

Second floor Conference Room with Marvin Modern

Places of Worship

ST. Paul’S EPiScoPal church in nanTuckET

We are an open-table sacramental church deeply committed to serving our island community and beyond.

Sundays at 9:30 A.M.

The Mission of St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket is to make the love of God more widely known.

Facebook: St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket-Episcopal www.stpaulschurchnantucket.org

20 Fair Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 508-228-0916

Celebrating our 300th Anniversary in 2025!

Country fairs, cookouts, ice cream socials, guest speakers, concerts and tower tours.

“Please come worship with us on Sundays this winter in the Old North Vestry at 10am. We promise a warm, friendly welcome.”

First Congregational Church • 62 Centre Street P. O. Box 866 Nantucket, MA 02554 • 508-228-0950

PHILANTHROPY on Nantucket

There are dozens of nonprofit and charity organizations on Nantucket dedicated to doing good work, from fostering art and culture to protecting soul-soothing open space. They enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike, and the island would be a much different place without them. Fulfillment of their mission, however, is not possible without the financial support of us all. Learn more about some of these groups on the following pages.

Follow us on social media and join our e-newsletter to learn more about these difficult topics and how you can be part of the change.

@

acksafeplace or A Safe Place Nantucket

Prevention is the heart of our mission

Prevention education is central to our mission. Our public and private school classroom programs are developed using age-appropriate information and skill building. The material is also reinforced through creative projects during our ongoing collaborations with the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club and via a featured speaker at Nantucket High School. Collectively, these initiatives aim to help youth build and foster healthy personal relationships while encouraging them to become mature peer and community advocates for relationships based on equality, non-violence, and respect.

Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship:

Education Inspires Change

Programs

Domestic Violence

Rape Crisis

Trauma Therapy

Child Witness to Violence

Supervised Visitation

Services

24-Hour Hotline

Online Chat

Supportive Counseling

Trauma Therapy

Medical Accompaniment

Police & Legal Advocacy

Family Court Legal Services

Assistance

Support Groups for Adolescent & Adult Survivors

Child Witness to Violence

Counseling

Therapeutic Sports & Social

Skills Groups for Youth

Provision of Basic Needs

Items & Financial Assistance

Immigration Support

Transportation Assistance

Housing Search Assistance

INVESTING IN NANTUCKET TODAY AND TOMORROW

The Nantucket Fund is the Community Foundation for Nantucket’s one unique fund that pools donations to meet multiple needs of Nantucketers. In this way, the Nantucket Fund supports key community priorities identified through CFN’s convening activities in behavioral health, food security, healthcare, youth enrichment, and more.

2024 GRANT MAKING

The Nantucket Fund at CFN awarded $500,000 to 29 Island non-profits this year.

In total, CFN has granted over $3.8M to island nonprofits through the donor-advised and field-of-interest funds we hold.

cfnan.org

Egan Maritime Institute promotes and preserves Nantucket’s maritime traditions. We strive to ensure that our Island’s culture and community continue to be shaped by its seafaring legacy. We achieve this through programs in the classroom, at the museum, and on the water.

Donate today and create an ocean of opportunities for all of Nantucket.

www.eganmaritime.org

Egan Maritime’s Impact...

IN THE CLASSROOM

AT THE MUSEUM ON THE WATER

At Fairwinds, compassionate, trained mental health and recovery therapists will listen to your story and help you make sense of it.

Supporting Fairwinds means everyone gets to tell their story, receive treatment, and heal, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

WE TREAT: Anxiety Bipolar disorder Depression OCD PTSD Substance misuse and more

THE HARVEY FOUNDATION WAS FOUNDED BY ADRIENE LOMBARDI IN MEMORY OF HER LATE MOTHER, ROBIN HARVEY. IN THE PAST NINE YEARS, THE HARVEY FOUNDATION INC. HAS HAD AN EXCITING EVOLUTION AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THE WORK WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER AND ASSIST THE PATHFINDERS OF EDUCATION, ATHLETICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE HERE ON NANTUCKET. NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY, BUT TO ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNITY ENRICHING EVENTS FOR ALL AGES TO COME TOGETHER IN A POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, THE HARVEY FOUNDATION HAS AWARDED $150,000 IN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY TO NANTUCKET GRADUATING SENIORS. WE ESTABLISHED AN AWARD CALLED THE "WE SEE YOU" AWARD. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYONE CAN APPLY FOR, IT IS SIMPLY A WAY OF SAYING THAT WE NOTICE STUDENTS GOING ABOVE & BEYOND AND THE HARD WORK THEY ARE PUTTING BACK INTO OUR NANTUCKET COMMUNITY.

EACH WINTER WE GIVE OUT OVER 120 FREE PAIRS OF SNEAKERS TO THOSE ATHLETES WHO NEED THEM, WHILE PROVIDING FREE ATHLETIC GEAR ALL YEAR LONG THROUGH OUR GEARUP PROGRAM. THE HARVEY FOUNDATION GROWS A LITTLE EACH YEAR, FILLING NEEDS THAT ARE RECOGNIZED IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE HERE FOR OUR YOUNG ADOLESCENTS AND ARE A STRONG SUPPORT FOR OUR ISLAND FAMILIES AS WELL AS OUR ISLAND TEACHERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE BUY HUNDREDS OF BOOKS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF TO SUPPORT LIFE LONG LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO GROW AND EVOLVE TO BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR ISLAND’S YEAR ROUND COMMUNITY. OUR RUN FOR ROBIN 5K IS OUR LARGEST EVENT, WHERE ALL AGES COME TOGETHER IN SCONSET WHERE WE CELEBRATE NANTUCKET IN NOVEMBER!

“I have officially graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in marketing and journalism with a concentration in public relations. This accomplishment could not have been achieved without the scholarship your organization provided me, nor without your support. Due to your generosity, I was able to work as a high school girls basketball coach in Western, MA. It has become one of the most rewarding experiences in my life and put a whole new perspective on the importance of athletics in a young girl's life. It has also allowed me a greater appreciation of the work you all do within our Nantucket Community. Many kids and families have been so positively impacted by the various programs and funding you have contributed to.”

-Anna Steadman (Robin Harvey Scholarship Recipient)

Inky Santa is Nantucket’s answer to helping families who are struggling during the holidays to provide Christmas gifts for their kids. Through donations from island businesses and seasonal and year-round residents, Inky Santa is able to make Christmas a little merrier for island families.

First begun in 1985 by firefighter Tom Holden and his wife Betsy as a Toys for Tots program, it was joined the following year by The Inquirer and Mirror, when editor and publisher Marianne Stanton saw that using the reach of the newspaper could expand the message of need and increase donations. That partnership has endured ever since to the benefit of island children.

Over the last 39 years, Inky Santa has worked to ensure that no island kids go without on Christmas morning. Please help us continue that tradition and donate this year. YOU can Help Fulfill a Child’s Wish List this Holiday Season!

At the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, our public programs aim to connect people of all ages to nature through stewardship, research and education.

Our founder, Linda Loring, was a devoted wildlife advocate and conservationist.

She strongly believed in young people having the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the natural world. Forever protected as a wildlife sanctuary, living laboratory, and outdoor classroom, we are proud to offer 275 acres of open space for the community to experience nature.

Stewardship

Our free public programs provide an opportunity to explore our globally rare sandplain grasslands and coastal heathland habitats while learning about how we protect and preserve the assets of the property. We work to enhance native biodiversity and build resiliency through our management and restoration actions.

Education

Since 2007, we’ve shared LLNF’s property and Long Pond with people of all ages, serving students and residents in the Nantucket community. True to our mission, we have focused on ensuring our core programs are welcoming, inclusive and accessible to all. Multi-lingual program partnerships and accessibility-friendly birding are some ways we ensure everyone has access to nature education.

Research

Get a first-hand look at some of the research conducted at LLNF to understand more about the flora, fauna and local impact of climate change. Join our immersive bird banding program investigating migratory songbirds up close or help us collect information on the seasonal cycle of native shrubs! Get involved at your comfort level, we offer a variety of interactive experiences, community workshops, talks and more.

Supporting Nantucket Throughout the Year

Visiting Author Program

Throughout the year, we bring award-winning authors to speak with students at all Nantucket schools, kindergarten up through high school. The authors are chosen by Nantucket teachers and students, and their visits often include both school-wide assemblies and intimate classroom conversations. In March of 2024, author Dan Gemeinhart visited Nantucket’s Cyrus Peirce Middle School and Nantucket New School students. Then in May, we welcomed Newbery Medal winner Matt de la Peña to our Elementary and Intermediate Schools. This fall, New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman will be with us.

Book Mobile

The NBF is also proud to provide support to the Nantucket Book Mobile and the efforts of teacher Gillean Myers to deliver free books, in multiple languages, to children across our island eager to read! In the last year, the Book Mobile gave away over 9,000 donated books to island children and showed up for special book giveaways at school. We are proud to support Gillean’s mission to make sure all Nantucket students who want to read have access to books that they love

Children’s Book Day

In September, we held our first Children’s Book Day. This soonto-be annual event celebrated the joys of reading, illustrating, and storytelling for our youngest bookworms during a full day of read alouds, crafts and fun at Children’s Beach. Our lineup featured local authors and authors from around the northeast, and we gave away over 200 books to children and families!

Gillean Myers with the Nantucket Book Mobile

Photo Credits from top to bottom:

Page 1 - Taylon Breanne, Kit Noble, Charity Grace Photography Page 2 - Josh Gray, Aislinn Dugan, Tim Ehrenberg

Author Matt de la Peña with Nantucket students

Save the Date | June 12 - 15, 2025

Nantucket Book Festival

The Nantucket Book Festival is our main event, presented annually each June by the Nantucket Book Foundation. 2024 was a banner year for inspiring conversations with authors such as Margaret Atwood, Erik Larson, Safiya Sinclair, and Kwame Alexander (who was also a Visiting Author in 2023) and connection with our year-round student programming. The NBF team is hard at work on the 2025 Festival lineup, so please mark your calendars and join us next year as we share a love of books and ideas!

Young Writer Award

Student voices are further championed through our Young Writer Award, a highlight of our annual Festival, where high school students are celebrated and awarded scholarships for their winning essays on thought provoking topics, inspired by our Visiting Author Program. This year our awardees had the opportunity to read excerpts of their work on stage and to connect with the brightest stars of our Festival, moments they will carry forward in their literary lives. Congratulations to our 2024 winner Anna Popnikolova and our four finalists: Goshi Gonzalez, Alondra Barragan, Marley Hollen Viselli, and Madison Payne.

Tharon Dunn Scholarship

In May of 2023, the Nantucket Book Foundation lost a beloved member of our family. As longtime Chair of the Literary Committee, Tharon Dunn was committed to bringing the most captivating authors to Nantucket for our annual Festival, but she was also a fierce advocate for literacy and ELL programs, helping to found the English Language Learners program at the Nantucket Atheneum. In her honor, we presented the first ever Tharon Dunn Scholarship to an exemplary Nantucket High School student for whom English is not her first language. Congratulations to our winner, Lesly Rivera-Recinos.

Safiya Sinclair and Kwame Alexander at the Dreamland.

Young Writer Award winner: Anna Popnikolova

Tharon Dunn Scholarship recipient: Lesly Rivera-Recinos

whatever it takes to build Great futures

1,352 kids served in 2023 57% 1 , 146 households served in 2023 of Club members are racially and ethnically diverse, representing Nantucket’s growing community

The Nantucket Boys & Girls Club is a private, non-profit agency serving school-age youth: 1st–12th Grade. Through programs and activities stressing academic achievement, good character, and healthy lifestyles, the NBGC offers a variety of recreational, cultural, social, and sports-oriented experiences for members year round.

The Nantucket Clean Team

OUR MISSION

• To keep this beautiful, fragile Island as free of litter and debris as possible through weekly clean-up outings from late April through the last Saturday in October.

• To recruit year-round residents and seasonal visitors to join us on appointed days and times or become “adjunk” members, cleaning when and where they are able.

OUR WORK IS PICKING UP

NANTUCKET CLEAN TEAM

Our youngest cleaner, six-month-old Daisy Anne.

FACTS

• At least five tons of debris are found during the six months of our unified cleaning efforts.

• We average 35 volunteers each Saturday starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m.

• We meet rain or shine in Town at The Handlebar Café and outside of Town at a beach or roadside selected each Wednesday and publicized by email.

• Special thanks to our DPW, Marine Home Center and Cisco Brewers for their generous support over the years.

JOIN US

Visit “CleanTeamNantucket” on Facebook and @ackcleanteam on Instagram ~or~

Send your name and email address by text to 917-287-7493 or by email to wconnell@connellandersen.com to be added to our weekly email report.

Life changes quickly

Why we support Nantucket Cottage Hospital

August 19, 2021, started off like a typical Thursday on Nantucket, up early with our kids heading off to camp to soak in their last few days of summer. Except that morning our 9-year-old son, Jack, began to complain about a pain on the left side of his mouth – like a toothache. We checked in with a dentist about a tooth infection where they took a couple of X-rays and identified a larger problem, so they sent us to Nantucket Cottage Hospital (NCH).

Within 15 minutes, we were sitting in the emergency room at NCH and Jack’s face started to swell even more. He said, “Mom, I feel like I am going to be sick,” started to sweat,

and looked like he was having an allergic reaction. I had no idea what was going on but alerted the nurse, and we were quickly rushed behind the waiting room doors where we were immediately assessed by the wonderful ER team. Jack started to cry as he spiked a fever and his face continued to balloon. My heart was racing as a mother to not have any idea what was happening to my child – only that everything was getting worse by the minute.

The medical team ran tests and called in Pediatric ENT Surgeon Dr. Barbara Malone who came right over to assess Jack. Dr. Malone was so knowledgeable and was

The Goodwin Family

able to diagnose Jack with a Parotoid gland bacterial infection and put together an aggressive treatment plan of intravenous antibiotics to fight the infection.

It takes 12-24 hours for antibiotics to start to work. Jack’s fever spiked to 106 over several hours, and I remember holding his hand thinking: “What if his fever doesn’t come down? What if he goes into shock? We are on this beautiful island, but if something takes a turn, what do we do?!” The nurses, physicians, and assistants on call were exceptional at attending to Jack, changing his cold washcloths, and keeping Scott and I calm by reassuring us that as soon as the Ibuprofen and antibiotics kicked in, he would be ok.

We ended up spending three days at NCH while the staff made sure Jack was receiving the best care possible.

There wasn’t a staff member who didn’t go above and beyond to make sure Jack was in the best hands. The professionalism and expertise led by Dr. Malone and her team was next level. Life can change so quickly. We have

no idea how Jack got sick, nor what we would have done had he not been immediately treated by the team at NCH.

It is in these emergency situations you realize how lucky we are to have a world-class hospital available within minutes on island. We love spending our summers on Nantucket and will be eternally grateful for the love that NCH gave us right back.

– Kim and Scott Goodwin and Family

Expert care, right here on Nantucket.

Barbara Malone, MD

Dr. Barbara Malone is a Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) physician. She joined NCH in 2020 and currently serves as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Malone provides enhanced services to island children, including treatment of ear infections and hearing problems, nose and throat infections, nosebleeds or nasal injuries, difficulty breathing and snoring, and other problems of the head and neck in children.

Dr. Malone and her husband, Paul, live on-island year-round with their dog, Ned.

“Philanthropy makes it possible to deliver world-class healthcare, 30 miles out to sea. Thank you for considering a donation to Nantucket Cottage Hospital.” – Amy Lee, President

39 Nantucket Scholars since 2006

57 Professional Scholarship recipients since 2018

52 institutions of higher education attended Grants to 95 Island organizations

861 grant requests – 759 grants funded Largest grant of $1M

Nantucket Scholar Program

Awards two Nantucket High School graduating seniors a four-year, tuition and fees scholarship to the university or college of their choice. Nantucket Scholars receive degrees at prestigious institutions and pursue careers across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, engineering, finance, and education.

Photo Courtesy of Nantucket Current

The mission of the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation (NGCF) is to promote the positive development and enrichment of Nantucket children. Through the generous support of the members of Nantucket Golf Club and their guests, NGCF has raised over $50 million in the last 23 years for the benefit of Nantucket youth. To learn more about our programs and support our efforts, reach out at businessoffice@nantucketgolfclub.com.

Professional Scholarship Program

Provides renewable scholarships to graduating seniors who are pursuing a vocational or professional program. Students awarded this scholarship pursue degrees in nursing, education, welding, automotive technology, and more.

NGCF Grant Program

Supports local nonprofit organizations’ programming across various areas, including the arts, health, sports, and education. In 2023 the Foundation granted over $950,000 to Island nonprofits, and in 2024 announced a $1M grant to support the Maria Mitchell Association’s capital campaign to reimagine the Aquarium and Discovery Center.

Photo Courtesy of Blaise Flegg

Photo Courtesy of Nantucket Boys & Girls Club

Nantucket Land & Water Council

MISSION

The Nantucket Land & Water Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to preserving the health of Nantucket’s environment and community through the protection of the island’s land and water resources.

VISION

The Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) is committed to continuing its efforts to preserve the island’s natural resources. Human health and quality of life are intrinsically connected to the health of our environment. The Nantucket community is entitled to a clean environment and abundant, accessible natural resources. The NLWC will invest in a strategy that supports the health and preservation of our unique land and our waters, serving in the role of Nantucket’s Environmental Advocate.

Years of Advocacy

2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of a truly remarkable organization. The Nantucket Land & Water Council (originally established as the

Nantucket Land Council, Inc.) was founded by a group of impassioned, purposeful, pioneering individuals who cherished the island’s pristine natural setting and were troubled by increasing environmental degradation and loss of rural character. They saw a need and had a vision.

With its successful 50 year tenure as Nantucket’s trusted environmental advocate, the NLWC is in an important leadership position today to continue informing and helping to shape new policy and new directions for the island.

Thanks to the ongoing support of our donors, our board members, directors, staff, and volunteers this visionary organization will continue to honor its legacy – protecting Nantucket’s unique and treasured natural environment and investing in the future vitality, health and long-term sustainability of “The Grey Lady” by paying attention, raising awareness and taking action on her behalf each and every day, all year round.

NiSHA offers essential services to the Nantucket Community.

Those services fall under one of three pillars—Rescue, Educate, Assist—which serve as the foundation of our mission.

Rescue – Pets end up in shelters when families face financial hardship, housing crises, and medical challenges. Others are sadly born unwanted with an unknown fate in front of them. NiSHA gives pets a second chance to find loving homes. We never turn away an animal in need.

Educate – To create a world where animals are treated with kindness and compassion, we must start with our youth. Teaching children empathy for all beings helps secure a more humane future for all.

Assist – NiSHA ensures that pets can stay in their loving homes regardless of family circumstances. Through our pet food pantry, financial assistance programs, and pet behavior counseling, we give families on Nantucket the resources they need to care for their beloved pets.

Over 2,000 animals adopted into new homes.

Almost 1,000 animals reunited with their families after being lost.

Over 650 families granted assistance to keep pets in their loving homes and out of shelters.

WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE!

Our House is a non-profit organization that offers high school students on Nantucket a safe, engaging, and welcoming place to be after school, guided by adult mentors. Students are able to identify goals, connect with their peers and mentors, build community, and access important resources. Amongst several of our programs, serving dinner three nights a week is the centerpiece of the student experience at Our House.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays: 2:30-7:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays: 2:30-5:30

Stop by for a visit!

Life Skills

Our House offers students the chance to learn by practicing important life skills such as résumé building, interview processes, social etiquette, how to host guests, and financial literacy such as, starting a bank account, understanding credit scores, and personal finance.

Students receive a nutritious meal three nights a week, served around our table family-style. This is where discussions are held, creativity is sparked, and community is built. Preparing for dinner and cleaning duties are shared responsibilities during this meaningful House tradition.

Physical Activities

Our House provides students with the opportunity to exercise and practice team-building skills. Full access to our gym and sports equipment, including lacrosse, volleyball, croquet, soccer, and football are available, as well as our basketball and tennis courts.

Our House gives students the opportunity to work creatively on projects of their choosing, whether related to school or their own personal endeavors. We have electric and acoustic instruments available, a plethora of art supplies, sewing machines, and textile materials for designing or repairing clothing.

Our House implements a daily mentorship program where students are able to work one-on-one and in groups to identify goals while mentors share guidance to learn the tools to reach those goals. Our mentors offer college prep assistance, tutoring/homework help, FAFSA support, and off-island visits to various colleges.

Our House recognizes the developmental, social, physical and emotional importance that playing has on people of all ages. We offer a large variety of individual and group games, including but not limited to, a pool table, air hockey, puzzles, card games, books, and table tennis. We also host special events such as Trivia Night.

We are amazed every day by the generosity this unique community has shown Our House in our first two years. As we make our way through our third year, our programs have continued to grow and expand, increasing expenses. Personnel, utilities, insurance, food, and property maintenance are some of the operational costs that we manage. We would truly appreciate your support as we continue to offer important resources to our Island’s young adults.

At any stage of illness, we’re here to help.

CLINICAL

Manage & relieve symptoms & stress

Explore choices for care

Coordinate care among all providers

In-person or virtual visits

SUPPORT GROUPS

Coping with Cancer*

Caregiver

Bereavement

*English and Spanish

COUNSELING

Individual

Family

Grief

Spiritual

OUR TEAM

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Specialist

Counselor

Office Coordinator

Chaplain

Volunteers

MARLA CEELY LAMB CANCER TRAVEL FUND

Defrays cost of travel for off-island cancer care

Our program helps pateints and their families/caregivers maintain wellness and quality of life while receiving medical treatment for a serious illness

services are free and confidential.

Board of Directors

Randy Hudson,

Lynell Vollans,

Arthur Reade,

Mary-Randolph Ballinger

Edwin Claflin

Gabriel Frasca

Ciara Fritsch

Sarah Johnson Peter McEachern

Maryjane Mojer

Zacil “Sassy” Nash Ramona Nee

Maryann Wasik

Sustainable Nantucket’s efforts to increase local agricultural production, provide resources to island farmers, encourage the love of growing and healthy eating to island students and to promote Buy Local entrepreneurship at our Farmers and Artisans Market serve as the cornerstones to our mission-To cultivate a Sustainable Nantucket island community by supporting local agriculture, food producers and makers. With your generous donation, we can continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents and visitors all year. When we grow, we can all GROW!!

I have been a part of the market community since the very first Saturday when we set up in the high school parking lot! It has been fun to see how far the Farmers and Artisans Market has evolved thanks to the support of Sustainable Nantucket! The market has been invaluable to me to grow my business over the years and let me continue to connect with people who love the beauty of handcraftsmanship. I am so grateful to Sustainable Nantucket. It is because of them that I am able to carry on the tradition of handweaving - not as a hobby, but as my livelihood! - Karin

Thank you for another wonderful workshop. Love it! – Connie

The “Eglu” mobile chicken coop I got from Sustainable Nantucket makes life so much better when happy hens produce their first egg! – Neville

Thank you Ms Ella for letting me dig in the dirt and eat vegetables. - a Farm to School student

Together we can build a more resilient Nantucket

For the past 50 years, The Trustees has protected the pristine beaches, miles of scenic trails, and critically important wildlife habitat that make up Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge.

While the unspoiled beauty of the Refuge offers visitors a chance to relax and enjoy nature, CoskataCoatue also shelters Nantucket Harbor and downtown Nantucket from storms and flooding.

As sea levels rise and storms become more frequent and severe, maintaining resilient shorelines is imperative to prevent flooding, erosion and property loss in coastal communities.

The Trustees, alongside local, regional, and national partners, will strengthen coastal resiliency at the 11-mile-long barrier beach that is Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge. Working with longtime partners the Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF), and utilizing grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), The Trustees will design and deploy nature-based solutions to increase resilience on the Refuge at Coskata Pond and the Haulover while maintaining long-term public beach access. Our work is just beginning, and we need your support to protect this special place for everyone, forever.

About The Trustees

For more than a century, The Trustees has been on the ground in communities across Massachusetts, working to protect and care for the places people love, building connection to nature through creative and engaging programming, and sharing our passion for environmental stewardship with neighbors and partners around the Commonwealth. We care for and welcome the public to more than 120 special places — roughly 27,000 acres — all around Massachusetts!

Island to Island, Black Cake

A

Jamaican Christmas tradition at the Nantucket holiday table

MARIANNE R. STANTON

Underneath Devon Francis’ desk at Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm is a sealed five-gallon drum of dried fruit he’s been marinating in a blend of red wine, rum, brandy, allspice and nutmeg since last December.

He refers to it as “the vault,” and from the time this mixture is created it remains sealed until the next year when it’s time to bake his Jamaican black cake, a Christmas tradition he grew up with.

STORY AND PHOTO BY

Francis arrived on Nantucket in 1993, by way of Miami, where his father was living.

“My dad always wanted me to be a doctor, so that’s what I grew up thinking I would be, but my passion was always cooking from the time I spent in the kitchen with my grandma when I was young,” Francis said.

He is now the head chef at Bartlett’s, a position he’s held for 13 years. Born in Jamaica and raised in Montego Bay, he learned to bake from his grandmother.

“Black cake is one of the first cakes I learned to bake,” he said.

Like all good family recipes, it is a well-kept secret.

Black cake is the Jamaican spin-off of the English version of fruitcake, or plum pudding, which was introduced to Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean in the 1600s during British colonial rule.

Britain was one of the early European countries to engage in the slave trade, bringing Africans to the Caribbean islands to work on the sugar-cane plantations and in the rum distilleries.

Britain wrested Jamaica from Spanish rule in 1655 and colonized the island. For nearly 200 years the British economy was fueled, in part, by the agriculture in its colonies, all made possible by slave labor. In 1833 the Slavery Abolition Act was passed, and slavery ended Aug. 1, 1834.

While the heinous practice of slavery ended 190 years ago, some English traditions endured, flavored by Jamaican interpretation. Black cake is one of them.

Where traditional English fruitcake is often stodgy and dense, packed with overly-sweet candied fruits and nuts, black cake is tender and intensely aromatic, with the macerated fruits – raisins, cherries, prunes and mixed candied peel – dissolving into the dark cake batter.

There is no need to wrap the baked cake in cheesecloth soaked in rum or brandy and stored for weeks or months, as with the British version. Black cake is plenty boozy due to the fruits that have been curing in liquor for nearly a year.

Still, the tradition for many bakers is to drizzle the still warm cake with port wine after it comes out of the oven and has cooled a bit.

Francis’ reaction to traditional English fruitcake is immediate and visceral.

“I tried it once, and never again!” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It was so dense. You could use it as a doorstop.”

Once you’ve tried both versions, the response is understandable. In early October, Francis broke into the vault to bake a black cake for the purpose of this story, so I could photograph it, and more importantly, taste it. There’s no comparison between the two versions.

Black cake is simple in appearance. Baked in a nine-

inch round cake pan and left plain with no garnishes, on first blush it looks like a devil’s food layer cake. But cut into it, carve yourself a wedge and you’ll find the cake is moist and deeply flavorful, unlike any other dessert you’ve ever eaten.

In Jamaica, black cake is eaten at Christmas and weddings and depending upon the occasion, referred to as Christmas cake or wedding cake. Every island in the Caribbean has its own version, hinging on the fruits and spices prevalent there.

In the islands, black cake is often served with a native drink called sorrel, deep red in color and sweet and gingery in taste. It is made with dried hibiscus blossoms. Up north, black cake might be enjoyed with a glass of eggnog, sprinkled with nutmeg.

Francis’ first job on the island was at The India House, a storied restaurant on India Street that no longer exists. From there he went to The Juice Bar, and then Broad Street Grill on “The Strip” of Steamboat Wharf.

As we talked he thought back to those early days when he was frying up burgers and making tacos for all the young skate rats who would stop in. Thirty years later those boys have turned into men with families of their own.

“Where did the time go?” Francis asked. “All my kids were born and raised here, and I am very much invested in this community.”

His son DJ is 20 and a college student in Maine. His daughter Tahlia, 23, attends college on the Cape.

When he’s not working at Bartlett’s, overseeing the production of baked goods, ready-to-eat salads for the cold case, sandwiches, nightly dinner specials and special-occasion cakes, he enjoys his home and garden.

“I love gardening. I’m always planting the biggest garden in my yard every summer. It is my passion,” Francis said.

But he does miss Jamaica: the tropical fruits, the food and the good weather.

“When I moved to Florida, I bought some bananas. They tasted foreign. I spit them out. They were just not the same as back in Jamaica. There it’s the soil, the sun, the geographic location that makes them taste so good,” he said.

This December, after the busy-ness of Christmas Stroll is over, Francis will break into the vault where the fruit has been curing and begin the process of baking Christmas cakes for his friends, co-workers and the Bartlett’s Farm family – about 40 in all.

It is his way of sharing his culture, his love of baking and a piece of himself to those who mean so much to him.

Marianne Stanton is a native Nantucketer. She was the editor and publisher of The Inquirer and Mirror for 42 years before retiring in 2023.

That’s Amaro!

STORY AND PHOTO BY KEVIN STANTON

The frantic days of summer have come to an end and for many of us that ushers in more time spent with friends and family. The change in the weather signals a change in our palates as we veer toward those flavor profiles that lead us into seasonal nostalgia.

After all, a mojito in December just doesn’t feel right. For me, it is the smell of my neighbor’s wood stove, a giant hunk of meat braising on the back burner and a glass of bitter amaro, tinged with the flavors of warming spice, that kick off winter. Preferably served on a large ice cube with an orange twist.

Amaro is an Italian word that is used as a blanket term for a group of bitter herbal liqueurs. A couple months ago you may have imbibed this without even knowing, as you sat on a patio and sipped your Aperol Spritz or enjoyed a Negroni while out to dinner.

In fact, the word amaro in Italian simply means bitter. It encompasses a wide range of aperitifs and digestifs, from the light, summery staple Aperol to the medicinal restaurant-industry favorite Fernet-Branca.

When distinguishing between an aperitif and a digestif, the main rule of thumb is to look at the color. If the spirit is light, typically rosy in hue, it is an aperitif and meant to be consumed before a meal in order to excite the palate. If it is dark, it is a digestif and meant for after a meal in order to aid in digestion.

The roots of this libation date back to a time of monks and friars cooped up in castles brewing tonics for this very reason. Comprised of bitter barks, roots, seeds, spices and flowers macerated in alcohol, it changes depending on the part of Italy in which it is made.

In the 1800s these tonics evolved into what we see today. They are expressions of the land they come from and in a way a reflection of the spice trade and might of the Venetian Empire, utilizing spices from the Far East like saffron, ginger, cardamom and clove and blending them with local ingredients.

It is common in northern Italy to see the use of alpine herbs and in the south the use of bitter orange. It is these baking-spice flavor profiles that make it such a great pairing for this time of year.

It is important to note that Italy is not the only culture in Europe to make bitters. It is a drink made across most of the continent. In fact, the German brand Underberg is my favorite to bring for post-Thanksgiving or Christmas feasts. It typically comes in tiny, individual-serving-size bottles wrapped in brown paper, which to me makes it feel somehow more festive.

The craft cocktail movement has always had an affinity for the archaic, therefore its love of amaro is no surprise. For those not interested in simply sipping an amaro, there are plenty of cocktails, classic and modern, to suit your taste.

The most popular amaro cocktail is, of course, the Negroni, which for those not familiar is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Personally, this is my all-time favorite cocktail.

Close second is a Boulevardier, which for all intents and purposes is the same cocktail, except it swaps out gin for bourbon whisky. But take my advice, for a more balanced version, use rye instead. The spice of the rye levels out the sweet vermouth instead of leaning into it like the bourbon does.

Of the modern amaro cocktails, the Paper Plane is having its moment in the sun. It is made of equal parts bourbon, Aperol, lemon juice and Amaro Nonino, shaken and served up in a chilled coupe, garnished with a lemon twist.

This winter get adventurous, visit your local package store and ask about its selection of amaro. You will most likely come across the classics like Averna, Cynar, Fernet-Branca, Campari and Aperol.

But every now and then you might find something strange and archaic, covered in dust at the back of a shelf. Give it a try, you might have found your new favorite. After all, it’s cold and dark outside, and you’ve probably eaten too much to fortify yourself against the winter. ///

Kevin Stanton grew up on Nantucket and is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He writes regularly for Nantucket Today.

Classic Amaro Cocktails: Modern Amaro Cocktails:

Negroni

1 oz. gin

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. sweet vermouth

Stir and serve over a large cube in a double rocks glass with an orange twist.

Toronto

2 oz. rye or Canadian whisky

1/4 oz. Fernet-Branca

1/4 oz. Demerara syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir and serve up in a coupe glass with an orange twist.

Paper Plane

3/4 oz. bourbon

3/4 oz. lemon juice

3/4 oz. Amaro Nonino Quintessentia

3/4 oz. Aperol

Shake and serve up in a coupe glass with a lemon twist.

Bitter Giuseppe

2 oz. Cynar

1 oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth

1/4 oz. lemon juice

6 dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6

Stir and serve over a large cube in a double rocks glass with a lemon twist.

Mapping the World by Gull

STORY BY VIRGINIA ANDREWS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICHARD R. VEIT, LISA MANNE AND YVONNE VAILLANCOURT

Richard Veit, Ph.D., is an ornithologist who teaches biology at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York.

Growing up summers on Tuckernuck, he was obsessed with owls by age 3; started a bird checklist by 11 and joined the Nantucket Christmas Bird Count around 1971, before going on to a career in science.

Attaching a transmitter to a lesser black-backed gull.

He is the co-author of the 1993 “Birds of Massachusetts” and numerous scientific papers. He has traveled and taken students to study birds in many exotic places. With everything he has going on, why Nantucket in the winter?

The answer is: Lesser black-backed gulls. It might be hard for an average person who is usually content just to know that there is such a thing as a seagull to understand. But Veit’s research is focused on birds appearing far away from their usual range, the so-called “accidentals” or “vagrants.”

It was long assumed that vagrants are blown off course by weather, or lost, navigationally defective. But these assumptions are losing ground. What if the birds are not lost, but explorers? What if they are healthy, the fittest of the fit, just looking for a place to survive and thrive? It turns our idea of bird migration as a fixed, instinctual pattern upside down.

Originally from Europe, lesser black-backed gulls look much like a scaled-down version of our North American great black-backed gull, except for their yellow legs. In the 1920s European populations burgeoned. Roaming north, they established two new breeding colonies, first in Iceland, then in Greenland.

In 1934, one lesser black-backed gull was seen in New Jersey, a first for North America. In the 1940s and 1950s there were a few in the New York City area. In 1971, they were

sighted on Cape Cod. Nantucket’s first recorded sighting was Jan. 6, 1974, when one adult was seen at Codfish Park.

In the 1980s the Greenland population had grown, and so did American sightings. By the early 2000s Codfish Park and other Nantucket beaches were hot spots for birders looking to expand their lists, and an ideal place for Veit’s research.

To understand the dynamics of population spread, he began preparing to track the movements of individual lesser black-backed gulls with satellite transmitters. These are held on with special backpack harnesses that do not impede the birds’ abilities to fly, feed or preen. Birds can wear them for up to two years before the rig falls off, leaving them unharmed.

With permits in place and grants from institutions large and small – the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative was one – he began organizing the equipment. Then COVID-19 hit, everything shut down and the project was delayed.

But by November 2022, everything came together. Almost everything. A crew of students, professors and research associates came to the island, teaming up with local scientists, conservation staff and birders. Larry and Mandy Niles provided a cannon net, bait was deployed. Then they waited. And waited. And the day passed without success. Nobody

Gulls are not really gullible. Perhaps suspicious of the crowd, the usually rapacious eaters turned up their beaks at chopped herring, French fries and other delicacies.

says research is easy.

The gulls were interested, but skittish. Gulls are not really gullible. Perhaps suspicious of the crowd, the usually rapacious eaters turned up their beaks at chopped herring, French fries and other delicacies.

“Try pretending there’s beer,” someone joked.

Finally, someone suggested a seasonal food the local gulls might be familiar with: bay scallop guts. After a few weather delays, local scallopers donated the bait and at last trapping was successful. In February 2023, 15 transmitters were attached to a mix of adult and immature birds.

The results were well worth the wait. When we see a species in the same place, day after day, winter after winter, we might tend to think they are the same individuals. But no. The backpackers were all over the place, from Sconset to Great Point, Nantucket Harbor and beyond. One went to Staten Island, then commuted back and forth to Connecticut.

But more interesting was what happened during the breeding season. Four adults went to the nesting colony at Nuuk, Greenland. Bird number 71 left Nantucket May 12, flying direct to the coast at the Maine-Canada border. By mid-day the following day it crossed over the St. Lawrence River, continuing inland across Quebec and Labrador, reaching the coast by May 24. After wandering for two days, it crossed Davis Strait to Greenland, where it reached the breeding colony May 31. Here it spent the month of June.

But on July 24, presumably having bred or attempted to, it flew north along the Greenland coast for 400 miles, going above the Arctic Circle. It started back south July 28, reaching Baffin Island the next day.

After having a look around Baffin, it headed south again Aug. 11, re-crossed the St. Lawrence and flew the length of the Bay of Fundy between Aug. 13 and 16. After a brief stop at the Gloucester fish pier, it traveled down Cape Cod and was back on Nantucket Aug. 28. Veit is, in effect, map-

BIRDS

ping the world by gull.

Without collecting such granular biological data, we can never hope to appreciate what it takes for a species to survive and what areas or resources need to be protected.

No species is isolated from its effect on a host of others. Although individual puzzle pieces might seem small, they have the potential to fit many others together.

It is crucial knowledge, as uncounted numbers of species silently disappear around the globe. Birds, insects, plants, mammals and fish are also threatened as conditions change. Understanding how and where they relocate is important if we are to be able to maintain biodiversity and the richness of the life we all share, one map at a time.

Virginia “Ginger” Andrews writes the “Island Bird Sightings” column for The Inquirer and Mirror and is a frequent contributor to Nantucket Today.

Sconset

Gary Winn, Broker

Gary Winn, Broker & Bernadette Meyer, Broker

Gary Winn, Broker & Morgan Winn,

35 TENNESSEE AVENUE, MADAKET

4 BR 4 BA- $3,695,000

Located directly across the street from Hither Creek in old Madaket, this four bedroom, four bath home with attached two car garage is perched high on a knoll and provides expansive views of Hither Creek, the Harbor and Tuckernuck. The west end offers easy access to great beaches, water sports, clamming, fishing and boating with access to the public pier. The interior of the property is unfinished and waiting for a buyer to complete the partially finished home.

KATHY GALLAHER

Broker

Maury People Sotheby’s International Realty

37 Main Street, Nantucket, MA

508.560.0078 kathy@maurypeople.com

This stunning 3-bedroom home on Creek Lane in Fishers Landing boasts a prime location, just moments from Warrens Landing Beach. Income-producing lower-level apartment. This home is a true gem.

Don’t miss the opportunity to make it your own!

1 Field Avenue | $2,325,000

Situated on a corner lot in the sought-after Abrem Quary neighborhood of Surfside, this charming four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom home combines comfort with convenience. The property enjoys easy access to scenic bike paths, nearby beaches, and is just a short drive from Town.

Fishers Landing - 26 Creek Lane | Call for pricing information

15 Lauretta Lane | Savor Nantucket sunsets, fall asleep to the gently lapping tide, and awaken to the sound of shorebirds. Sitting directly on Nantucket Harbor with unobstructed panoramic views across the water to Coatue and Great Point, 15 Lauretta Lane delivers the luxury of a brand new, fully furnished, two-bedroom cottage in the most magical setting on the island. Architecturally unique, this contemporary circular cottage was completely reimagined by Jay Hanley and his team at Hanley Development in 2024. The soup to nuts renovation included the installation of new oak floors, kitchen cabinets, countertops, high end appliances, light fixtures, tile shower and floor, bath vanity, built-ins and shiplap ceilings throughout, new windows and door, sidewall and roof. If you’re seeking relaxation, the privacy and seclusion of this property provides everything you need to replenish and reinvigorate your soul. If it’s a lifestyle on the water you’re looking for, you can’t do better. Just wade out to your boat mooring, bring your scallop rakes and fishing rods, or just cruise around the harbor, allowing spectacular sunsets to serve as a backdrop for your cocktail hour. Your harbor-front retreat awaits. Please note that the bordering property at 7 Lauretta Lane is also available to buyers looking to create a complete waterfront compound. | $4,895,000

26 Milk Street | Wonderful opportunity awaits! This gorgeous double lot features a 4-bedroom/3.5-bathroom antique main house dating back to 1770 as well as a Gambrel-style cottage built in 1900. The manicured gardens and lush green yard is where you will want to spend long Summer days into the evening. There is ample ground cover remaining and off-street parking for 2 vehicles. The double lot measures approximately 10,757 sq. ft. Existing ground cover is 2,143 sq. ft. with allowable ground cover of 4,302 sq. ft.+/- or 40%. | $4.995,000

IN-TOWN ESTATE ON AN ACRE OF LAND

Built during the heyday of Nantucket’s prosperous whaling era, this iconic home is situated on over an acre of land in the heart of Town. The three story brick home has remarkable historic features including a panoramic mural and hand painted French wallpaper, as well as the conveniences of a tastefully modernized kitchen and baths. An 1850 carriage house and stable and a 1921 home are also part of the property. The stunning heirloom rose garden and a brick wall surround it all to create a secret estate on Pleasant Street.

$28,000,000 | Linda Bellevue & Mary D. Malavase

HISTORY IN THE HEART OF TOWN

Located in downtown Nantucket, this historic gem - circa 1812, features 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and three floors with over 4,500 sf with all the expected charm of yesteryear. Among the many original details are raised panel wainscotting, four panel doors with vintage hardware, wide pine and fir flooring, multiple fireplaces, raised panel interior window shutters and multiple cast iron claw foot bathtubs. HDC approved plans are in hand for a roof walk which would lend expansive views of Nantucket Harbor and the Sound. This treasure of a property welcomed many guests and visitors to the island as The Easton House Inn. 17 North Water Street offers an opportunity to enjoy living in the heart of Nantucket Town.

$4,650,000 | Penny Dey

HIDDEN GEM WITH VIEWS IYKYK

Delight in spectacular sunsets, summer breezes and star filled night skies surrounded by 2.7 expansive acres. Spread out and relax in the multiple living areas, 5 bedrooms, and a 2+ bedroom cottage. Tuck your car & bikes away in the two-car garage. Only three miles to town, easy access to north & south shore beaches, bike path and acres of abutting Land Bank trails make this property enjoyable any time of year.

$4,395,000 | Heidi Drew

3 Clara Drive is nestled in the heart of the highly desirable area of Miacomet. It is central to Miacomet Golf Club, Ladies Beach, Cisco Brewery, Bartletts Farm, 167 Raw, 45 Surfside, bicycle paths, and a WAVE bus stop - IYKYK! The three bedroom two bathroom home sits on an 18,730sf oversized lot in CTEC zoning, use as is or explore expansion possibilities.

$2,150,000 | Meg Ruley

Experience the best of Nantucket living in this beautiful four-bedroom home located in the sought-after Monomoy area minutes from the beach. With an additional onebedroom guest cottage, a large outdoor deck for entertaining, a picturesque secret rose garden, and stunning distant views of the Nantucket harbor and skyline, this property offers a perfect blend of comfort and elegance.

$12,995,000 | Mary D. Malavase

TOM NEVERS EAST

This Tom Nevers East private 3-bedroom 2.5 bath home is on a beautiful 1.3 acre lot. The high elevation offers a peek of the ocean. Lush landscaping and beautifully maintained gardens overlook a wonderful entertaining area with in-ground pool and multiple patio and deck spaces.

$2,975,000 | Linda Bellevue

Penny Dey, Principal Broker, GRI, ABRM

Linda Bellevue, GRI, CBR

Heidi Drew, ABR, RSPS, SRS Peter DuPont

This simple beach house is located on over an acre of land just minutes to private stairs leading to Dionis Beach.  Look out over the 300 acres of abutting conservation land to views of Long Pond and Nantucket Sound while you plan your Nantucket dream home. Listing agent is related to the seller.

$6,495,000 | Linda Bellevue

MIDDLE MOORS

Meticulously maintained, bright and sunny home set on a beautifully landscaped private lot. This established neighborhood is only a mile from the rotary yet surrounded by over one hundred acres of serene conservation land and walking trails. The layout offers multiple possibilities with the current three bedrooms plus a second living room, or easy second floor expansion for a fourth bedroom in the already existing unfinished room off of the den - four bedroom septic system in place. The property is being offered with new and tasteful furnishings.

$2,925,000 | Melinda Vallett

Alison K. Forsgren, e-Pro, NAR Green, SRES

Angel Conrad Frazier

Mary D. Malavase, GRI, ABR, SRS, RSPS

Jane B. Miller, ABR, RSPS

Meg Ruley, ABR, RSPS

Lisa Sherburne, ABR, RSPS

Melinda Vallett

Geri Walker, RSPS, SFR

VACANT LAND

Newly created 10,000 plus square foot lot in a desirable location close to mid island shopping, Town and shuttle bus stop. Don’t miss the opportunity to create your year-round or summer vacation home.

$1,275,000 | Mary D. Malavase

5 ROSE BUD LANE

Centrally located, this Residential Commercial lot allows 50% ground coverage with town water and town sewer available. Great for a small business, shop, duplex or single family home.

$850,000 | Peter DuPont

Mary O’Donnell, Office Manager

Erikka Perkins, Rental Manager

Yesenia Valer, Office Assistant

Your Trusted Local Real Estate Experts

&

QUIDNET · 3 BEACON LANE · $21,950,000

Waterfront estate on Sesachacha Pond designed by Workshop/APD.

MID-ISLAND · 41 MACYS LANE · $1,595,000 Charming and bright move-in ready three-bedroom home.

SCONSET · 24 CANNONBURY LANE · $5,495,000

Upside-down house on a half-acre lot with distant ocean views.

TOWN · 7 PLEASANT STREET · $14,490,000 Expansive property with a main house, guest house, garage, and spa.

TOWN · 11 MILK STREET · $4,595,000

Quaker-style four-bedroom home thoughtfully preserved and renovated.

SCONSET · 2 TOWADDY LANE · $2,750,000

Cozy three-bedroom property one mile from Sconset Village.

SALES & RENTALS OFFICES IN SCONSET & TOWN

SURFSIDE · 1 WHEROWHERO LANE · $2,450,000

Seclusion and privacy with ample ground cover remaining.

TOWN · 65 NORTH LIBERTY STREET · $2,995,000

single-story living with multiple decks.

WEST OF TOWN · 3 & 3B WYERS WAY · $4,500,000

Two adjacent lots that comprise nearly half an acre of land in Town. *the above image is a rendering*

TOWN · 2 SUMMER STREET · $4,795,000

Charming preserved Victorian home with a spacious backyard.

54 ORANGE STREET ·

TOWN · 20 YORK STREET · $2,595,000

Charming five-bedroom home with beautiful outdoor space.

TOWN ·

$6,995,000 Greek Revival home with four floors of living space and two-car garage.

Open-concept

“Kept the needs of my family first over making the sale... made the selling/buying experience effortless and not stressful.”

-Massachusetts Customer

“Had an exceptional eye for how the property would best be viewed by the buyer and helped us get the house in tip-top shape.”

-Florida Customer

“Used William Raveis real estate, mortgage, and insurance services... every transaction went smoothly as the entire team worked together.”

-Connecticut Customer

“Outstanding professional advice... on market conditions, timing to list our home for sale, and addressing the offers received.”

-New York Customer

*William Raveis customer surveys, 2004-2024

Discover Timeless Elegance

About Dockside

Dockside Condominiums, nestled in the historic harbor front district of Hyannis, Cape Cod, is a premier waterfront development with 27 years of anticipation. Developed by family-owned HMS Properties, known for preserving Cape Cod’s unique charm, Dockside is the most awaited new address in the area.

WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE

HEIDI DREW

BROKER/PRINCIPAL, ABR, RSPS, SRS

Heidi@NantucketRealEstate.com

M: 508-325-2121

O: 508-228-7707 x 212

LINDA BELLEVUE

BROKER, GRI, CBR

Linda@NantucketRealEstate.com

M: 508-325-2700

O: 508-228-7707 x 235

MARY D. MALAVASE

BROKER, GRI, ABR, RSPS, SRS, SFR

Mary@NantucketRealEstate.com

M: 508-221-2093

O: 508-228-7707 x 219

M: 917-806-8213

O: 508-365-2833

michael.passaro@elliman.com www.michaelpassaro.com @michael.passaro

WHO’S WHO IN REAL ESTATE

Susan Chambers

Broker

susan@maurypeople.com

508.228.1881 ext. 100 cell: 508.560.0671 @susanchambersnantucket www.susanchambersnantucket.com

37 Main Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 maurypeople.com

Mark Norris

Sales Associate

mark@maurypeople.com

508.228.1881 ext 185 Cell: 508.566.2013

37 Main Street, Nantucket MA 02554 maurypeople.com

Sheila Carroll

Agent | Sales and Rentals

Sheila@maurypeople.com

508.228.1881 ext. 129 cell: 508.560.0488

37 Main Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 maurypeople.com

STORY BY JOHN STANTON

PHOTO BY SEAN DAVIS

Dan Driscoll’s

first film featured his boyhood pals surfing in the freezing waters off Maine. This was in the days of Super 8 cameras, before the advent of digital video, when films were actually shot on film, the audio had to be recorded separately and synced to the pictures, the negative had to be sent off to a lab to be developed and it had to be edited by a series of splices.

It was labor-intensive. But Driscoll found he loved the process, and when the film was completed, he could entertain his family and friends with it. He did not see a career in making little films, so he went off to the University of New Hampshire to study business.

A handful of years later those little surf films got him a job making what were then called industrial films for a production company in Newton. He soon picked up an assignment directing a six-camera shoot in the mountains of North Carolina on a moving tractor-trailer for the Michelin Tire Company. He had found what he was meant to do.

Today, after a long career directing 30-second television commercials, most often under his own very successful company, September Productions, he spends his days making films for island nonprofit organizations and teaching the skills he began learning when he first made that surf movie as a young man to the next generation of filmmakers. He sat down with Nantucket Today in his editing suite/office to talk about his journey.

THE QUESTIONS

Q: What was it about making that first little film?

A: “I just got the biggest kick out of it. I’d sit on the floor of my parents’ living room and handle the film, roll it through a little viewer, decide where to cut it and splice it, the same for the audio. Later on, I was bartending in Boston and went to an after-hours party for industry people. Somebody there asked me to show the films, and that was how I ended up getting my first job.”

Q: Talk about the changes in filmmaking that followed the jump from hands-on filmmaking with real film, to digital video cameras and non-linear computer editing.

A: “The advent of digital cinematograph has democratized the act of filmmaking. Prior to then you had to have so many people involved to make a film. The cameraman and assistant cameraman, someone to do lighting, sound, assistant editor, editor, just so many people needed to make the process work. Now you can do everything in the digital domain. You don’t have to send your film to Kodak to get processed or handle it on a big Steenbeck editing system. These days you can shoot something and bring it into a digital editing program and make a little film. Now, how good that film will be is another story. To me that takes some experience and time to understand how to do it.”

Q: That democratizing of film brings people with all levels of ambition out to try it, doesn’t it?

A: “To say someone can take a digital camera and become a good filmmaker is like handing someone a paintbrush and saying go make me a piece of art. Who knows? It could be beautiful or a piece of crap. It really gets down to the skills of your craft and how strongly you want to improve on it. Some people just look at the story, some look at camera technique and don’t think of story. You really have to get them to think of both aspects before they go out and make a film.”

Q: You were part of the group that began the Nantucket Shorts Film Festival in 2013. What was the impetus for that?

A: “It was a potential outlet to exhibit films made on Nantucket. That started the whole process. We knew of a couple of filmmakers

who had done some interesting work, but there was no place to show them. If you went out and did that on your own, as a piece of entertainment, there wasn’t an outlet. The other part is it was a great opportunity to help people who might want to try and make a film. NCTV was involved, so they could help give new filmmakers direction, equipment, help them with the edit. The bottom line was it was a perfect educational tool for NCTV to teach filmmakers. That age range (of people who got involved) was not quite as extreme as from 11 to 77, but not quite far from that.”

Q: After 10 years of the festival (it shut down for a year during COVID-19) are you seeing an improvement in the quality of films?

A: “I hate to say it, but I don’t think I have. You see people with a good idea for a story, but who don’t really care too much about the camera and subtleties of camera movement, or the lighting or sound could be better. What seems to be very well accepted by audiences is comedy. I couldn’t tell you why, but that has always been the case. Most of the films that win have some amount of comedy. It is just more entertaining. New filmmakers, and half of what will be screened is usually from new filmmakers, make mistakes. In comedy if there are some mistakes you can still tap into the laughter and the absurdity of the situation.”

Q: Will upcoming festivals try to offer a way to help beginning filmmakers up their game?

A: “Going forward the festival will start a screenwriting competition and then NCTV will help the winners make the film. You have to start with an idea. You cannot just go out and shoot blue one day and green the next and hope you can later put it together in a way that makes sense. You might be able to, but it’s probably not going to come out good.”

Q: Has your involvement in the short film festival been gratifying for you?

A: “I love working on films. If we can inspire new filmmakers and they can enjoy the process, it is just a nice gift to give to somebody.”

Q: You are on the board of directors of both NCTV and the Nantucket Dreamland Theater.

A: “NCTV has been a little less about education and more about helping them grow as a business in the video industry. What I could offer was to suggest trying this or that and ways to find out what viewers want to see on a local TV station. Sports was obviously one of the biggest things. We are now covering Whalers athletics and the number of eyeballs that watch on You Tube is pretty phenomenal. We offered it (filming sports) as an educational opportunity for kids who want to learn how to be behind a camera and so far they have done a fantastic job. We’ve had 53,000 views this year alone for all sports.

The Dreamland was about the transition of letting the people know it is not just a movie house, but really a center for performing arts. That was done by the Dreamland Stage Company theater program. More recently they’ve been bringing in more and more productions. Film aficionados understand that the days of film houses are numbered. These days a movie theater has to bring different creative elements in and present them to the public.”

Q: You grew up in Maine and your career was mostly in Boston. How did that path bring you to Nantucket?

A: “Kittery Point, Maine is the most southern point of Maine. In many ways growing up there, if you blinked you would miss everything. There was one central little market with a gas station, across the street was the post office and the barbershop. Everything you needed. But the houses in that area are from the 1700s and a lot are old captain’s houses. So, in 1971 when my wife Connie and I visited here it felt like home. Our dream was somehow to get here one day.” ///

John Stanton is a writer, documentary filmmaker and editor of Nantucket Today.

LAST LOOK

BY

PHOTO

JOHN STANTON