July 2025

NFORMS TO SOLVE FOOD INSECURITY NOURISH

SUMMER HOMECOMING IS IT TIME THE LAND BANK

ADDRESSES NANTUCKET’S HOUSING SHORTAGE?

Harborfront Estate

52 Monomoy Road

Commanding one of the most coveted harborfront locations on Nantucket, this extraordinary 1.25-acre estate offers truly unparalleled harborfront views and an unmatched coastal living experience. With sweeping, panoramic vistas stretching from Town across the harbor to Brant Point and Coatue, the property delivers a front-row seat to the island’s most iconic scenery. Enjoy sunsets over the water, sailboats gliding through the harbor, and fireworks lighting up the sky throughout the season. At the heart of the estate is a seven bedroom, six and a half bath main residence. It is slightly elevated allowing for breathtaking views from every floor. The main house is complemented by a spacious two-car garage with guest accommodations above. Additionally, a charming boat house sits on the water’s edge. Offering approximately 175 feet of direct waterfront and a gently sloping drive leading to a private sandy beach, this rare offering blends luxury, comfort, and natural beauty in a way few properties can. This estate could never be duplicated. There is a boathouse bordering the water that is a pre-existing, nonconforming use. It is essentially built right on the coastal bank, which today would require a 75-foot setback. The existing house is approximately 35 feet high, allowing for a full third floor—seven feet higher than what the HDC currently permits. These nonconformities have been grandfathered in and will never be permitted again. This is truly an incredibly rare opportunity and arguably the best location on Nantucket.

photo by Jane Beiles

2955 Hammock Way

4 BEDROOMS | 4 FULL, 1 HALF BATHROOMS | $4,200,000

Set in Windsor’s Village, this light-filled residence offers expansive southern views of a tranquil lake and the rolling fairways of the linksstyle golf course, along with northern vistas of the polo field and driving range. Airy interiors with abundant natural light and crisp millwork enhance the sense of space and elegance.

Lindsay Custom Builders Inc., Builder

Nantucket’s Best, All in One Place

15 Chefs. Endless Flavor.

We bring together Nantucket’s finest food businesses under one roof, making it easy for you to explore, shop and savor the island’s best flavors at home.

Crafted by Hand.

Our members’ products celebrate the spirit of Nantucket with every bite - from artisan bakeries to seafood specialists. Order online, pickup at The Hive, 5 Amelia Drive.

From Our Kitchen To Your Table. Enjoy restaurant quality meals at home. Try our Weekly Meal Service — chef crafted dishes made fresh and delivered straight to your door each week.

Let Us Entertain You.

Try our Host Helper packages, fresh alternatives to store-bought party platters. Or, rent the porch for your next event. From an intimate dinner for 15 to a cocktail party for 60.

Photo: Wendy Mills

Discover this beautiful Greek Revival on Nantucket’s iconic Upper Main Street. Meticulously renovated, it blends 1830s charm with modern luxury featuring high-end finishes, a private yard with English garden, rare garage, off-street parking, and an unbeatable Town location

Celebrating 30 Years

Nantucket Excellence

10 Maxey Pond Road | Nantucket

$15,995,000 | 6 bed, 6 bath, 3 half bath | Approx. 3 acres | Web# 92090

An exceptional opportunity to own one of Nantucket’s finest properties. Located just minutes from downtown, this estate offers privacy, tranquility, and easy access to conservation walking paths, bike paths and beaches. With its combination of modern design, luxurious amenities, and sustainable living, this home is truly one-of-a-kind. Ready to move in and waiting for you to make it your own.

13 Parson Lane | Nantucket

$5,500,000 | 8 bed, 5 bath, 1 half bath | Approx. 3 acres | Web# 92169

Welcome to True North and capture the essence of island living. With two stunning homes, Sea Lion and Compass Rose, this rare offering combines serene privacy, sophisticated design, and breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Sankaty Head Lighthouse. Whether you’re seeking a private retreat or the ideal family compound, True North presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Michael Passaro

O 508.386.9733

M 917.806.8213

michael.passaro@elliman.com

Nicole Tirapelli

O 508.365.2880

M 312.296.8048

nicole.tirapelli@elliman.com

YOUR NEXT HOME AWAITS AT SANDPIPER PLACE II

The Landing is the neighborhood retreat designed for residents, offering a resort style atmosphere creating community and connection. Located in the heart of the neighborhood, The Landing raises the mast with island influenced serenity and thoughtfully planned curated spaces for time with family, friends, and community enjoyment. The clubhouse is both a retreat and an extended backyard for gatherings, among residents. Designed and furnished bringing resort style amenities to a cozy neighborhood setting.

3

1460 South Ocean Boulevard, Manalapan

Rare, custom contemporary estate home built in 2024. Situated on a premier 1.5+/- acre lot with 172 feet +/- on the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. This immaculate, newly constructed home is comprised of 3 stories with a gracious floor plan and commanding water views. No detail has been overlooked with stunning full slab Limestone & wide-plank oak floors, impact windows and doors, and custom finishes throughout. Exterior saltwater pool with spa and sun-shelf and pristine landscaping. 50-foot dock with boat lift, dual jet ski lift, and mooring piles for larger vessels. | Exclusive Offering

curated by

BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

OSCAR DE LA

RENTA

MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION

AGUA BY AGUA BENDITA

MIGUELINA

LELA ROSE

CATHERINE REGEHR

CHRISTY LYNN

TEMPERLEY LONDON

GIANVITO ROSSI

SOPHIQUE

TAMMY FENDER HOLISTIC SKINCARE & MORE

NAPLES | PALM BEACH

THE NANTUCKET CLUB

SITUATED DOWNTOWN, THE NEWLY RENOVATED NANTUCKET CLUB IS A SPECIAL PLACE TO PLAY, WORKOUT AND MINGLE.

It’s a place for your whole family to hangout, with two pools, a new and improved kids club and creative programming like Dive in Movies. And it’s a place to make new friends at all our events.

This year, the club has been beautifully renovated and now has new food and beverage offerings, more massage and spa services and other surprises.

ONE FAMILY POOL/KIDDIE POOL/CABANAS

ONE ADULT POOL

SUPERVISED KID’S CLUB – DAY AND EVENING FULLY EQUIPPED GYM

“DIVE-IN” FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT AT THE POOL

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE AT THE POOLS

SAUNA/HOT TUB

MASSAGES/FACIALS/SKINCARE

GROUP CLASSES AND PERSONAL TRAINING

CONCIERGE SERVICES

ANTIQUE FIRE TRUCK RIDES

WEEKLY AND SEASONAL FULL FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS NO INITIATION FEE !

Theatre Workshop of Nantucket

Nantucket’s professional theatre, setting the stage since 1956.

“Where Broadway meets Nantucket”

Introducing Nourish Nantucket

The Central Source Fighting Food Insecurity on the Island

The fact that Hunger exists for 1 out of 5 year-round residents on Nantucket is hard to comprehend. The high cost of housing on Nantucket often impacts the ability to buy food and other necessities.

Nourish Nantucket was created to coordinate the various food agencies on the island into a single source

for fundraising and coordination.

Having 21% of island residents food insecure is a problem we can solve together with your support.

For further information on how to donate, please go to www.nourishnantucket.org or call us at 508-901-9201 .

Meet the talented group of writers and photographers who helped make this issue possible.

BY THE NUMBERS

A numerical snapshot of Nantucket this July.

N TOP TEN

All the places you need to be and see.

NECESSITIES

Put these items on your summer wish list.

NEW HORIZONS

PlaneSense takes off from Nantucket.

NEAT STUFF

ECD Auto Design launches a Nantucket Defender.

KID’N AROUND

How to keep your kiddos entertained this summer.

NBUZZ

All the news, tidbits and scuttlebutt that’s fit to print, courtesy of the Nantucket Current.

NEED TO READ

Tim Ehrenberg gives his summer reading list.

DRESS: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

SUSAN LISTER LOCKE BAG: SARA CAMPBELL

Picture Perfect: Photographer Michael Gaillard

NQUIRY

Martha Stewart, America’s First Self-Made Woman Billionaire.

Nourish Nantucket tackles food insecurity on the island.

Filmmaker John Waters’ new one-man show.

NDEPTH

Two islanders take on the Pan-American Highway.

Beatlemania: Nantucket’s Cranberry Alarm Clock heads to Liverpool.

Nantucket funny man Brian Glowacki returns.

The Aritists Association honors photographer Michael Gaillard.

Should the Land Bank

NSPIRE

Nantucket’s newest doctor: David Lieberman, the former Food Network star.

The Nantucket First Congregational Church turns 300.

Fishing for trash in Nantucket Harbor.

NDESIGN

A look at Audrey Sterk’s interior design.

Elegance

Nantucket’s restaurant scene through the years.

A recap of the island’ s hottest events.

Alexandra

tie the knot.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bruce A. Percelay

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Brian Bushard

ART DIRECTOR

Paulette Chevalier

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS

Emme Duncan

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kit Noble

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER

Brian Sager

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Lola Piuggi

NANTUCKET CURRENT

Jason Graziadei, Editor in Chief

David Creed, Sports Editor

CONTRIBUTORS

Darya Afshari Gault

Jurgita Budaite

Tim Ehrenberg

Raine Gifford

Petra Hoffmann

Jen Laskey

Larry Lindner

Wendy Rouillard

John Stanielon

John Stanton

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Joseph Desrosiers

Michael Gaillard

Greg Gorman

Bill Hoenk

Matt Kisiday

Charity Grace Mofsen

Reece Nelson

Laurie Richards

Chris Tran

PUBLISHER

CHAIRMAN: Bruce A. Percelay

LAND PLENTY HUNGER in the of

Nantucket, by any measure, is an island of abundance. Beyond the bounty of extraordinary beaches, a pristine harbor and a stunning natural environment, Nantucket is also considered among one the wealthiest enclaves in America.

It is estimated that 75 billionaires maintain summer residences on the island, along with countless other affluent individuals who enjoy the island. So why, then, is it possible that 21% of year-round residents on Nantucket do not have enough food on their tables? The high cost of housing on Nantucket is the chief culprit, which depletes a significant part of working class and professional incomes. The high cost of fuel and other basic necessities further erode the spending power of those who live on the island year-round, including nurses, teachers and those who serve in the Coast Guard.

The island cannot properly function without those residents, many of whom are the backbone of our tourist economy. As distant a thought as hunger is for people summering on Nantucket, the problem comes close to home when a medical professional at the hospital goes to work on an empty stomach, or when people who make the island function disappear because they cannot afford to live here.

This is not a case of wealthy indifference; this is a lack of awareness. Beneath the radar, 12 agencies have been working tirelessly for years to address the food insecurity problem on Nantucket, but up to this point they have worked independently of one another. They have lacked the coordination and fundraising prowess to maximize their effectiveness.

A new entity called Nourish Nantucket was created to act as a single source to both raise awareness and offer financial support for the various food agencies to combat the island’s food insecurity crisis. A top priority of Nourish Nantucket, in addition to supporting the various agencies, is to help raise funds for the Nantucket Food Pantry, which is in search of a permanent home. The Food Pantry provides over 3,000 meals to islanders each year and is a cornerstone in solving hunger on Nantucket.

BRUCE A. PERCELAY Publisher

Food insecurity is not unique to Nantucket, but is becoming a problem of epidemic proportions here. Elevating awareness of Nantucket’s hunger problem and finding a solution is essential to the overall health of the island. While hunger on Nantucket seems to be a non sequitur, it’s a reality that together we must solve—and supporting Nourish Nantucket is the most efficient way to begin to eradicate the problem. To donate to Nourish Nantucket, visit nourishnantucket.org.

Bruce A. Percelay Publisher

Raine GIFFORD

Raine Gifford maintains an art practice in the Rivertowns region in Westchester County, New York, where she has lived with her family for 25 years. Prior to devoting herself full time to painting, she worked as a psychoanalytic social worker for more than 20 years in the New York area. Her paper on the use of reverie and daydreams in psychotherapy was published in Psychoanalytic Social Work in 2014. Gifford also has a lifelong attachment to Nantucket, where she enjoys the natural beauty of the island and the company of her closely connected extended family, as well as the special treat of an occasional dinner at Straight Wharf Restaurant— which she writes about for the July issue of N Magazine. rainegiffordstudio.com

Tim EHRENBERG

Tim Ehrenberg is the president of the Nantucket Book Foundation, the creator of Tim Talks Books, and the marketing, events and e-commerce director for Nantucket Book Partners. He is also the co-host of the hit literary podcast Books, Beach, & Beyond with bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. As the resident bookworm for N Magazine, Ehrenberg has penned his “Need to Read” article in every issue since 2016. Tim Talks Books has been featured on Oprah’s Book Club, Today’s Read with Jenna Book Club, CBS This Morning, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly and the Friends & Fiction podcast. Before he washed ashore on Nantucket in 2013, Ehrenberg was a song and dance man, traveling the world, most notably on a USO tour to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2010. You can always find him with a good book in his hands, championing literature on Nantucket and beyond. timtalksbooks.com

Jen LASKEY

Jen Laskey is an award-winning writer, editor and content strategist, specializing in food, wine/spirits, travel, health and the arts. She began writing for N Magazine in 2012. Her work has also appeared in Saveur, EatingWell and Snow magazines, as well as NBC’s Today and the Everyday Health and Fodor’s Travel guidebooks. Laskey studied writing at Bennington College and received her master’s in fine arts at Columbia University. She also is a Level 4 Diploma candidate with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, interviewing winemakers, distillers and bartenders about their craft— and sipping some of the most delicious liquids imaginable. jenlaskey.work

nantucket by the numbers

2

The number of times a car has hopped the curb on Main Street into a storefront over the past two years, most recently when a BMW X6 crashed into the TownPool building in May.

1942

The year Ernest J. Gentile served in the U.S. Navy during the occupation of what was then called French Morocco. Gentile’s dog tag was found on Nantucket this spring.

6 a.m.

When islanders started lining up for the Hospital Thrift Shop’s opening day in May, forming a line that extended all the way to Centre Street.

300

3,500 Pounds

The amount of metal and other debris hauled out of Nantucket Harbor by the Nantucket Shellfish Association.

The anniversary of the Old North Vestry at First Congregational Church, which celebrates three centuries on Nantucket this summer.

1

3

The number of consecutive summers the Steamship Authority reduced its fast-ferry schedule over staffing issues.

1870

The year the former Star of the Sea youth hostel was built in Surfside as a U.S. Life-Saving Service station. The building was restored this spring by Hollis Webb and Kevin Green.

The price for a bike path down Tom Nevers Road, which was approved by voters at the annual town meeting and at the ballot box.

6.8 Million $ May

15 Years

The number of Nantucket Girl Scouts to earn the prestigious Gold Award, a title earned by Carley Ray this spring.

The first day JetBlue operated seasonal flights to Nantucket, ahead of a group of major airlines, including Delta, American and United.

INTERIORS

Events 10

7/3

FRIENDS FÊTE

The Nantucket Land & Water Council and Almanack Arts Colony celebrate the beauty of Nantucket, its arts community and the ecological work that’s done to protect the island’s resources during a night of live music, dancing, drinks and hors d’oeuvres that cannot be missed at the Almanack Arts Colony’s stunning property in Polpis. nantucketlandandwater.org

7/9 - 8/23 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

The Theatre Workshop of Nantucket brings the Tony Award-nominated musical Million DollarQuartet to Bennett Hall this summer, telling the legendary story of a chance meetup between rock legends Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley for what is known as the greatest jam session in history, as well as a night of broken promises, secrets and betrayal. theatrenantucket.org

7/12

BASH IN THE BOG

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s signature summer event, the Bash in the Bog, is back, featuring themed cocktails, light bites and dinner inspired by the Conservation Foundation’s island properties, as well as dancing to the sounds of The Sultans—all in the heart of the Middle Moors at the Milestone Cranberry Bog. nantucketconservation.org

7/14-17

NANTUCKET BY DESIGN

A must-see celebration of art, design and history, the Nantucket Historical Association’s annual Nantucket by Design returns with world-renowned designers and craftspeople, showcasing the best of both modern style and timeless pieces, striking a balance between Nantucket’s traditional maritime history and the evolving world of design. nha.org

7/18

DREAMLAND’S DREAMBIG

7/24

STARGAZER GALA

Join the Nantucket Dreamland at the beautiful Siasconset Casino for the theater’s annual DreamBIG fundraiser—with food from Island Kitchen that’s always sure to impress— in support of the Dreamland’s annual programming, world-class performing arts, live performances and educational programming. nantucketdreamland.org

7/18-21

NANTUCKET ANTIQUES SHOW

The Antiques Council’s annual show boasts some of the best in fine arts and antiques, with 28 carefully selected fine antiques dealers and art galleries from across the globe represented, making sure to give any collector or enthusiast a wide array of fine art and antiques of all shapes, sizes and categories to choose thenantucketshow.com

Look up at Nantucket’s beautiful night sky at the Maria Mitchell Association’s annual Stargazer Gala, and enjoy a fireside feast by Island Kitchen and live music by the Ben Allen Band. All proceeds from the event support the organization’s 650 annual public programs, and its summer internship program. mariamitchell.org

7/26

FAIRWINDS DRAGONFLY NANTUCKET

Join Fairwinds at the Great Harbor Yacht Club for its eighth annual Dragonfly fundraiser in support of Nantucket’s behavioral health center, an organization that provides confidential professional care to island youth and adults seeking mental health and addiction services. fairwindscenter.org

7/26

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA NANTUCKET

AAN GALA

An island tradition, the Artists Association of Nantucket’s Gala features some of the island’s most prominent art collectors and donors for a lively auction at the Great Harbor Yacht Club, featuring incredible island art and celebrating renowned photographer Michael Gaillard as the AAN’s 2025 nantucketarts.org

Swim Across America makes a splash again on Nantucket, bringing over 400 swimmers, volunteers and spectators for its annual benefit for Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket and Mass General Cancer Center, offering quarter-mile, half-mile and one-mile options for swimmers, as well as a relay race. swimacrossamerica.org

14K YELLOW GOLD LARGE BUBBLE LETTER CHARM

What better way to express yourself than with these diamond accented charms, which can be worn layered or styled alone. Timeless and chic, and crafted in 14k yellow gold, they elevate any outfit.

KATHERINE JETTER

BELLINE DRESS IN ROUGE LA MADDALENA GINGHAM

Made of lightweight cotton seersucker, the Belline Dress features a square neckline and ultra-skinny spaghetti straps. Contrast piping and three fixed bows add a special touch, making this the perfect day-tonight transition piece!

DÔEN @shopdoen shopdoen.com

SUMMER WISH LIST

CAILINI COASTAL PATRIOTIC OAR FRAMED ART

This whimsical oar wall décor offers a delightful blend of maritime heritage and imaginative craftsmanship. Suspended on white linen and framed in maple wood for a warm, natural finish, its classic coastal style makes it an eye-catching fit for a beach house or nautical-themed bedroom.

CAILINI COASTAL @cailinicoastal cailinicoastal.com

POP-UP TENT

Beach time just got easier and safer for families! With certified UPF 50+ protection and a 10-second setup, these shelters for kids are lightweight, effortless, and the ideal companion for a day spent in the sun with little ones.

LOZI & GABE • @loziandgabe • loziandgabe.com

YETI RAMBLER BEVERAGE BUCKET WITH LID

This durable beverage bucket is part of the tried-and-true YETI Rambler family. It’s big enough and strong enough to haul a six-pack or three bottles of wine and is over-engineered to keep beverages cold in the summer sun.

YETI • @yeti • yeti.com

MELI QUINOA BEER

Naturally gluten-free, organic, and brewed for balance, Meli is crisp, smooth, and easy-drinking – a beer that’s as functional as it is refreshing. Crafted with ethically sourced quinoa and containing zero sugar, you can find Meli on island at Hatch’s, Pip & Anchor, and Old South Liquors.

MELI @drinkmeli drinkmeli.com

July 11th- 12th

The Vault Nantucket 33 Centre St.

TRUNK SHOW

NEXT STOP: NANTUCKET

PlaneSense Enhances Nantucket’s Timeless Charm with Modern Luxury

Like Nantucket’s historic ships that once connected the island to distant parts of the globe, PlaneSense brings Nantucket’s charm within reach of private flyers nationwide.

Established in Norwood, Massachusetts in 1995, PlaneSense offers convenient and luxurious flights to travelers as part of its aircraft fractional ownership program. With the Pilatus PC12 turboprop as the cornerstone of the program, PlaneSense quickly became a trusted choice for travelers across coastal New England and the Northeast. Today, Nantucket is one of the company’s top destinations, with over 1,200 flights to the island each year.

The introduction of the Pilatus PC-24 jet in 2018 marked a new opportunity for

PlaneSense clients. The PC-24 jet offers extended range and greater cargo space, while retaining the ability to access shorter runways. This makes it uniquely suited for flying clients from remote locations to Nantucket, delivering luxury and convenience that perfectly complement the island’s allure. For PlaneSense clients, the journey to Nantucket’s slower pace and calming lifestyle begins with a relaxing flight. Passengers discover a quiet elegance inside the light-filled, spacious cabins of the PC-12 and PC-24. They unwind in the executive style leather seats, with generous headroom and legroom for even the tallest travelers. The flat floor provides added comfort for both passengers and pets to stretch out. The PC-24 jet cabin is particularly impressive, offering space that surpasses other light jets. Whether traveling across the U.S. or to a nearby country, passengers enjoy an environment crafted with comfort and elegance in mind.

PlaneSense accommodates a range

of private flights with its fractional aircraft ownership program and jet card options. Both solutions provide tailored features and unwavering reliability, ensuring seamless travel for business or leisure alike. Serving clients across the continental U.S., the program offers guaranteed access to destinations such as White Plains, New York, Aspen, Colorado, Los Angeles, California, and beyond. International locations include Canada Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico. An exclusive collaboration with Jetfly in Europe has also expanded access to 37 countries in Europe and North Africa.

Now headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, PlaneSense operates the largest U.S. fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprops and PC-24 jets. The company oversees all aircraft maintenance, flight scheduling, pilot training and staffing for its clients, delivering world class service with meticulous attention to detail.

Whether visiting Nantucket for a summer retreat or Christmas Stroll, PlaneSense ensures each journey is safe, effortless and elegant.

TTHE NEW DEFENDER

ECD Auto Design launches custom Land Rovers

he Land Rover Defenders parked at 10 Easy Street may look classic, but take a closer look and you’ll find something truly extraordinary. While the cars themselves retain the iconic silhouettes of vintage off-roaders, everything beneath the surface has been completely reimagined—down to the very last nut and bolt.

Three iconic island businesses merge and rebrand

“You get the classic appearance of an early series truck with the reliability and comfort of a brand-new vehicle,” Kastner said. “From a modern powertrain to Apple CarPlay, reverse cameras, wireless charging pads and USB-C ports—it’s all there. The beauty is, you dream up the perfect car, and then we bring that version to life.”

“You’ll never find anything as bespoke or as one-of-one as this,” said Kevin Kastner, the Chief Revenue Officer of ECD Auto Design, which is showcasing two of its models on Nantucket this year. “These are extremely unique vehicles. You can certainly customize a Jeep, but to achieve this level of craftsmanship and performance, there’s simply nothing else like it.”

ECD Auto Design, a Florida-based builder of luxury, handcrafted vehicles, offers a concierge approach to car building. The journey is as tailored and immersive as the final product itself.

Here’s how it works. The company sources original Defenders, Mustangs, Jaguar E-Types and Land Rover Classics and works with clients to transform the vehicle into a fully customized and modernized creation based on a driver’s specifications—so much so that the driver ends up choosing the very leather, wheels and engine they want.

In addition to the custom-made builds, ECD also offers a line of stock vehicles known as the County Collection. Each is named after a U.K. county. Isle of Wight is a Defender 110 finished in lush green. Essex is a vibrant yellow soft-top Defender built for summer driving.

After selling several Land Rover Defender Beach Runners on Nantucket last summer, ECD returned in April with more Defenders and will keep multiple cars staged at 10 Easy Street through December. These vehicles—whether they’re custom made or part of the County Collection, fit perfectly with the island’s culture of early series trucks and classic 4x4s.

“These aren’t meant to be recreated,” Kastner said. “They’re built for you, and you only. Ideally they become more than vehicles—they become heirlooms.”

For more information, visit ecdautodesign.com/nantucket.

SCAN FOR MORE INFO

SUMMERTIME FAVORITES AT PEACHTREE KIDS

Peachtree Kids is one of Nantucket’s favorite children’s shops located at the foot of historic cobblestoned Main Street. Carrying timeless classics and the latest fashions for infants and children through size 14, the boutique supports small, women-owned and sustainable brands including Sammy + Nat, Nanducket, Petit Peony, Joy Street Kids, Maddie & Connor, Brown Bowen and Company, Lake Label, Duffield Lane, Timo & Violet, Bits & Bows, Henry Duval and Little Paper Kids. Of course, Nantucket brands are also found on the shelves, including Piping Prints, Nikki Rene, Tiny Tuckets, Barnaby Bear and Liliput Vintage. Join Peachtree Kids for a book reading and signing with Nantucket Nelly author Alison Barone, for a reading of The Rainbow Boat Race, on Saturday, July 5 (10a.m.-noon). Also, on July 12, Peachtree is celebrating the launch of Emerson Pearls Swimwear collection (10 a.m.-noon). And on Saturday, July 20, meet Eliza Ferrel, the founder of Joy Street Kids (10 a.m.-1 p.m.). It’s the perfect stop on your way to Lizza Obremski’s Nanpuppets Show at the Atheneum this summer for all Nanpuppet merchandise and more. Open daily, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at 19 Main Street. Peachtreekidsnantucket.com, @peachtreekidsnantucket

HOP ABOARD WITH THE EGAN MARITIME INSTITUTE

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is offering a fun-filled summer of exciting programs for families and all ages. Be sure not to miss the Egan Maritime Institute’s Family-Friendly Drop-in Activities every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through July and August. Also, make sure to join Collections Manager Tony Dumitru for a weekly artifact “showand-tell” every Tuesday at 2 p.m., and check out Egan Maritime’s Breeches Buoy & Heavy Stick Demonstrations on the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum lawn every Wednesday and Friday (2-3:30 p.m.). The Nantucket

dedicated to honoring Nantucket’s history of shipwrecks, lifesaving and rescuers, with interactive exhibits and plenty to learn about the heroic efforts of generations of islanders. eganmaritime.org @eganmaritime

HANDS-ON HISTORY AT THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Be sure to visit the Nantucket Historical Association’s Whaling Museum this summer, where each week, the museum’s Discovery Center will offer hands-on family programming for children of all ages. In addition to interactive activities perfect for children, the Discovery Center also features a short family tactile talk this summer, as well as crafting events, giving each kid a chance to take something home with them. Museum educators are also available to guide families and children through a variety of historical themes, from whaling to the NHA’s feature exhibition: Behind the Seams, Clothing and Textiles on Nantucket. And on Fridays, the museum offers a special pop-up performance by Nanpuppets and other island favorites. Island families enjoy FREE admission yearround. nha.org, @ackhistory

more. The MMA’s Loines Observatory, Hinchman House Natural Science Museum and Historic Mitchell House are also open to the public all summer. mariamitchell.org, @maria_mitchell_association

MAKE & CREATE AT BARNABY’S TOY AND ART Barnaby’s Toy and Art Studio is celebrating its fifth season with more than 100 imaginative, hands-on art classes for children of all ages. Every class is led by professional artists and educators in a warm, welcoming space in the heart of downtown Nantucket at 12 Oak Street. Children can also Drop-in & Create daily from 1-3 p.m.— no appointment needed. In addition to its in-studio offerings, Barnaby’s also features a thoughtfully curated collection of art kits and toys to-go— perfect for creative fun at home or on the beach. This season, Barnaby’s is proud to introduce Barnaby’s Cares, a charitable foundation delivering free art kits to children in hospitals, shelters and medically supported summer camps. Each art kit is designed to bring joy, comfort and creativity to children facing life-altering diagnoses. To support Barnaby’s Cares, please visit www.barnabys.giving. barnabysnantucket.com, @barnabystoyandart

REPORTED BY THE NANTUCKET CURRENT

PITCHED TO

A 10-unit condominium development could replace Espresso To Go off Old South Road, according to a new proposal for the 1 Toombs Court property presented to the Planning Board in May. The plan, submitted as an apartment building special permit application, would include 10 separate condominium units and a total of 24 bedrooms on the 0.66-acre lot.

Espresso To Go, whose lease is slated to expire in October 2026, could become the latest coffee shop on Nantucket to shut down, following the likes of Fast Forward and The Bean. It could also become the latest midisland establishment to make way for housing, following a separate proposal that would have created housing on the site of Faregrounds Restaurant. Attorney Arthur Reade, who represents a contract purchaser for the property, said the coffee shop is not planning to stay beyond its contract.

The new Netflix drama Sirens, starring Meghann Fahy, Kevin Bacon, Julianne Moore, Glenn Howerton and Milly Alcock, has put the island back on the small screen. While the series is not set on Nantucket, nor is it filmed on Nantucket, it is filled with Nantucket Easter eggs, including a reference by Howerton’s character to being named “Most Eligible Bachelor in New England” by N Magazine. Several scenes also feature a Lilly Pulitzer dress, as well as a golden lightship basket necklace, which was named by Marie Claire Magazine as the “most authentic Sirens status symbol.”

FAREGROUNDS DEVELOPMENT REPLACE TO GO DEAL FALLS THROUGH NETFLIX’S SIRENS N MAGAZINE ON SCREEN ESPRESSO CONDOS BRINGS NANTUCKET AND

Netflix has been hot on TV in recent years, particularly with the success of Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple, an adaptation of her Nantucket novel that topped the streaming platform’s charts when it was released last fall. Hilderbrand’s The Five-Star Weekend is now set for an adaptation on NBC’s Peacock, starring Jennifer Garner, who doubles as the series’ executive producer.

Faregrounds Restaurant will be open this summer after all, after a deal by owners Bill and Kim Puder to sell their restaurant and bar to an island summer resident fell through. The proposal, which had been approved by the Planning Board in April, had called for an eight-lot residential housing development on the property, as well as on an adjoining undeveloped lot at 25 Fairgrounds Road. The proposal would have created eight lots on a cul-de-sac called Pudley’s Court and would have replaced the popular restaurant and bar.

The man on the other side of the deal was Brad Cartwright of The Granite Street Realty Corp., who owns and operates several funeral homes in Braintree, Massachusetts, and also owns a home on the island on Upper Tawpawshaw Road. Cartwright did not return a message seeking comment.

BROOKE MOHR, MATT FEE

REELECTED TO SELECT BOARD

Select Board incumbents Matt Fee and Brooke Mohr were reelected in May, easily defeating the three challengers in the race. Fee received 1,441 votes, by far the most of any candidate in the race, to win his fifth straight term on the Select Board and sixth overall. Like usual, Fee ran a subdued campaign with no political signs or advertising. “I think there were interesting points from the other candidates—the concerns with wind farms, and [candidate] Clifford Williams with his focus on the roads and doing the simple things,” Fee said. Fee and Mohr defeated Williams—who ran unsuccessfully for the 15th time—as well as candidates Brook Gibbs and Mary Chalke. Williams came closest to unseating Fee or Mohr, though his 687 votes still fell well short of Mohr’s 1,083 votes. Meanwhile, Vince Murphy took a seat on the School Committee in the town election, while former Historical Commission member Hillary Rayport won a narrow race for a seat on the Planning Board.

SLOW TO RISE BAKERY OPENING DELAYED BY FIRE

A fire gutted the interior of the Slow to Rise Bakery on Cherry Street just days before the bagel shop was scheduled to open in its new location before Memorial Day weekend. The building was unoccupied, and no one was injured as firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze—though the fire postponed the opening of the bakery indefinitely. Initial reports stated heavy smoke was coming from the building, Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Vamosi said at the time. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Slow to Rise Bakery had been preparing to open at the location for weeks, following stints at several island locations, including Pip & Anchor and the downtown Farmers & Artisans Market. Slow to Rise was founded three years ago by Tucker Puljic and Katrina Newfrock, both 2020 graduates of Johnson & Wales University’s culinary program.

ICE DETAINS 12 IMMIGRANTS ON NANTUCKET

Twelve people were detained and removed from Nantucket on a single morning in May in a federal immigration raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and FBI agents.

In what appears to be the largest immigration enforcement operation on Nantucket in years, federal agents pulled over multiple vehicles across the mid-island area beginning around 7 a.m., taking at least a dozen suspected undocumented immigrants into custody. The arrests, which drew fire from state and local officials, were part of a larger federal operation in Massachusetts and around the country. The identities of the 12 detainees—who were removed from Nantucket on a Coast Guard patrol boat—were not immediately disclosed by federal authorities. ICE stated in a press release that the arrests included a documented member of the MS-13 gang, and at least one child sex offender. The Nantucket Police Department did not assist in the operation.

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The main house, updated in 2022, features 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, and 3 half baths across 5,572 sq. ft. of refined living space. The guest cottage offers 2 bedrooms and 3 full baths within 2,360 sq. ft., providing elegant, self-contained accommodations. The garage studio includes 572 sq. ft. of finished space with a full bath, ideal for additional living or workspace, along with a 600+ sq. ft. garage for vehicles and seasonal storage.

Offering a roof walk with harbor views, seamless indoor-outdoor flow, and a prime location within close proximity to Steps Beach and historic downtown Nantucket, this exceptional property is as convenient as it is captivating. With over 1,500 square feet of remaining ground cover, there’s ample opportunity to expand and customize. A rare chance to own a premier Nantucket retreat that effortlessly combines classic coastal charm with modern luxury.

SCAN HERE to connect with @TimTalksBooks

For even more book recommendations from our Nantucket Book Festival lineup, follow @timtalksbooks on Instagram. All books are available at Mitchell’s Book Corner and Nantucket Bookworks or online at nantucketbookpartners.com.

THIS DOG WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

BY ELIAS WEISS FRIEDMAN

How lucky am I to have known the love of a dog for over 15 years now? Simba, my shih tzu pup at home, is the apple of my eye. I understand why they call it “puppy love.” Elias Weiss Friedman became known as “The Dogist” when he took thousands of photos of dogs and posted them online along with their unique dog stories. Now he has 8 million followers on Instagram and gives us the gift this summer of This Dog Will Change Your Life, a brilliant book that celebrates our favorite four-legged friends and all the joy and fulfillment they infuse into our human experience. This collection of heartfelt and uplifting tales about the dogs he raised, photographed and met in his travels provides the same spike in serotonin you experience when you get home from a long day at work and your dog, tail wagging, excitedly greets you (if you know you know). I was incredibly moved by these stories and, like Elias, came to a simple realization: Dogs make people’s lives better by making people better. Calling all dog lovers

Join me in conversation with The Dogist, Elias Weiss Friedman, at The Nantucket Hotel and Resort on Tuesday, July 8. thenantuckethotel.com

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK

BY CHRIS WHITAKER

All the Colors of the Dark was one of the most talked about books of 2024. It was a Read with Jenna selection that sold more than a million copies and spent over 22 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. I can’t tell you how many people I have heard saying, “Did you read All the Colors of the Dark?” outside Mitchell’s Book Corner on Main Street. The suspense created by the short chapters and staccato sentences, plus the memorable characters and the tears you shed for them, made for one of the most propulsive stories I’ve read in a while. I will never forget the pirate boy, Patch, and his beekeeper friend, Saint, and the decades-long search for each other, for love, for answers and for hope. This is such a genre-bending novel. It’s a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a coming-of-age story, a tale of friendship and an epic saga of grand proportions. Chris Whitaker’s previous novel, We Begin at the End, was my favorite book of 2020, so if you finished All the Colors of the Dark and are experiencing a book hangover, go get yourself a copy.

Join me in conversation with Chris Whitaker to celebrate the paperback release of All the Colors of the Dark on Wednesday, July 9, at 5:30 p.m. at the Nantucket Dreamland’s Studio Theater. nantucketdreamland.org

KING OF ASHES

BY S.A. COSBY

Like the hottest of summer days, King of Ashes burns with intensity and explosive storytelling. I’ve been a fan of S.A. Cosby’s books since Razorblade Tears came out in 2021. Then came

All the Sinners Bleed, when Cosby officially became an auto-buy author for me. Each of his novels is as sharp, gritty and vigorous as its title. I am not lying when I say I got at least three paper cuts because I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough in this latest one. King of Ashes is a captivating crime thriller that will be splayed open on every beach towel this month covered in sunscreen, sand and sweat from all the suspense. It’s a little bit The Godfather, a little bit Breaking Bad, and a whole lot of signature Cosby and his dynamic brand of hard-boiled crime fiction: A missing mother, a prodigal son, a merciless gang, dangerous debts and family secrets make the pages and sparks fly to a riveting showdown that feels like a ticking time bomb for the reader. I would not be shocked if you devour this in one sitting, from sunrise to sunset.

A NOVEL MURDER

BY E.C. NEVIN

I’m just coming off the planning of the annual Nantucket Book Festival last month, so I couldn’t wait to put my feet up and my detective hat on to solve this whodunit, featuring a murder at a literary festival. While I am thankful life didn’t imitate art at our own book festival, I had a lot of fun with this reading experience. What I enjoyed most is the “inside baseball” on book events, publishers, authors, editors, agents, adoring fans and book influencers. It’s my world and I love reading about it. If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you also know that I revere a good murder mystery, and I always have a new one ready to solve and recommend. E.C. Nevin is a pseudonym for an ex-publishing professional, the perfect person to craft this literary caper at the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival, where the murders aren’t just on the page. You’ll have a blast becoming an armchair detective along with some quirky bookish characters to solve the case and reveal the culprit.

MANSION BEACH

BY MEG MITCHELL MOORE

It’s beach reading season. I know there are several readers out there drowning their sorrows in “CRUcomber” cocktails without a new Elin Hilderbrand novel in their beach bags this year. Meg Mitchell Moore is Elin’s personal favorite “beach read” author so I couldn’t wait to pick up her newest novel Mansion Beach. Let’s go island hopping, shall we, and book a ferry to Block Island in this modern-day take on The Great Gatsby. I had a lot of fun in the sun reading this one. It’s a sophisticated and scandalous summer read. As a podcast host, I loved the inclusion of the fictional podcast Life and Death on an Island, where they take a deep dive into life on a small island. Sound familiar? Yes, this is escapist reading at its finest, complete with lavish parties, buried secrets and local island drama between year-round residents and summer visitors, but what is most notable here is, just like Elin Hilderbrand, Mitchell Moore explores the depth of human relationships.

SISTER, SINNER

BY CLAIRE HOFFMAN

Considered an “absolute must-read” by The New York Times Book Review, Sister, Sinner piqued my interest when I stumbled upon a headline highlighting this true story. Here are the facts: On a spring day in 1926, Aimee Semple McPherson wandered into the Pacific Ocean and vanished. Weeks later she reappeared in the desert, claiming to have been kidnapped. A national media frenzy and months of investigation ensued. She was America’s most famous evangelist, using her notoriety to bring God’s message to the country, but after her disappearance, many asked, “Was she a saintly sister or a con artist?” I had never heard of Aimee Semple McPherson, but now I’ll never be able to forget her or the mysterious scandal surrounding her infamy. She greatly influenced the rise of popular religion in America, and her life feels like something lifted from a 1920s “talkie” that you can’t quite believe. After reading this book, I’ll tell you this: I’m a true believer in Claire Hoffman’s talent as a storyteller.

Don’t miss Claire Hoffman signing copies of Sister, Sinner at Mitchell’s Book Corner on Sunday, July 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

LAUREN MARTTILA

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Despite the quality dinners Mayra EscobarAguilar had tried at some of Nantucket’s high-end restaurants, there was something missing in the island food scene. So when the call came from her real estate agent about an off-market sale for the former Saltbox property, she jumped on it.

She called it Casa Real, meaning “royal house.”

“We felt there was an opportunity for Mexican food,” said Escobar-Aguilar, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Salvador Aguilar. “The people that come in are grateful to have a place open to come and enjoy a good meal. There’s a language barrier for a lot of people in our community. They like that they can

come and order in Spanish, in their own language. And from the whole community, we’ve had a lot of support.”

The menu includes Mexican staples like tacos and fajitas. It also features pupusas, a savory stuffed flatbread popular in El Salvador. “A lot of people here are from El Salvador,” Aguilar said. “The El Salvadorian community is pretty big and we wanted to add the pupusas.”

Casa Real shared a recipe for another popular dish with N Magazine: the meat-filled molcajete, a volcanic rock mortar traditionally used with a pestle for grinding spices and making guacamole.

Casa Real dishes up a traditional molcajete

INGREDIENTS

• Skirt steak, or your favorite cut of steak

• Boneless chicken breast

• Large or jumbo peeled shrimp

• Longaniza or chorizo (sausage)

Mexican Molcajete

• 2 red onions

• 2 jalapeño peppers

• 2 tablespoons Panela or Cotija cheese, crumbled

• Limes (for garnish)

FOR THE MARINADE

• 1 red onion

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 1 bunch cilantro (reserve some for salsa and garnish)

• Chicken bouillon, to taste

• 1 dash vegetable or olive oil

• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce

• Salt and pepper, for seasoning

FOR THE SALSA

• 10 large tomatoes

• ½ red onion

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 1 chile de arbol, dried

• 1 guajillo chile, dried

2 3 4 5 6 7 1

INSTRUCTIONS

Season the chicken, steak and shrimp with salt and pepper.

Make the marinade. Mix the onions with garlic, some of the cilantro, chicken bouillon, vegetable oil, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a blender.

Divide marinade in half, adding half to the steak and the rest to the chicken (if using), and marinate meat for at least one hour (the shrimp only require salt and pepper).

Grill or sautée the red onion and jalapeños along with the chicken, steak, shrimp and sausage until tender. (Add shrimp last.) Set aside.

Make the salsa: Sautée whole tomatoes, red onion and garlic cloves until they change color, 2-3 minutes. Set aside. In a separate pot, combine the chile de arbol and guajillo chile in water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from pot. Combine all salsa ingredients with some cilantro, and mix together in a blender.

Heat the molcajete upside-down on the stove on lowmedium heat until very hot, up to 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the molcajete from the stove and line it with Panela or Cotija cheese. Pour salsa into the center of the lava bowl, on top of the cheese. If the molcajete is hot enough, it will cause the salsa to sizzle and melt the cheese.

8 9

Add grilled chicken, steak, shrimp and/or longaniza or chorizo into the sauce inside the molcajete, along with grilled jalapeño peppers and onions. Top with remaining salsa.

Serve with rice and beans, as well as a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion.

Casa Real, at 5 Macys Lane

$2,495,000

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SUMMER

SIPPERS

WRITTEN BY JEN LASKEY

Four must-try drinks for July on Nantucket

Beyond the flags and fireworks, the Fourth of July marks the unofficial start of peak season, when the island welcomes a critical mass of vacationers who—like locals—share an appreciation of Nantucket’s natural beauty and quintessential summertime vibe. Delicious food and drinks always help make the month’s festivities more memorable, and no one knows that better than the people who’ve worked hard to curate those summer dining and drinking experiences. From a very special bottle of bubbles to pair with the sunset and an elegant Chablis for oysters to a Provençal rosé that’s great with barbecue and a grab-and-go garden cocktail, here’s a taste of what our local wine and spirits professionals have in store for you this month.

BOLLINGER CHAMPAGNE, Special Cuvée, Non-Vintage, ($38/glass, $190/bottle)

DOMAINE CHRISTIAN MOREAU PÈRE ET FILS,

Chablis AC, 2023, Magnum, ($226/bottle, 1.5 liters)

Recommended by CARLOS HIDALGO Proprietor, CRU

For Carlos Hidalgo, there are two exceptional wines that embody the spirit of summer. The first is a Champagne from the historic house of Bollinger, which was founded in 1829. “Enjoying a glass of Bollinger is the perfect start to the evening while watching the sky change over Nantucket Harbor at sunset,” said Hidalgo. A blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Meunier, this Special Cuvée entices with notes of Meyer lemon and green apple on the nose, and marzipan and

toasty sourdough on the palate. It shines without accompaniment, but Hidalgo said this Champagne’s flavors and creaminess make it a perfect pairing for caviar, crab and lobster—star ingredients in three of Cru’s homemade pastas.

The Christian Moreau Chablis AC 2023 is an elegant, racy Chablis Village Chardonnay with a light lemon, thyme and yellow fruit-scented nose, according to Hidalgo. “The palate is lively with a slightly waxy texture, moderate depth and a twist of sour lemon on the short finish,” he said.

Hidalgo met Christian Moreau and his son Fabien on Nantucket in 2012, the summer he and Jane Stoddard opened CRU. In 2017, Hidalgo joined the Moreaus and worked the harvest season at their domain. He recommends sipping this wine with CRU’s seafood tower.

ROSE GOLD, Côtes de Provence Rosé, 2024, ($24.99/bottle)

Recommended by

CARRI WROBLEWSKI co-owner, BRIX Wine Shop

At the end of a long day at the shop, Carri Wroblewski’s go-to bottle is the Rose Gold Côtes de Provence Rosé. “It’s refreshing,” Wroblewski said. “I love its crisp minerality and zippy acidity.” Rose Gold was founded in 2017 by Casey Barber, a Texan who partners with Les Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu’île de Saint-Tropez winemaking collective to produce her wine in a prestigious area known as the “Golden Triangle” of rosé production.

Light and easy drinking with lush notes of peach,

pear and dried apricots, Rose Gold is the quintessential Provençal rosé, said Wroblewski, who suggests pairing it with baby back ribs or fried oysters and homemade tartar sauce. “It’s easy to pair with just about any summer fare, and equally delicious on its own,” she said. “It’s the ultimate porch pounder.”

BYO MASON JAR PIMM’S CUP

Recommended by JAKE HICKLIN, bar manager, The Proprietors and Black Eyed Susans

Jake Hicklin has taken the classic garden party cocktail and small-batched a new grab-and-go recipe. “At Black Eyed Susans, we’re a BYOB restaurant, so the idea here was to create a cocktail you could throw together at home and bring to the restaurant.” Like the classic Pimm’s Cup, Hicklin’s BYO mason jar riff features Pimm’s, the British gin-based liqueur.

INGREDIENTS

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tablespoons marmalade

• 2 pickle spears (or cucumbers)

• 2 mint sprigs

• 1 strawberry, sliced

• 10 ounces Pimm’s

Once you get to the restaurant, you can order a sparkling lemonade, ginger ale or soda to top it off, along with some ice. “It’s designed to be a pantry cocktail made with ingredients you already have,” Hicklin said. You can also add blackberries, basil and sliced cherry tomatoes for more umami notes, or swap the pickles for cucumber spears and add a little balsamic vinegar, he said. Hicklin said the BYO Mason Jar Pimm’s Cup is not only a perfect pairing for his dream breakfast, but also great for an afternoon at the beach.

OPTIONAL

• 4 ounces sparkling lemonade, ginger ale or artisanal soda

• 4 ounces gin, for higher-proof cocktail

• 5 ounces Seedlip or other non-alcoholic spirit (or 2.5 ounces apple cider vinegar) instead of Pimm’s— for a zero-proof cocktail

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, seal the jar and shake, then store in fridge until needed.

• To serve, pour about 3 ounces of liquid from the jar into a glass with ice.

• Top with sparkling lemonade, ginger ale or artisanal soda.

• Add fruit or herbs to the glass for garnish.

LIVING LEGEND

WRITTEN BY RAINE GIFFORD

Straight Wharf Restaurant Turns 50

It was once just a laundromat.

Today, it’s one of the most iconic high-end restaurants on Nantucket. For the past 50 years, Straight Wharf Restaurant has been a late-night bar, a high-end restaurant and a bustling hub.

We were as surprised as anyone, my sister and I, at where we found ourselves that summer in 1976. I was nine and my sister, Star, was eight. We had a special bird’s-eye view of the Straight Wharf kitchen from the hole my dad had cut into the wall of the upstairs office, watching as desserts were plated, clams opened and dinners loaded onto giant

oval trays. When we got tired, we fell asleep up there on makeshift beds, drifting off to the sound of clattering plates and sizzling pans. Day and night, “The Restaurant” was our second home.

Fifty years later, the spirit of Straight Wharf carries on almost as though it has a life of its own—the same layout, the same shingled interior walls in the dining room, the same thumb back chairs, the same glass hurricane lamps on the tables and the same antique carousel horse. Perhaps most remarkable of all is the continuing presence of the man who started it all, my dad, Jock Gifford, who designed and built the place and has repaired and cared for it year after year.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

“It had a really good energy because we weren’t professionals, we were having a good time but being serious about doing a good job,” Jock said. “It was different right from the beginning.”

Jock’s connection to Nantucket goes way back. His family started coming to Nantucket in the 1930s. He and my mom, Laine, moved to the island to live year-round in 1967. Jock worked on several projects with Walter Beinecke, founder of Sherburne Associates. As Jock recalls, the waterfront in the late ’50s and early ’60s was “pure industry,” a bit down at the heels, where freight boats unloaded lumber, hardware, coal and ice onto the docks.

The building that became the Straight Wharf Restaurant was created out of a structure originally used as a laundromat to serve the marina. After designing the small retail shops farther down on Straight Wharf, Jock recommended that Beinecke convert the

The Giffords had become friends with Susan Mayer, Marian and Russell Morash at WGBH (who produced Julia Child’s show, The ) and Peter McGhee, who had learned to cook from renowned Martha’s Vineyard chef Joe Hyde. The story goes that one of these evenings, McGhee floated the suggestion that the dinner party group take their love of food, cooking and entertaining to the next level and open a restaurant themselves. There might have been wine involved. What started as a farfetched idea became a more concrete plan, and there was no turning back.

Using his rough plans from the fall, Jock and two friends started building and renovating in April. Morash and Mayer, along with dessert chef Meg DeGive, started planning and testing their trial menu. Hyde was there to help them pull their menu together in a two-week “boot camp,” Marian Morash recalled.

laundromat into a fine dining restaurant, noting that there weren’t any eateries serving locally caught fish and seafood that overlooked the harbor. Beinecke agreed and

“It was crazy and wonderful,” Marian said. “Everyone was up for it. And with a lot of work, it took shape.” Jock created the iconic logo based on an engraving of a striped bass that he found in a book at the dump.

asked Jock to find someone to run it.

Interior Laundromat, 1975 Courtesy of Straight Wharf Restaurant.

Julia Child in Straight Wharf

Jock Gifford, one of the original owners of Straight Wharf Restaurant, in 1979. Courtesy of Straight Wharf Restaurant.

Marian Morash and Susan Mayer in 1982

Exterior of the laundromat in 1975. Courtesy of Straight Wharf. Restaurant.

Mickey Rowland spent eight summers at Straight Wharf from its opening until 1983, starting as a clam opener and working his way up to sous chef. He sums up his time at Straight Wharf as “unquestionably the most enjoyable summers of my life,” describing the staff as “wives and mothers and friends.” The first few years produced some beloved classics: striped bass with white butter sauce, sole in parchment, swordfish with cream and mushrooms, ice cream with chocolate cognac sauce, and of course, the smoked bluefish pâté.

During those early years, Straight Wharf was managed by my parents, with several front-of-house point people who did much to keep things

“I think worrying about success can be the start of your downfall.”

– Jock Gifford

Gabriel Frasca has been the head chef at Straight Wharf Restaurant for nearly two decades.

going—notably, the late Judy Janelli, who could balance a fully loaded tray as her head tossed back in a contagious laugh.

In 1988, Sarah O’Neill stepped up to the helm as executive chef. “Despite it being a job, and stressful at times, it was a community of like-minded hard-working folks,” said Julian Weatherill, who worked with O’Neill as day prep, garde-manger (salads) and bar grill chef. The restaurant was unpretentious. For Ruby Palmer, a childhood friend who worked kitchen prep in the early ’90s, it was the “perfect summer job.”

The Straight Wharf bar saw a dramatic shift after longtime bartenders Ken Layman and Dick Burns moved on. In 1989, waitress Andrea Kovalencik introduced Paul Robbins to the Straight

Inside the Straight Wharf kitchen in 1976.

Wharf bar. Robbins, better known as Pablo, arrived on Nantucket from the Bahamas, bringing with him a concoction he called a “Goombay Smash,” a boozy mix of orange and pineapple juices, coconut milk and rum. It was an instant hit.

The bar became a hub of Nantucket nightlife and a place where friendships and romance sparked and took hold. The bartenders ran a tight ship. The late Paul Conti became a wellknown presence behind the bar. He was followed as head bartender by Packy Norton, who went on to co-own The Chicken Box. Then came Ty Costa, Brendan Dickinson and Tim Farley—now co-owner of Slip 14. Dickinson was introduced to Straight Wharf as a kid. His mom, Brigid Sullivan, and Jock married in 1996.

Left to Right: Raine,Laine, Star & Jock Gifford. Courtesy of Straight Wharf. Restaurant.

The ’90s also brought a new practice on Nantucket of hiring seasonal staff from outside the U.S. with the help of a visa program. They came from Jamaica, Ireland and Eastern Europe. Many of those staff members returned year after year, and some became year-round residents. Eulette Heath arrived from Jamaica in 1994 and started baking at Straight Wharf in 1996, where she made bread and pasta until her departure in 2020.

“The restaurant is like the theater; it doesn’t matter how good you were last night, people who are here tonight care about tonight and tomorrow’s customers care about tomorrow.”

– Jock Gifford

Gabriel Frasca, who worked a summer there in the ’90s, returned in 2006 to head the kitchen. He recollected “wanting to embrace a style in which you could tell that the vegetables came into the kitchen in the morning warm from the sun with dirt still on them.” Frasca’s style has become deeply connected with Straight Wharf over the past 20 years. His menu changes with the seasons. He likens the restaurant to a “summer camp.”

“I think worrying about success can be the start of your downfall,” Jock said. “You don’t really reach a point of success. The restaurant is like the theater; it doesn’t matter how good you were last night, people who are here tonight care about tonight and tomorrow’s customers care about tomorrow. It’s a moving target, and so we do our best every night. That said, I’m still secretly thrilled to hear people love it.”

“There’s a feeling of family among returning staff members as well as regular customers,” said Taryn Dilworth, who has worked at Straight Wharf since 2016 and has been general manager since 2020. “Nantucket has been through so much change, and although Straight Wharf has been tweaked, it feels unchanged, it feels the same to so many people who have memories of the place.”

Straight Wharf has had many regulars over the years, including a range of celebrities and luminaries, but historically VIPs didn’t get extra-special treatment because they didn’t need it: All the customers got great service. Jock recently consulted with a physician in Connecticut and the conversation inevitably turned to Nantucket. “Without saying anything about my connection, I found out this guy’s favorite restaurant on the island is Straight Wharf,” Jock said. “He goes there every summer. I thought that was cool.”

Jock Gifford, Eulette Heath, Gabriel Frasca. Courtesy of Eulette Heath.

Paul Conti, Packy Norton and Ty Costa

Brendan Dickinson. Courtesy of Heather Dickinson

Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra featuring The World’s #1 Tribute to BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and the E Street Band, Bruce in the U.S.A.

Jennifer & Jimmy Reyes, Co-Chairs

Hosted by Tommy B.

Tickets on sale now: nantuckethospital.org/pops

MARTHA BY DESIGN

INTERVIEW BY BRUCE A. PERCELAY

IMAGES COURTESY OF MARTHA STEWART

Style icon Martha Stewart comes to Nantucket.

Martha Stewart, the first female self-made billionaire in the U.S., will speak at Nantucket by Design this July.

For nearly half a century, the words “lifestyle” and Martha Stewart have been inseparable. Stewart, the first female self-made billionaire in the country, made a career off her own image, launching Martha Stewart Living in 1990, and a weekly television show in 1993. She has also taken an untraditional approach to business, selling her product line at Kmart, and more recently teaming up with hip-hop star Snoop Dogg in one of Hollywood’s most unlikely friendships.

Throughout her career, Stewart has visited Nantucket dozens of times, purchasing lanterns and lightship baskets, visiting auctions and at one point holding a company retreat on the island. Stewart returns to Nantucket this July to deliver the keynote address at the Nantucket Historical Association’s annual event, Nantucket By Design. N Magazine caught up with Stewart ahead of her talk to discuss her career and her time on Nantucket.

Your persona and products are so Nantucket. Have you had much exposure to the island?

I’ve been coming to the island for 60 years, never as a resident, but as a visitor. I visited quite a few of the most beautiful homes on Nantucket, attended auctions, learned about the history of the island, and I keep trying to make an annual pilgrimage to the island. We even had an annual meeting of my company on Nantucket one year.

Stewart said Nantucket has inspired her design aesthetic in some key ways, from the lightship baskets she’s bought to the lanterns she installed at her house in Maine.

Speaking of Nantucket design, the trend has become to preserve the exterior but renovate the interior into something contemporary. Does that evolution bother you? No. That’s happening everywhere, and it really has to do with the lifestyle of today. People don’t want clutter. They want air conditioning. They want technology. Every house has to be wireless, and you have to adapt to that wireless connection, so you can’t have nooks and crannies. It all has to do with the aesthetic of living with modern technology.

considered

How have you been able to preserve your lifestyle brand without diluting it, especially if you branch out into so many areas, like selling your line at Kmart?

Kmart was one of my most successful initiatives. In my house in Maine—which is a very fancy house in Seal Harbor—all of the towels are from Kmart. That’s from 30 years ago, and I still use them. They’re in perfect shape. The beautiful duvet covers, the embroidered towels in the guest house are all from Kmart. I changed the perception of Kmart’s quality and customer base. When we made that product, my friends bought it and that’s my demographic.

Was it a risk to potentially lower the perception of your brand?

Has Nantucket inspired your aesthetic?

I did buy my lanterns on Nantucket for my farm. I love the shapely houses and the simplicity of the Nantucket salt boxes: two-stories, brick chimney. I have always lived in a 19th century house. Though, I do not like low ceilings, and that’s a problem for a lot of Nantucket houses. You want higher ceilings, clean walls to hang paintings that aren’t necessarily little ship paintings.

I didn’t know. I was a total novice. One of the big things I did that I was really proud of was changing the colors of their towels, which were maroon and dark green and navy blue. They said it was because poor people don’t wash them. I said, ‘Let’s change that right now because I don’t believe that.’ So we made towels in pastel colors, and beautiful shades of aqua and green. Guess what the best-selling towel was. White. They were totally wrong and totally misreading their customers. And at that time, their customers were watching television, and watching programs with rich families, so I gave it to them.

While Stewart

buying property on Nantucket, she ended up choosing the Hamptons.

When you launched your business, television had a huge impact. If you were to start your company today in the digital world, how would it be different?

In those days, television was the whole thing. If you didn’t have a daily show on television, you were not going to sell. I had a daily one-hour television show. That’s where my commercials were showing. Look at some of my commercials with Kmart and they’re some of the best commercials you’ve ever seen. There are no commercials like that now.

Have you ever traded thoughts or ideas with Ralph Lauren?

No, our relationship is just social, but he knows what I’m doing and I know what he’s doing. I wore his clothes to the Olympics last summer in Paris. I know his children very well. Of course, everybody knows what Ralph Lauren’s doing. He’s so visible and admired. He is American style.

Are you American style?

I am totally American style, but I am much more mass-oriented, and he has always been selling to a more financially wealthy demographic.

You were the first female self-made billionaire in America. Is it easier to make it as a woman in business today than when you started?

If you look at the board members at major companies, it’s a lot more women that you’ve never heard about who are sitting on those boards. Women have made great strides in management and running American companies successfully. There’s still room for improvement. Women are entrepreneurs and celebrities and can make a billion dollars. Kylie Jenner is almost a billionaire at only 27 years old. These are go-getter girls, and yet they’re in the minority. They’re extremely active on social media. They are out there. But there are still only a small number you hear about.

Can you explain your relationship with Snoop Dogg?

Both Snoop and I saw the opportunity to increase our demographics tenfold by our association. It’s a nice dynamic. Who would have thought 10 years ago that he would ever know who I am. And now so many more people know who I am and that’s because of Snoop Dogg. It wasn’t written down and planned. It was just my gut feeling that it was the right thing to do at the right time, and it worked.

If you were 30 years old and starting your business, would you repeat what you’ve done, or would you pursue different avenues knowing what you know today?

Well, I think about that sometimes. I pursued a very conservative path. I started out on Wall Street. It broke down some barriers, but it was very conservative. I was in the banking world. I had to know about companies, and know what a good stock was. Then I left that for various reasons, mainly to spend more time at home and spend more time with my child. I moved to the country and started a catering business. It was conservative. I knew how to cook and could make a good business.

In my day, I talked to the press. I did not advertise until I had my magazine in 1990. That was the first time I had ever advertised the Martha brand, and before

that, Kmart had advertised it in their television commercials. But now, you don’t have to advertise, you just have to post online. Look at the “tradwife” movement (traditional wife). Not only am I the original influencer; I’m the original “tradwife.” I raised my own kid, I had my own goat in the backyard in Connecticut— and I could still be educated and still write books. I’m very proud of that. I’m proud that I did it first.

Why did you never buy a house on Nantucket?

Access has to be a little easier. I bought a house instead in East Hampton, and even that was a stretch for me because I don’t like spending time in cars. I loved Nantucket. I visited Martha’s Vineyard a lot and had carpenters from Martha’s Vineyard building my kitchen in Westport, Connecticut. I looked at both islands very carefully, and I liked both islands very much. But I didn’t want to be fogged in or fogged out. I wanted to be able to get there and not have to deal with little planes all the time. It was a life choice not to be out there. I love visiting, and visiting all the time. I love the basket makers on Nantucket, and I love going to the auctions there and finding the old books and other things that were part of the heritage of Nantucket. I go fishing there, too. I always go out for striped bass on a little boat.

Stewart has been coming to the island for 60 years, but has never owned a home on Nantucket.

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Mayumi Hattori, Chris Sleeper, Meg Browers and Brooke Mohr of Nourish Nantucket.

INTRODUCING NOURISH NANTUCKET

The Island’s New Food Insecurity Umbrella

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

Nourish Nantucket launches to address food insecurity on the island.

As implausible as it seems, more than one in five year-round Nantucket residents go to bed hungry. These people work in the restaurants and schools, some working several jobs at island companies and nonprofits. Some are in the Coast Guard, some hold nursing positions at the hospital and some are school teachers. In another town, they should earn enough to get by. But on Nantucket, they struggle with high rents and rising costs of food.

“We met with several large employers on Nantucket, whose employees were showing up at the pantry in uniform, and they were shocked that their employees were using the food pantry,” said Brooke Mohr, the board president of Nourish Nantucket, a new organization that launched this year to fight food insecurity on the island. “For a parent with children who is struggling to feed those children, imagine the stress level of not knowing where

your kid’s next meals are coming from, nevermind the hunger alone.”

It might not be obvious, but Nantucket has a food insecurity problem. On an island known for its world-class restaurants, roughly 21 percent of the year-round population struggles to put food on the table. A stunning statistic is that 46 percent of students at the Nantucket Public Schools qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to data from the U.S. Census and Nantucket Public Schools officials.

While a dozen organizations on Nantucket have been working for years to address the issue, those groups have been working independently of one another, lacking the ability to coordinate and fundraise effectively, and leaving islanders who need the service confused on where to seek help. Nourish Nantucket launched this year to bridge that gap, raising awareness and offering financial support to address the food insecurity crisis.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

The idea behind Nourish Nantucket came from N Magazine

Publisher Bruce Percelay, who presented the idea of creating a single umbrella brand called Nourish Nantucket as a single fundraising vehicle for the 12 different agencies on the island.

“The work done by Brooke Mohr, the Nantucket Resource Partnership, the Food Pantry and all the other food service organizations has been heroic over the years, but given the growing magnitude of the problem, it seemed that now is the time to expose the issue to the island’s summer and year-round residents in order to solve a problem which should not exist on Nantucket,” Percelay said.

“Bruce is the only one who could really make this happen,” said Robert Grinberg, a member of the advisory committee for Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance, which oversees the Food Pantry. “He is the most qualified individual to do it because he has the ability to raise funds that are needed for this issue and he cares about Nantucket.”

The backbone of the food support system on Nantucket is the Food Pantry, which provides meals to more than 3,000

islanders in need each year—but the demand for its services keeps growing. In addition, the Food Pantry’s temporary home in the old Greenhound building will be unavailable to them early next year, and they need to acquire a permanent location in order for them to continue to deliver their services.

One major factor at play behind the issue is the rising cost of living on Nantucket. With the median price of a new home topping $3.7 million, many new residents seek rentals. But with those rents averaging nearly $3,000 a month, the cost of living can easily eat up the majority of a monthly income, especially during the off-season months when steady work is harder to come by. When the summer season ends, service personnel on the island are faced with housing costs that can be more than 50% of their income, and leave them with choices between food or medicine. The high cost of living places additional challenges with a gallon of gas in excess of $4.50 or a slice of pizza goes for $5 or more.

Meg Browers at Pip & Anchor, which has delivered over 310,000 pounds of produce to islanders in need.

“While Nantucket is known for its beautiful beaches, it’s also a growing year-round community with a tourism economy that needs intentional support to address food insecurity,” said Matt Haffenreffer, who leads consulting firm Process First.

Nourish Nantucket has taken in several major grants, including $250,000 in 2023 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It also received a $250,000 matching grant from the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation. So far, it’s made over 1,100 referrals to island food security programs, including the Pip & Anchor Send-It Box, a program that’s delivered over 310,000 pounds of local produce since 2022 to people who struggle to put food—and particularly nutritious food—on the table.

“Anyone who could be affected by the housing crisis can be affected by food insecurity,” Meg Browers, director of development and operations for Nourish Nantucket, said. “If you’re a teacher or a nurse, if you’re if you work for the DPW or the town of Nantucket, if you work for one of our larger employees, and your salary or hourly wage is such that it is your monthly rent or your mortgage, is up to 80% of your monthly income, you are going to find it challenging to afford the amount of healthy food that you need to feed yourself or your family.”

One program that has worked to address the issue is Fresh Connect, administered by Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance. The program provides $100 prepaid debit cards each month to islanders who meet the criteria for the service (up to

$500 per family), with those cards working at the two island Stop & Shops. But with limited funding, the program has run up against a wall. Today, over 400 people are on the waitlist for Fresh Connect.

The Pip & Anchor Send It service, on the other hand, provides food for 80 families (over 300 people) each week. But there are 120 more families on that waitlist for that program. “Any program that exists that is a part of our network is at capacity,” Browers said. “We need millions

“Anyone who could be affected by the housing crisis can be affected by food insecurity.”

– Meg Browers

Brooke Mohr, the president of the Nourish Nantucket board.

Bruce A. Percelay played an integral role in launching Nourish Nantucket.

of dollars more to accurately meet the needs of islanders in the food security arena.”

“On Nantucket, you can make six figures and still be food insecure,” Browers added. “The judgment that comes along with it, that if you’re working as a bartender or a landscaper or a house cleaner, you may very well be making more than $150,000 a year, and someone might think, how on Earth

Shops, Bartlett’s Farm, the Sustainable Nantucket Farmers and Artisans Market, or if it’s being served at a restaurant. At the same time, food that’s delivered to those shops and restaurants is often discarded.

“There’s cooked food in restaurants that goes in the trash,” Mohr said. “We know restaurants throw away a ton of food. Is there a way

could you possibly need pantry services or any other food security program? But what people don’t understand is that you have to work five full-time jobs to be able to afford a home here. The cost of living on Nantucket is so extreme that a lot of seasonal residents cannot comprehend the budgeting magic that has to happen to make living here possible.”

There is also an irony to the situation. There’s plenty of food on the island, whether it’s at the Stop &

One group that works with Nourish Nantucket is the Nantucket Family Resource Center, a referral partner that helps identify islanders in need. David Hayes, the group’s program manager, said addressing food insecurity is often about more than simply feeding people.

“For a parent with children who is struggling to feed those children, imagine the stress level of not knowing where your kid’s next meals are coming from, never mind the hunger alone.”

– Brooke Mohr

Once you no longer have to worry about how to put food on the table, there are down-stream effects on a person’s mental and physical health.

“People come in and one of their basic needs is food,” Hayes said. “In one fell swoop, we can sign them up for food. We’re always trying to find ways to help families. You put food in people’s mouths and their mental health starts to improve.”

to safely collect and process that into meals? We don’t want to be wagging fingers at people who love this place and make them feel guilty for being here.

That’s not the point. The point is to help them understand what the problem is and invite them to help us solve it.”

“The person who’s eating a $100 steak may be served by someone who goes to the Food Pantry,” Browers added. “That’s wild, and that happens far more often than I think most people understand.”

“When Nantucket as a whole rallies around an issue, it invariably gets solved,” Percelay said. “We are hopeful that Nantucketers will respond to the food insecurity crisis in the way it did for the hospital and other critical institutions with the goal of permanently eradicating hunger on Nantucket permanently.”

www.nourishnantucket.org

More than one in five year-round Nantucket residents struggle to put food on the table.

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NAKED TRUTH THE

INTERVIEW BY BRIAN BUSHARD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG GORMAN

Filmmaker John Waters performs his one-man show on Nantucket.

John Waters has made a career on raunchy films that could be so grotesque, some theaters would lay a sawdust-like material in the lobbies to absorb the smell of vomit after a screening. His films, including Pink Flamingos and Hairspray, are both subversive and iconic. They’re intended to stir a crowd. Waters often says he’s based his career on negative reviews. One of his favorite lines came from the Detroit Free Press review of Pink Flamingos, which compared the 1972 classic to a “septic tank explosion, it has to be seen to be believed.”

Waters comes to the Dreamland on July 26 for a production of his one-man show, The Naked Truth, a 70-minute show he rewrites every year. Waters sat down with N Magazine ahead of his show to discuss his legendary career and his upcoming performance.

Tell us about your one-man show.

I don’t know how many film directors have stand-up acts, and it’s not just about my movies—it’s about fashion, politics, sex, parents, how to rebel when you’re my age, and how to not be an idiot when you’re young. I think it touches on everything.

Have you been to Nantucket before?

Yes, I went once. What I always do when I visit a new place is ask, ‘Where is the bar that the county workers go to?’ I went there. I went to The Chicken Box.

You’ve made a career pushing the boundaries. Does this show accomplish the same goal?

Completely. I make fun of the rules of the people who think they’re outlaws. I don’t make fun of our parents’ rules. I’m glad I had them so I could rebel and do it with some humor. I make fun of the old days and I make fun of hippie values even though I was a hippie. Today, I make fun of politically correct values, even though I think I am politically correct— and I make fun of myself first. That’s why I had a career that’s lasted this long.

What do you have to rebel against now?

Politically, there’s plenty to rebel about, but how do you do it? I talk about that [in the show]—how to find comic ways to rebel that work. You never make your enemy feel stupid. That’s the dumbest thing ever. You make them feel smart, even when they are stupid, then you make them laugh, then they’ll listen, and then you have sex with them. Humor is politics. I’m not a separatist. The only way that you can ever get somebody to change their mind is to make them laugh. Humor is how you win.

Has that approach worked so far for you?

Completely. How did Pink Flamingos get named by the National Film Registry as a great American film? It all is insane. The films are worse, but they play better and my audience is younger. They were even born when I made those movies.

Technology aside, when you look back at your earlier movies, like Pink Flamingos, do you think you would make them the same way today?

Yes, except when I made Pink Flamingos, it was right when porn became legal, so there was nothing left in terms of violence or nudity that was new, so you had to come up with something else. Pink Flamingos was a joke, a satire on what is left. Nobody has ever done any of the things in that movie again. Why would somebody eat dog s**t again? It would be a stupid stunt. The closest thing ever to Pink Flamingos is Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass.

Is it true that theaters would lay sawdust to mask the smell of vomit during your movies?

It’s not sawdust. There is a product that carnivals used outside of the tilt-a-whirl, and the theaters would put that down. I made the joke of my first book that if someone vomits during one of my films, it’s a standing ovation. I sort of meant that humorously, but I have seen people vomit, not that much, but it happens. I’m a carny, I still am.

Would you call your films “cult films?”

Well, you never say the word “cult” in Hollywood. That means three smart people liked it and it made no money. They are cult films, but they did make money. It’s not a word that means so much as it did then, but it’s still a very dirty word in Hollywood.

When you look at Hollywood today, is it harder to get a start as an indie director?

It’s over. The film business I knew is completely over. Young people don’t really go to weird movies anymore. Old people are the ones that like art movies, and after COVID, they never came back. Young people go to horror movies, but they don’t go to weird art films. I based a career on negative reviews, but it was by critics that we called “straight” in those days—that didn’t mean sexually, just that they didn’t smoke. The only other director I know that used negative reviews was David Lynch, but because we got the right kind of negative reviews, that made people laugh and come see it.

What advice would you have for someone starting out as an artist or filmmaker?

Don’t try too hard to be shocking. Make people laugh. Don’t worry about rejection. You only need three people to say ‘yes’ to have a career: your mother, the person you’re sleeping with, and then that third person before your career has begun.

Is there any scene from any of your movies where you’ve looked back and said, ‘Maybe I went too far?’

I didn’t know I would have the chicken being killed in Pink Flamingos, but we got the chicken at a market that freshly killed chicken, and one of the cast members cooked and ate it after the scene. At least it was humane, but I don’t think I would do that today.

Did it take time for you to adjust to negative reviews?

“You never make your enemy feel stupid. That’s the dumbest thing ever. You make them feel smart, even when they are stupid.”

– John Waters

Are you in any way optimistic when it comes to young artists?

I have optimism with all young people. Their job is to think of things that make me nervous. The whole non-binary world definitely did that. The new non-binary world is the new revolution that even makes me—someone from the original sexual revolution—confused. And I love that.

No, because the movies always sold out. I never struggled to find an audience, and audiences loved the fact that other people were appalled by it. The whole point when I first came out with these movies was, ‘Imagine if my parents saw this movie.’ Today, people say to me, ‘My parents told me to see your movie.’

Any minute, somebody’s going to say, ‘My grandmother really loves you.’

Were your parents supportive of your movies?

They were but they were also horrified. I was very lucky. I was dealt a good hand. My parents were horrified by what I did, but amazed that I could do it.

What influences do you have now when you write and rewrite your one-man show?

It’s always been the same. First, I try to make myself laugh. I listen to people, I watch people, I spy on people. I’m never bored. I have 51 shows this year, and I’ll be 80 years old next year. People always ask how I do it. Well, I don’t know how I can’t do it when it’s offered that I can. I love constantly rewriting material and finding humor in everything, even when it’s grim.

BORN TO RIDE

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

FPHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Two islanders set out from Alaska to Argentina.

or most of the year, they’re behind a desk. But when summer rolls around, they’re on the road on their BMW R1200GS Adventure motorcycles, criss-crossing America’s highways from Hyannis to San Diego, letting go of the stresses of everyday life.

“We both have this mentality that you’ve got to make time to do it, or it’s going to pass you by,” said Dean Miller, who co-founded the Nantucket Adventure Company with Kenan Giguere. “We’re not getting any younger.”

The trip to California is relatively quick. Once they hit San Diego, the adventure really begins. From there, Miller and Giguere travel north to Alaska on the PanAmerican Highway, an 18,000-plus-mile road network that stretches from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern the tip of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city on the continent and the so-called end of the world.

All they have with them is the lightweight backpacking equipment they’ve secured to their bikes: tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking equipment, clothes and “creature comforts,” along with the food, water and beer they’ve picked up along the way. After dozens of these rides, they’ve come to realize the journey is as important as the sites they set out to see, and there’s a lesson in that journey. It doesn’t take much to live comfortably, they said. All that you really need, you can strap onto a bike.

“You realize when you’re on these trips that you don’t need a lot of stuff,” Miller said. “You need shelter. You need food and transportation, and really that’s it. You can be sitting in the dirt at the end of the day. You appreciate less is more.”

Their trip this summer is part of the Nantucket Adventure Company, a bike touring company they launched to take bikers from Nantucket across the country and to different locations. It’s not just biking and camping. On this trip, they’ll also be chartering a halibut fishing boat and a helicopter in Alaska. After that leg of the journey is over, they’ll reconvene for the second segment in San Diego, before heading south through Mexico to Panama. The last leg takes them from Colombia to Patagonia.

People who sign up for these trips must have their own bikes. Everything else is provided, down to the threecourse meals Miller—a chef— makes over a campfire. On one of his recent trips, Miller prepared a panko-crusted halibut with wild mushrooms, fresh corn risotto and grilled asparagus with a lemon beurre blanc. “That’s what you get in the middle of nowhere,” he said.

Kenan Giguere

“The bikes aren’t just a mode of transportation— they’ve become a part of us.”

– Kenan Giguere

“I have worked my way in my business so that I can do this,” Giguere added. “I’ve spent years working seven days a week, not doing anything, never leaving this island in the summer. That’s not how I want to live my life. I worked very hard to get myself to a situation where I can do more of these trips.”

The trips are personalized and kept small. They’re meant to teach people how to use the bikes the way they were designed to be used. “People buy these bikes and they ride them to Starbucks,” Giguere said. “It’s the running joke. These bikes are meant to do what we’re doing with them.

Giguere and Miller ride down a dirt road in Madaket on their BMW R1200GS Adventure motorcycles.

We’re passionate about this,” Giguere said. “We want to get people that had these bikes but didn’t have a lot of experience camping or going away on these trips. We wanted to develop something that we could safely bring them through.”

Miller admits there’s an intimidation factor to the motorcycles. Each one weighs nearly 500 pounds, and that’s

before equipment is strapped on. Each bike has a six-speed manual transmission and a 1,200 cc twin-cylinder engine.

“With the idea of taking this thing off-road, I wasn’t afraid, but I was definitely intimidated,” he said. At that point, Giguere advised him to take a course through BMW. Miller said it was the best thing he’s ever done.

The first leg of their trip takes them from Nantucket to San Diego, where they’ll head north to the Arctic Circle, then south to the southern tip of Argentina.

“My confidence level went through the roof,” Miller said. “They actually teach you how to ride these bikes properly. I would say 90% of people who have these machines don’t know where to start. That’s what we’re trying to do with our tours. We’re not taking people on something crazy. It’s totally doable.”

Miller and Giguere’s goal for the company is to expand beyond motorcycles to Jeeps and other bigger vehicles. They want to expand to a bigger market. An African safari ride comes to mind. At the end of the day, it’s a form of high-end glamping, where bikers can hit the open road and hang out at night by the light of a campfire in some national or state park, a beer in hand and a quality meal cooked over a fire.

This is the best part of the whole journey, Miller said. Sitting down after a day of exploring a new place, not knowing exactly where you are and resting in the comfort of disconnecting from the real world. “I live more minimalistically as a result of doing this,” he said. “I need less. I’m going to take what I need and that’s it. It’s kind of a mental state.”

“The bikes aren’t just a mode of transportation—they’ve become a part of us,” Giguere added. “You’re out there in nature and hear nothing but the trees and the rivers. When we’re old, we want them to tell our stories, and to remind us of the places we’ve been and the people we’ve met.”

Dean Miller

WRITTEN BY JOHN STANTON

PHOTOGRAPHY OF KIT NOBLE

Nantucket rock band Cranberry Alarm Clock plays the Beatles Festival in Liverpool

They were like a lot of kids who grew up in the ’60s and early ’70s, swept up in one of the many cultural ripples that went through those decades. There was something about the music, an energy that welcomes you in. It is still with them today.

“For me it was seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show,” George “Skip” Curtin said. “I was nine years old. It was a monumental moment in my life. JFK had just been assassinated and the country was in a funk. Even as a little kid I could sense that. Then when [rock and roll] happened, it lifted the country, especially for the kids.”

Somewhere there is a snapshot of a very young Curtin standing in front of the family Christmas tree holding his new guitar. Today, Curtin and his bandmates call themselves Cranberry Alarm Clock. There is a touch of gray to the band. Curtin is 70 years old, and his bandmates are younger but not by much. They still share the thrill the music gave them over six decades ago.

The band—Curtin on lead guitar, Tom Proch on drums and vocals, his brother Phil on bass guitar and Frankie Hunter playing rhythm guitar and singing—are sitting at a table in the Chicken Box one afternoon, talking about bringing their music to the

International Beatleweek Festival in Liverpool, England, this August. It is a six-day event dedicated to the music of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The event takes place at the Cavern Club, the headwaters of British rock and roll where the Beatles found their creative footing. “The Cavern is the holy of holies, man,” Hunter said. “You play there, that’s it.”

Tom Proch has his own memory of first hearing the music. His brother Phil was in the first grade when he got a Beatles record. “I’d be holding the album cover just strumming it like a guitar and we’d sing to it,” Tom said. “Phil took guitar lessons when we got a little older. I was always

interested in the drums.”

Tom and Phil never put a band together, just played together for the pure fun of it. “A couple of kids from the neighborhood would come by and we’d make some noise, but never officially called ourselves a band,” Tom remembers.

Phil eventually made a living as a building contractor. Tom was a chef at two of the island’s most legendary restaurants: The Opera House and The Club Car. Then Tom traded in the grueling work of putting out 150 plates a night for a job teaching culinary arts at Nantucket High School. Suddenly, there was plenty of time to put together a band.

Cranberry Alarm Clock playing at Sandbar.

They all knew each other in that way small-town people know of each other, especially small-town musicians. Curtin and Hunter played in bands on the mainland before moving to the island. Hunter said that Tom simply pulled him over on Madaket Road one day.

“He just stopped on Madaket Road, and I said to myself, ‘Is that Tommy? He’s crazy.’ He wanted my phone number, and that Sunday we got together and played, Phil and Tommy and me,” Hunter said. “The common denominator was the Beatles. It was never really about starting a band, just playing together.”

Curtin brought his lead guitar

want to play,” Curtin said of the Proch brothers. “For Tom and Phil, it is as if they jammed together as kids and then they went off and had careers. Decades went by when they weren’t playing.

“But when we all got together, it was like they dropped the needle back on the record on the same spot in 1971 and had the same enthusiasm,” he continued. “They weren’t jaded by playing gigs in sh***y bars all over New England. And it was refreshing. It was awesome. That energy just lifted me.”

The idea of trying to get selected to International Beatleweek came from Hunter, who grew up in Scotland before ending up on the island in 2004. He was visiting an old

“What’s fascinating is these guys will have their minds blown,” he said. “I came back and said to the guys they had to go there. I wasn’t thinking of playing there, just that they would love to go. When you get there, the Beatles are everywhere. You walk around and there is Penny

“For me it was seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show...I was nine years old. It was a monumental moment in my life.”

– Skip Curtin

Lane, there is Strawberry Fields.”

The Cavern now has three stages and nearby is a stage at the Adelphi Hotel. Bands play 45-minute sets, rotating between a half-dozen venues. The music begins at 11 a.m. and doesn’t stop until 3 a.m. It is likely the band will play a handful of sets.

“I don’t want to say it’s a dream come true, because it was never my dream to do that,” Tom Proch said. “But like Frankie says, it will be mind-blowing.”

Hunter talked his bandmates into applying to be one of the hundreds of bands selected to play that week. The application called for a YouTube video and a CD of Beatles tunes. These are just four guys who like to play music together. They never even thought about promoting themselves that way.

But they managed to do both, getting into a studio on the Cape to record the CD, which includes six Beatles tunes and one from John Lennon’s solo career: “Come Together,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “If I Needed Someone,” “#9 Dream,” “The Ballad of John and Yoko,” and “I Am the Walrus.”

To get the video, they taped six iPhones set on video to mic stands and railings and posts on the deck at the Sandbar and recorded one of their shows.

The selection committee at the International Beatleweek took a pass on Cranberry Alarm Clock the first year they applied. This time around the invitation to Liverpool arrived.

“I look at kids when we play the Sandbar that are in their 20s and they might not get it, but they get it.”

– Skip Curtin

It will be a bit of a homecoming for Hunter and for Tom Proch’s wife, Pauline, who grew up outside of London. There is even a small contingent of local fans who might make the trip.

It is a chilly, windy afternoon reminiscent more of early autumn than of Memorial Day weekend, but the Sandbar on Jetties Beach is packed. Sure, the band has now

been in a studio, but playing live before a crowd of their friends is what they do.

The deck is vibrating underfoot as the crowd stamps and dances as the band lets loose with “Crossroads,” a guitar-driven song that has been a staple of blues since the legendary Robert Johnson first played it in 1936 and fueled into overdrive by any number of electric guitar players.

Some in the crowd know the words. A man clearly in his mid70s is singing along while waiting to get the bartender’s attention. But what people, young and old, are responding to is the power of the drums and guitars.

“I’d look at a lot of what we play as real primal. And it is infectious because it is primal,” Curtin said. “I look at kids when we play the Sandbar that are in their 20s and they might not get it, but they get it. And that’s what is so wonderful of the nature of that kind of music. It’s lasted the test of time. These songs are 50 or 60 years old.”

Cranberry Alarm Clock might be heading for a gig at the epicenter of all things Beatles, and they kicked off the set with “If I Needed

Someone” and “Ticket to Ride,” but they are not what is sometimes called a tribute band. They play blues rock. Covers, yes, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, anything that strikes their musical imagination, but they look for a way to make the music their own.

They try to strip the music down to its core; they flow one song into the next at unexpected places. They have fun. “You gotta put your own stamp on the music,” Hunter said. “You’re not capable of doing what the Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd did. Simple as that. You do what in your capabilities you can do.”

The band tends to all talk at once, an indication of how comfortable they are with each other and probably an insight into how they create their sound. “We’re just big music fans,” Tom said. “I get up at 3 a.m. to use the toilet and there is a song, maybe something we’ve been working on, in my head. As soon as I get back up in the morning, there is always music in my head. It’s amazing.”

“We always try to add four or five songs each year,” Hunter added. “‘Eleanor Rigby’ might morph into Heart’s ‘Barracuda’ morphed into the Stones’ ‘Paint It Black.’ It’s fun.”

Keeping a band together can be a notoriously difficult task. Talk to any experienced musician and you

“When we all got together, it was like [we] dropped the needle back on the record on the same spot in 1971 and had the same enthusiasm.”

– Skip Curtin

will hear cautionary tales of runaway egos that prevented bands from staying together despite making good music.

Tom Proch calls weekly rehearsals and gigs his therapy, a chance to set aside everything else in life and just play music, just tap into the beat. It is a feeling he tries to share with his audiences by leaving tambourines and a cow bell and drumstick on tables so the audiences can pick them up and join the band for a moment.

“It’s great. They’re like part of the band. We’ll be playing and it’s like, ‘Willie’s here!’ Or local people we know,” he said.

In the end, this is a story about chasing that backbeat, about the joy and friendship based on playing music together. Sure, they will be playing every weekend at the Sandbar and leaving for Liverpool in late August, and they have been in a recording studio to cut a couple of CDs. But they make it clear that they would be just as happy getting together for the pure fun of playing rock and roll, just like when they were kids and the music first grabbed them.

www.ko.ineosgrenadier.com

617-844-2712 gailroberts.com

STAND UP GUY

WRITTEN

BY

BRIAN BUSHARD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Comedian Brian Glowacki returns to Nantucket for a stand-up set.

After selling out The Wilbur theater in Boston, headlining in Las Vegas and spending years touring on the stand-up circuit, Brian Glowacki sees his next show at the Dreamland as a homecoming. “I grew up in the Dreamland before it was redone, when it was a sweat box and it was haunted,” Glowacki said. “It means something to me to come home now and do that theater.”

After performing to audiences across the country, comedian Brian Glowacki returns to Nantucket this summer.

Glowacki, who grew up on Nantucket

“digging holes and filling them back in” for the family business in the mounds of sand known as “Glowackiland,” has always had a knack for stand-up, whether he knew it or not. In school, he said, he was the class clown. He and his friends took turns taking playful jabs at each other, and he learned to be quick on his feet and to take a joke.

While the Nantucket of his childhood did not provide him with an outlet as a stand-up comedian, growing up on the island did teach

him the tricks of the trade. Now that he’s coming back to the Dreamland for a show on August 2, Glowacki said that training has prepared him well.

“I think it comes from how I grew up with my friends on Nantucket, when all we did was make fun of each other,” he said. “Hecklers don’t bother me now because they’re not as funny as the friends I grew up with. You had to be quick on your toes or you would get laughed at in my group of friends.

I didn’t know that would be the training for what I was going to do with my life. It was just us all busting on each other all the time.”

“It means something to me to come home [to the Dreamland] and do that theater.”

– Brian Glowacki

something about the storytelling and about saying his absurd ideas out loud to an audience that somehow made sense to him. The connection he felt with his audiences was instant. The feedback he received on his jokes happened in the moment. And as someone who grew up quick with a comeback, that world felt right.

shows a year, and I still come home and my friends are quicker than me and make fun of me,” he continued. “I haven’t sharpened the axe quite enough to come home and hang out with my old friends.”

Glowacki moved to Boston in his late 20s as an escape from Nantucket, not necessarily seeking a career in comedy. His introduction to the art form came through watching HBO’s Def Comedy Jam growing up. Stand-up comedy, he said, was a completely different world. “They might as well be on Mars,” he said.

Then came a comedy class in Boston. Glowacki signed up and immediately decided he would pursue a career as a full-time comedian. There was

Three years ago, Glowacki lived a lifelong dream of headlining The Wilbur in Boston. It took years on the road to get there. He had tours where he would only come home for a few days over a span of several months. There was a toll to that lifestyle. “I could be in Oklahoma for a weekend, but then come home and my family’s different,” he joked. “I did that for months and months and months, for so long.”

“My eyes are open to funny experiences, and now I can’t turn it off,” he said. “I’ll see something or have an interaction with my wife and say, ‘I have to write that down.’ Some things are just too good. I think that’s when I’m at my best when I’m observing, when my eyes are open a little wider. It’s a fun line to walk.”

“The things that I find funny are the shared experiences that we all have, like slipping on a banana peel,” he added. “That’s the basis of all comedy. But it can also be in a relationship—it can be how as a father, I slip on a banana

peel every day trying to raise these kids. It’s fumbling through your second or third or fourth marriage.”

While Glowacki said he’s trying to see more of his family and enjoy the simple things in life as opposed to spending weeks on end on the road, he still keeps busy. He also plays guitar, and will be performing music at the Brotherhood of Thieves and Cisco Brewers this summer. He’s also working on a comedy special.

“I feel like I can pick and choose now and do the things I want to do and still be able to raise my family, and get home and go fishing every now and again,” he said. “I want to watch my kids grow and not have this marriage fall apart, hopefully. There is a trade-off to that. Maybe I could be farther in my career, but my kids wouldn’t know who I am. I try to straddle that line all the time.”

“Maybe I could be further in my career, but my kids wouldn’t know who I am.”

– Brian Glowacki

Glowacki returns to the Dreamland on August 2 for a night of stand-up comedy.

Picture Perfect

WRITTEN BY LARRY LINDNER

The Artists Association of Nantucket honors photographer Michael Gaillard.

There’s such a painterly quality to Michael Gaillard’s photographs that at first glance it’s very hard to tell what the medium is. “You do a double take on certain images,” interior designer Kevin O’Shea said.

Those double takes are what led O’Shea, chief creative officer of The Brant, to include Gaillard’s works in every guest room and public space in the hotel. “Oftentimes the art in hotel rooms can feel like an afterthought, but this was a very intentional, very

thoughtful process led by Michael,” O’Shea said. “People remark on his photographs all the time.”

The comparison to paintings, including the Hockney-esque quality in much of his photography, doesn’t surprise Gaillard, who frequently captures landscapes. “In general, I have more affinity with painterly discourse than photographic discourse,” he said. “Painters are always dealing with the play between depth and flatness, and that’s critical to my work.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL GAILLARD

Photo by Ernst Fischer

As if to drive home the point, collector Katherine Bucknell points out that while she has more than a dozen Gaillards in her Nantucket and London homes, she curates the work of no other photographers, only painters—

interior designer Nicole Hollis, no doubt also played into the choice to feature him as this year’s honoree at the Artists Association of Nantucket’s annual gala. The celebration, AAN’s largest fundraiser of the year, will

painting from the school of Andrew Wyeth,” she said. “His photos feel so intimate.”

Gaillard described his efforts to capture what he does as a spiritual experience. “The primary tool the photographer has is the frame,” he said. “It’s a challenge I find endlessly fulfilling, potent and rich with symbolism—a revelation—I don’t know what my life would be without that discovery.”

donated artwork. The funds help underwrite year-round activities, including arts programming and youth and adult education.

That process of discovery, which has landed Gaillard’s work on the cover of Veranda, in the pages of House Beautiful and in a book called Artistry of Home by celebrated luxury Xxxxxxxxxxx

“Michael has been a contributor for many years and is always a top seller, so he has raised a lot of funds over the years,” Sears said. “We’re super grateful for his generosity and support.” Gaillard, for his part, called the recognition “a great honor and really surprising.” “Choosing a life as an artist is by no means a traditional trajectory,” he said. “It’s filled with hardship, especially

Part of Gaillard’s Nantucket collection, the photo of the Nantucket Harbor Creeks offers a new lens to the harbor at sunrise.

in small communities that aren’t close to urban centers. AAN supports artists on this difficult trajectory. It provides the necessary community—you can’t make art in a vacuum.”

This year’s gala will pay homage not only to Gaillard’s talent but also to his deep roots on the island and his intergenerational connection to the AAN. His paternal grandmother was Gwen Gaillard, proprietor of the Opera House Restaurant, which opened in 1945 on South Water Street and was one of Nantucket’s first fine-dining establishments. It turns out the restaurant’s chef for the first 20 years, Lucien van Vyve, was also an AAN member. Gwen Gaillard’s cookbook, Recipes with Love, was illustrated by fellow AAN member Roy Bailey.

There will be an Opera House ambience at the gala, as well. Just as there was a piano played during meals at the Opera House—one restaurant guest, Judy Garland, sang for diners when she visited—there will be a piano played during dinner by local musician Matt Hutchinson.

Gaillard has only what he calls “gauzy memories” of the Opera House, which went out of business in the mid1980s when he was about 5 years old. But he brings his grandmother’s knack for conviviality to his work.

“I am a very private person and pretty much don’t talk to people I don’t know,” Bucknell said. But when she first

met Gaillard, “there was some magic chemistry. I felt so open to him.” When she and her family chatted with him, she said, “we just liked him so much and appreciated his appetite for everything. He is so curious and interested and excited by new ideas.”

A shot of the Sankaty Golf Club’s Beach Club in Sconset.

“Buoy,” by Michael Gaillard, adds a new angle to a home’s interior. Architecture and Design: Workshop/ APD.

Photo by Amanda James

There’s an earnestness and carefulness people also remark on. Renowned architect Andrew Kotchen commented, “Michael comes across as a very compassionate, committed person in the work that he does.” The two recently collaborated on a project to put about a dozen of Gaillard’s works throughout the Nantucket home of a resident who spent their entire childhood on the island. With that in mind, Kotchen said, “Michael took certain shots of the island that were meaningful to them, specifically for their home—bespoke pieces.”

“He’s playing in a sandbox with a lot of copycats—computer-generated rather than skill-generated,” he continued. “I very much appreciate the quality he brings to the table through his process.”

Designer Nicole Hollis sees it similarly. She has collaborated with Gaillard on a home in Pebble Beach, California, and a public space in Hawaii. “He’s very thoughtful about the work that he does—and considered and enthusiastic. He gets really hyper-involved, which is

great,” she commented, noting that he throws himself not just into the shoot but also the framing and the location of art on a property.

O’Shea of The Brant also spoke of the unique way in which his art reaches people. “I think everyone loves the interpretation of the island through Michael’s viewpoint,” he said. “With Cape Cod and the islands in general, there tends to be a lot of very literal photography—the lighthouse, the beach, the whale. I think what Michael does is capture these beautiful moments that really make a place. People comment that his are not the expected depictions of Nantucket. This is not a repatriation of the iconic moments but capturing the day-to-day beauty of the little quiet moments, the little corners.”

A West End home peeks over the dunes in “Madaket Evening.”

Gaillard’s images “Long Pond” and “Squam” inside a home. Architecture and Design: Workshop/APD. Photo by Matt Kisiday.

Is

It Time for

the Land Bank to Address the Affordable Housing Crisis?

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

Nantucket would not be what it is without the Land Bank. So why, then, has a growing segment of islanders started asking whether the Land Bank has enough conservation land already? The question seemed far-fetched just a decade ago. But now, with over 50 percent of the island preserved thanks in large part to Land Bank’s purchasing power— and as home prices skyrocket— fewer and fewer undeveloped properties remain on the market. The matter of what the Land Bank does now has become front and center. The question is whether the Land Bank helps address the island’s affordable housing crisis.

“The Land Bank thought their mission was to buy land, and now they have enough. What is the mission of the Land Bank is the question,” Nantucket Finance Committee member Jill Vieth said.

“We have a population that has grown exponentially in the last 15 years and to meet the needs of the island, we need more land for affordable housing.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

The Land Bank was a first-of-itskind experiment when it was created in 1983. Unlike other conservation organizations on the island, the Land Bank pulls its revenue from a 2% transfer fee on most real-estate purchases. According to its enabling legislation, the properties the Land Bank buys with that money must be used for just three things: conservation, recreation and agriculture.

In its 42 years, it has succeeded beyond all expectations, and is now the second-largest property owner on the island, with nearly 3,500 acres to its name, second only to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Those properties include some of Nantucket’s most iconic parks— Gardner Farm, Lily Pond, Smooth Hummocks and the Creeks Preserve.

The Land Bank has also created and maintained playgrounds in Sconset and on Old South Road. It owns pickleball and paddle tennis courts, soccer fields and two public golf courses, as well as Moors End Farm and the Sustainable Nantucket lots on Hummock Pond Road.

But with housing prices surging, employers struggling to secure staff housing and renters paying exorbitant amounts for a modest place to live, some islanders are now asking whether it’s time to tap into the Land Bank’s steady income stream to address the lack of affordable housing. “The Land Bank has been a visionary organization in its first 40 years, but half a billion dollars later and with over 50 percent of the island in conservation collectively between organizations, only a small amount of land is available and undeveloped,” said Tucker Holland, the town’s former housing director. “Now, the question is what should happen with the remaining available land.”

Between the amount of land owned by the Land Bank, other conservation organizations, the town and

existing development, less than 3% of Nantucket is available for housing, something that has played a significant role in the high cost of housing production. Calls for the Land Bank to support affordable housing came to a head at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting. In one of the most controversial articles in recent years, Brooke Mohr—now a member of the Select Board—proposed earmarking a quarter of the Land Bank’s transfer fee revenue to the town for affordable housing projects.

But the response to that proposal was an overwhelming no. Mohr’s proposal received more than 120 letters of opposition, led by the Land Bank’s then-Executive-Director Eric Savetsky, who argued at the time the move would “have a drastic negative impact on our ability to acquire new parcels of land for public benefit.” The Nantucket Conservation Foundation even made a rare political statement denouncing the proposal. In the

The Land Bank’s pocket park on Easton Street.

end, it was rejected by a 572-205 vote—though it did succeed in stirring the pot.

“The Nantucket we see today is not the same one that existed when the Land Bank was created,” Mohr said on the floor of town meeting. “The most pressing issue at that time was how to balance development and conservation. Housing for year-rounders was recognized to be an issue then in 1983, but conservation was deemed a higher priority. Since then, the

percentage of vacant, undeveloped land has been reduced from 53 percent to less than 4.8 percent today.”

The median Nantucket home price, meanwhile, was a stunning $3.73 million last year, with an average home value of $4.88 million, according to data from Fisher Real Estate. Only a handful of

“Only a small amount of land is available and undeveloped.”

– Tucker Holland

homes remain on the market for under $1 million. The likelihood of a nurse, a school teacher or even a doctor to be able to afford to buy a house on Nantucket has become slim, while service employees looking for a reasonable rental opportunity are left with few practical choices.

As that debate was going down, the Land Bank was raking in hundreds of millions of dollars from its transfer fee, leveraging a hot housing market in 2021 for a record $48.63 million in revenue, only to be followed by another $46.91 million

the following year (the Land Bank received $23.70 million off the transfer fee last year and has so far made $25.4 million in 2025).

“We know there are huge needs of the island, for more housing, a new middle school, for recreation, for coastal resilience—but where is this money going to come from?” Vieth said. “There needs to be more collaboration between the town and the Land Bank and historically there has not been.”

Last year, the Land Bank dropped $26 million on a one-acre beachfront compound east of The Galley restaurant in the organization’s most expensive purchase to date. The idea behind the property—which includes three buildings and had been marketed as a boutique hotel or private club—was to increase public access to the beach, improve handicap accessibility to the area and potentially boost coastal resilience. But the Land Bank drew fire on its acquisition of the property, which opponents argued could have been used for housing.

The property is now one of several where the Land Bank is considering working with housing agencies on a potential collaborative use, Land Bank Executive Director Rachael Freeman said. The buildings could be repurposed as municipal housing units, she said. Though it’s unclear if that would be feasible.

Land Bank Executive Director Rachael Freeman

That property reignited the debate over what the Land Bank should be doing—if anything—to address housing, and whether it has been spending too much money on smaller pocket parks. “I’m not sure just where we can work into affordable housing,” Land Bank Commissioner Allen Reinhard said. “We don’t do affordable housing. We’re not a housing organization. If we can do something that could create a conservation area or even a space where people could sit, like a park, that seems to be the main role the Land Bank might be able to assume.”

You don’t have to look very far to find a lesson on how conservation and housing have worked collaboratively.

Since 1988, the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank has partnered with island housing organizations and all six towns on the Vineyard on 17 separate joint purchases where land was split for open space and affordable housing. “There are plenty of properties that have conservation value in some areas and neutral value in others,” said James Lengyel, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank.

space constraints are not as acute as they are on Nantucket. Still, Freeman said the Land Bank has started to take a harder look at how it can support housing projects.

One example is the Housing Nantucket affordable housing project on Fairgrounds Road, where the Land Bank is in talks to purchase the front lot on that property and impose a conservation restriction on it, keeping it open space in perpetuity. At another Land Bank property on Orange Street, the Land Bank agreed to provide an easement for an abutting town property

“We know there are huge needs of the island, for more housing, a new middle school, for recreation, for coastal resilience—but where is this money going to come from?”

– Jill Vieth

Meanwhile, an N Magazine article last year delved into the success of other resort communities, such as Aspen, Colorado, which had the vision to use its transfer fee to build workforce and affordable housing. Aspen—which has less than half the population of Nantucket—now boasts more than 7,000 affordable units, well above Nantucket’s 500 units.

While the Nantucket Land Bank has recently stepped up its efforts to work hand-in-hand with housing agencies, it falls short of the efforts taken on the Vineyard. One reason, Freeman said, is because Martha’s Vineyard’s

Lily Pond

slated to become affordable housing.

“Within the boundaries of our act, how can we participate in these conversations?” Freeman asked. “We got here because Nantucket has a number of very important community needs and has very limited space. For me, we started to think through acquisitions priorities and how we partner with housing organizations in the limited space we have.”

Even in these conversations, one point remains clear among all parties

“Within the boundaries of our act, how can we participate in these conversations?”

– Rachael Freeman

involved: The Land Bank should not become a housing developer. To some, there are consequences that come with housing that should also be considered. Reinhard, who has served

on the commission for 23 years, argued that if the Land Bank works with a housing developer, it needs to consider downstream effects, such as parking and traffic. “You can only squeeze so many dwelling units into so many acres of land, and we don’t have that many acres of land,” he said. “We are an island, and we’re a diminishing island at that.”

Housing and conservation can seem antithetical, though it’s hard to argue against either. Nantucket has benefitted from an abundance of pristine, open-space walking trails and wildlife habitat, and it needs more housing, town officials say. The Land Bank was created to protect the island from the prospect of overdevelopment. Now, it faces an acute housing shortage. The question is not whether the Land Bank should cease to exist, but how it allocates its revenues and how it works with housing organizations.

“It feels like a great moment 40 years in and half a billion dollars later to reflect on what the Land Bank set out to accomplish,” Holland said. “The Land Bank is not a housing organization, but are there ways they can lend a hand to address one of the most pressing issues on Nantucket today?”

David Lieberman, Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s newest doctor, moved to Nantucket this spring, following a winding road that took him through the Food Network of all places.

DOCTOR THE FOOD NETWORK

WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI

David Lieberman trades his cooking apron for scrubs.

Dr. David Lieberman’s journey to practicing medicine, and ultimately to Nantucket, was anything but conventional. Lieberman was a political science major at Yale, and his love of cooking led to an early career breakthrough as one of the first Food Network stars.

His show, Good Deal with Dave Lieberman, premiered on the Food Network in 2005, focusing on affordable gourmet recipes. A year later, he launched a web-exclusive series with the Food Network called Eat This with Dave Lieberman, where he visited various cities, uncovering trends and crazes in cuisine. It was a precursor to some of the network’s most successful shows that would come years later, shows like Guy Fieri’s Diners Drive-Ins and Dives

Despite his early success and brush with stardom, Lieberman soon realized that he needed to find another path. “I was approaching 30, and I was like, ‘Is this my life’s work’?”

Lieberman said. “I got into food television and food media

sort of by accident, serendipitously, I would say. I took the ride, but then as I took that ride, I asked, ‘Is this really what I want for my entire life?’ I thought I’d better reevaluate. I didn’t train formally, and I didn’t feel like I had the chops to do a restaurant or be a mature, multifaceted chef. I just didn’t see a future in it. I was this young kid cooking, and that was fun, and people watched me doing that, and that was cute. But then you’re not cute anymore.”

Lieberman has always had another interest in preventative health and wellness, so he returned to school and dove into primary care and internal medicine. It was no half-baked idea. He completed his medical school prerequisites at Columbia University before graduating from medical school at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Lieberman ultimately landed a job practicing in the southwest as an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in the division of geriatrics.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Lieberman then got a call from Mass General Brigham recruiters who asked him about a job as a primary care physician at Nantucket Cottage Hospital—an island he’d visited only once before. “Of course it posed challenges, but when we looked at the overall picture, the quality of life for my wife and my son, the safety of it, the proximity to Boston and being able to practice medicine in this rural, very intimate setting,

“I often feel that creating a medical plan for a patient is like opening a spice drawer, looking for just that right combination of flavors.”

– David Lieberman

David Lieberman at a cooking class in 2009. Courtesy of Getty Images.

I think that kind of clinched it,” he said. “You can’t really find that in the metro area very easily as a primary care doctor.”

Lieberman still cooks at home, of course. He tends to make simple

“There’s a lot of diversity, whether it’s Portuguese, Bulgarian,” Lieberman said. “It’s been a lot of talking to patients in Spanish through a translator. But it’s also kind of a unique, complex set of circumstances here on the island that you

“I was this young kid cooking, and that was fun, and people watched me doing that, and that was cute. But then you’re not cute anymore.”

– David Lieberman

dishes, with an emphasis on fish and Mediterranean cuisine. The process of cooking and the preparation helps him relax, he said. It’s not unlike the preparation that goes into practicing medicine.

“I often feel that creating a medical plan for a patient is like opening a spice drawer, looking for just that right combination of flavors,” he said. “Preparing ingredients for cooking— washing, peeling and cutting—requires quiet focus and patience, which feels familiar when I’m reviewing patient charts and completing documentation. Preparing a meal for a large group is an orchestrated team effort, and so is patient care.”

Lieberman made the move to Nantucket with his family, and arrived on the island in late March to take the job as Nantucket’s newest primary care physician. Almost immediately, he was struck by how different his patient population was compared to Arizona.

have to take into account when providing a care plan. This is very different, and kind of a nice challenge.”

Lieberman credited Dr. Diane Pearl, one of Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s longest-serving physicians, for helping to both convince him to take the job and ease his transition into the island’s medical staff. “Dr. Pearl brings this incredible historical knowledge and experience, so she’s an amazing mentor, and that’s one of the reasons why I felt comfortable coming here, was because Dr. Pearl is here,” Lieberman said. Perhaps the numberone question people have asked is whether Lieberman has found housing, and if he plans to

stay on the island. For now, he said, the hospital has provided his family with housing, and his family has already found the community to be embracing.

“We love the island so far,” he said. “My wife is Russian. We didn’t even realize that there’s this Russian community here on the island. And within two weeks of being here, she had already met a number of young Russian women and families basically in her own demographic. We definitely see a future here, longterm, and I think we’re confident that as long as we’re giving to the community, the community will make sure that it’s something that can work out.”

Jennifer

Frazee

Executive

Director,

A Safe Place

A Safe Place is grateful for a $250,000 NGCF matching grant for our 19 Amelia Drive building campaign. Because of this grant, we will have an expanded and more dignified space for youth attending trauma therapy sessions, a neutral environment for custody exchanges that prevents direct contact between parents in conflict, and a safely monitored space for the supervision of entire visits between children and their non-custodial parents where they can interact and maintain relationships in a comfortable playroom setting. NGCF’s generous financial support is helping A Safe Place build a safer tomorrow for all.

41 Nantucket Scholars since 2006

67 Professional Scholarship recipients since 2018

65 institutions of higher education attended Grants to 97 Island organizations

892 grant requests – 777 grants funded

Largest grant of $1M

Through the generous support of the members of the Nantucket Golf Club and their guests, the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation has raised over $50 million in the last 23 years for the benefit of Nantucket youth.

FAITHFUL

Nantucket’s First Congregational Church turns 300.

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

It is an institution that has withstood the test of time. Founded 50 years before the founding of America, the church is among the oldest in the nation and has survived presidential assassinations, a Civil War, two World Wars and an era where people have increasingly turned away from religion. From its 120-foot bell tower, the First Congregational Church has seen vast changes since its founding and this year it celebrates its 300th anniversary.

“The availability, openness and welcoming to the community was an important part of what I value in that church, and that makes a lot of difference,” said Gary Klingsporn, who served as the church’s minister from 2010 to 2022.

The name First Congregational Church has several meanings on Nantucket. It was the first place where a woman served as pastor, in 1880, when a 34-year-old poet and temperance leader from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, named Louise Baker was called on to lead the church. It was also the first church on Nantucket to host a same-sex wedding, in the early 2000s.

throughout all of those changes, the church has remained a fixture of the community, serving as a welcoming place for generations of islanders. Not only does it host Sunday services, weddings, funerals and baptisms, it also hosts the Assembly of God Church, Congregation Shirat HaYam, the Bulgarian Education Center, The Warming Place and Alcoholics Anonymous.

“It makes you feel like you’re part of the island when you’re there, and when you’re coming to the island, the steeple is one of the first things you notice,” said Joe Hale, the chair of the church’s 300th anniversary committee, who noted the church is raising funds to enhance its exhibition space in its tower. “It’s the most beautiful panoramic view you can get of the island.”

For three centuries, the church has moved twice, added a second sanctuary, brought in a bell, built a tower and constructed a theater. And

“The First Congregational is much more than just an historic church, it is a vital part of our community’s religious, social and cultural life,” congregants Peg and Phil Read wrote in a testimonial to the Nantucket Current. “It is special because it is so welcoming and accepting to all. It is special because one can find comfort and a sense of peace in worship.”

Early Years

The church was first built in 1725 near a kettle hole bog off West Chester Street called No Bottom Pond. At the time, it served not only as a place of worship, but as one of two town meeting houses. Only later did it take on its name, the First Congregational Church.

Seventy years later, the building was taken apart piece by piece and

reassembled on its new site on Centre Street, known then as Beacon Hill. An 80-foot tower was added to the building and a 1,000-pound bell was installed. It was the first bell to be rung on the island, ringing at sunrise, noon and 9 p.m. According to church records, a vote was taken

The Old North Vestry in the early 1900s. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association.

Reverend Louise Baker in 1878.

Reverend Dr. John Emery in 1870.

in 1807 to keep the doors to the tower shut, “preventing unscheduled ringing.”

By 1834, the congregation had become so large that it spent $8,000 on an even larger sanctuary, what is now referred to as the Summer Church. The original church, called the Old North Vestry, was rotated 90 degrees and placed behind the new structure.

It was bare-bones in those days. Reverend Samuel D. Hosmer, who presided over

the church from 1862 to 1872, described the pews at the time as “old-fashioned square compartments” without cushions or elbow supports. As for heat in the winter, Hosmer remarked: “Who ever heard of an old church with any fire, save the flame of devotion to warm the worshippers.” That attitude must have changed in the coming decades. Years later, the Old North Vestry became the second building on the island to install electricity.

Tom Richard remembers the church from the days when his father, late minister Clayton Richard, led services in the Old North Vestry and the Summer Church. When Tom graduated from seminary school years later, he became minister of the same church, serving in that role from 1986 to 2001 before heading the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.

“I spent a lot of my ministry here working on the church to see

itself as a national pulpit,” Tom said. “You could count on getting great preachers here. A church’s history, a church’s reputation can only be blessed by leaders of that church taking their faith to the streets of Nantucket. The church has a reputation in its 300 years of being involved in important community movements.”

The First Congregational Church in the early 1900s. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association

Inside the tower of the First Congregational Church, where its bell rings over downtown Nantucket.

The First Congregational Church holds worship services at 10 a.m. on Sundays. For its 300th anniversary, it will host ice cream socials, free tower tours, a concert series by Congregational Church music director Jeff Cutts, an anniversary dinner and a reprise of Samuel D. Hosmer’s sermon, “Sanctuary of Our Fathers,” by John Shea.

Inside the Old North Vestry in 1890. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association

The Old North Vestry today.

The main church, called the Summer Church.

Spectators watch the installation of the church bell. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association.

A Thriving Nantucket Begins with Us.

If you love this Island and want to make a positive impact on the quality of life for people in the community, donate to The Nantucket Fund — The Community Foundation’s permanent grant making fund that provides grants to the Island’s most critical needs and initiatives.

Our goal is to raise $2 million in 2025 to fund more of the requests received from local organizations who are on the front line assisting those coping with personal struggles, in need of food, a safe place to call home, searching for childcare, or aging in place gracefully.

Photographer: Kit Noble

Wendy Hudson, CFN Donor & Board Member, Owner/Founder of Nantucket Book Partners, and Founding Partner of Cisco Brewers

“Whether you’re buying your first island escape or selling a treasured home, let us make your next move unforgettable.”

FISHING

TRASH for

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN KORN

The Nantucket Shellfish Association hauls 3,500 pounds of debris from the harbor.

Two diesel engine blocks, four boat batteries, two fuel tanks, an exhaust pipe, the hull of a boat and hundreds of feet of wiring. They were some of the clunky, rusty debris hauled out of Nantucket Harbor this spring, part of an inaugural Harbor Clean Up Initiative that pulled over 3,500 pounds worth of metal, plastic and other hazardous junk from the water.

“This is a no-brainer,” said Kevin Korn, the executive director of the Nantucket Shellfish Association, which organized the project. “This is a huge safety hazard. Imagine if kids jump in the water and hit it, or the toxic materials in batteries if those batteries leaked. We want to get it out of there.”

While the debris has been out of sight—and out of mind—for years, the buildup of old boating parts and other large material has become a growing safety hazard for swimmers, boaters and fishermen, particularly

commercial scallopers who drag for Nantucket Bay Scallops. Not only that, the decaying metal and plastic, along with battery acid and fuel, has created an environmental risk for marine life.

Some of the material is believed to have come from a vessel out of Egg Harbor, New Jersey, that sank over 20 years in the harbor off Monomoy.

“This project just makes total sense,” Korn said. “There have been a ton of projects to protect the health of the harbor, but nobody has done this. Water quality and water health is so important to Nantucket and the Nantucket Shellfish Association.”

For anyone who observed the operation, it may have looked like a regular barge with a crane out on the water on a gloomy Nantucket morning in May. But this is no normal barge. Diver Chris Fuller heads into the water in a spot identified by scalloper Bruce Cowan, where Cowan had previously encountered debris.

On board, Korn, Nantucket Moorings owner Tim Reinemo and mate Chris Bell haul up the metal boards, lines, and large boat parts. From there, the debris was taken to the town boat launch to be transported to a recycling center in Middleborough.

“It’s an amazing effort—amazing for our scallopers who scallop through those areas, where if they got caught on that debris, it could have sunk a boat,” said Harbormaster Sheila Lucey, who worked on the clean-up effort. “For boaters’ safety, it’s so important.”

“When boats sink, they’re abandoned and then it becomes everybody’s problem, so there’s more to be done,” she added. “There’s going to be a second phase. First and foremost, we need to make sure the harbor is safe, and that’s what this project is all about.”

A team of volunteers with the Nantucket Shellfish Association hauled 3,500 pounds of debris out of Nantucket Harbor.

SOUTHERN CHARM

Each house is supposed to tell a story, according to interior designer Audrey Sterk. Sometimes, when the house is just built, that story has to be created. If that’s the case, then the story for the new house on the island’s south shore is more of a travel essay.

Sterk, of Audrey Sterk Design, laid out the interior with a “traveled feel” in mind. The homeowner is a traveler and had collected artwork and knickknacks along the way. It only made sense that the home would include its fair share of vintage items, from the glassware on the bar to the thrifted art pieces from island estate sales.

Audrey Sterk Design, which is celebrating its 30th season, designed this South Shore home with an eye for traditional and modern details, including vintage decor.

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

INTERIOR DESIGN: AUDREY STERK DESIGN

ARCHITECT: BENJAMIN NORMAND RESIDENTIAL DESIGN

BUILDER: RPF BUILT, RYAN FITCH

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: JULIE JORDIN, GARDEN DESIGN COMPANY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT KISIDAY

“Every single bar should have a set of vintage glasses, period, full stop,” Sterk said. “Every bar should have a touch of vintage, something to root it in history. Even if it didn’t originate from you. It could be somebody else. It doesn’t matter where it’s from. You don’t need to spend a million dollars on vintage accessories.”

Ceiling wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries offers a moody, “traveled” feel to the pantry.

The kitchen features white oak cabinetry from Studio Dearborn, as well as custom-colored lighting fixtures over a white oak island and sconces from Urban Electric.

This living space features a modular coffee table, as well as shades of olive green, teal, charcoal and cream that appear in other rooms of the house.

Each room in the house carries that theme. The idea is to keep it clean and durable, modern with a look of being old-fashioned. “Light, sandy-colored oak is very popular, and it’s also timeless,” said Sterk, now in her 30th year in business on Nantucket. “It’s like a pair of blue jeans. It’s never going to go out of style.”

If there’s a color palette to the house, it’s moody dark teal, as well as light cream and ebonized wood. The pantry area is one example. The cabinets are painted poplar in dark teal.

The ceiling wallpaper has the look of a watercolor storm or a wave reaching its crescendo. A painting by island artist Julija Mostykanova hangs in the living room—a foggy seascape.

Upstairs, a sitting room flanked by two bedrooms offers a perch over the Atlantic. One of the bedrooms, which also looks over the ocean, features a modified wingback chair and an ebonized wood frame. “It’s like somebody had a lazy Sunday morning and they read their favorite book, and they get to look at the ocean and sit in bed,” Sterk said.

“It’s very rooted in tradition, and because we’re situated on the island, and on the south shore, we definitely leaned into it being more of a beach-focused house because of its location,” she said. “You can’t get away from the fact that sand is going to travel through this home.”

“It’s like somebody had a lazy Sunday morning...and they get to look at the ocean and sit in bed,” Sterk said of one of the bedrooms.

An upstairs sitting room sandwiched between two bedrooms provides a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

BARTLETT’S FARM

Morning

Antique French Fine Arts

Arader Galleries

Callaghans of Shrewsbury

James Butterworth - American Antique Wicker

D. M. DeLaurentis Fine Antique Prints

David Brooker Fine Art

Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, Inc.

Finnegan Gallery

J. Austin, Jeweler

Cavalier Galleries

Lawrence Jeffrey

Paul Madden Antiques

The Ann Parke Collection

Peace and Plenty Antiques

Yew Tree House Antiques July 18th - July 21st

Roberto Freitas American Antiques

Roger D. Winter Ltd.

S J Shrubsole

Shaia Oriental Rugs of Williamsburg

Silver Art by D & R

Spiral Haus

Eve Stone Antiques

Vock and Vintage

William Cook Antiques

HedgesHemlines &

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRIAN SAGER

EDITORIAL STYLIST: PETRA HOFFMANN

PHOTO ASSISTANT: REECE NELSON

HAIR STYLING: JOHN STANIELON OF DARYA SALON + SPA

MAKEUP STYLING: JURGITA BUDAITE OF ISLAND GLOW VENUE: THE CHANTICLEER, ‘SCONSET MAGGIE INC. MODEL: DEMETRA POLY

SHIRT AND SKIRT: CARTOLINA X CENTRE POINTE HAT AND BAG: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

BRACELET: KATHERINE GROVER SHOES: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

DRESS: CARTOLINA X CENTRE POINTE JEWELRY: THE VAULT

CARDIGAN AND DRESS: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

JEWELRY: SUSAN LISTER LOCKE

DRESS: SARA CAMPBELL

BRACELET: HEIDI WEDDENDORF

EARRINGS: THE VAULT

SHIRT: SARA CAMPBELL

SHORTS: REMY

JEWELRY: THE VAULT

BAG: MURRAY’S

TOGGERY SHOP

DRESS: REMY JEWELRY: THE VAULT BAG: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

SWEATER, SHIRT & PANTS: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

JEWELRY: HEIDI WEDDENDORF SUNGLASSES: THE VAULT SCARF: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

SHIRT AND SHORTS: REMY SWEATER: MARISSA COLLECTIONS SUNGLASSES AND BAG: THE VAULT BRACELETS: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP EARRINGS AND NECKLACE: KATHERINE GROVER

SHIRT AND SKIRT:

CARTOLINA X CENTRE POINTE

HAT AND BAG:

MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

BRACELET:

KATHERINE GROVER

SHOES:

MARISSA COLLECTIONS

EVERY ROOM TELLS A STORY

Introducing Nantucket’s Most Captivating Hotel

76 Main Ink Press Hotel provides a fascinating glimpse into Nantucket’s media past within a totally redesigned seacoast environment.

With its subtle blue hues and textured surfaces, 76 Main is more than simply a luxury hotel—it ’ s one that showcases the fascinating past of this historic island through a media lens over the centuries.

Come experience a one-of-a-kind adventure while being pampered with luxury linens, crafted continental breakfasts, and a calming outdoor lounge. Luxuriate today while savoring the richness of Nantucket’s past.

SEAT TABLE

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION'S ARCHIVES

Nantucket’s restaurants through the years.

Club Car, 1970s.

The Sail Loft Restaurant, 1970s.

The Sail Loft Restaurant, 1970s.

Woman feeding a seagull from The Skipper, 1960s.

Diners at the Jared Coffin House, 1979.

People dining on the back patio of the Sweet Shop, 1970s.

The fireplace at the Woodbox Inn, 1940s.

Cy’s Green Coffee Pot Bar and Restaurant, 1965.

The Skipper Restaurant, 1926.

The Skipper Restaurant, 1928.

Bosun’s Locker, 1971.

The Opera House Restaurant, 1951.

The Soda Fountain at Congdon’s Pharmacy.

by

Managed

NANTUCKET WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival returned this May with a slate of new venues, bringing its signature wine tastings, galas and fêtes to Bartlett’s Farm, the Siasconset Casino and private homes, where winemakers and sommeliers provided world-class wines, and purveyors offered some of Nantucket’s finest cuisine. This year’s festival also put a spotlight on Oregon’s Willamette Valley, famous for its pinot noir, during a luncheon at the Nantucket Inn.

NCTV’s NEW Moon Festival came back its second year to the Siasconset Casino over Memorial Day weekend for a night of creative and empowering short films celebrating female filmmakers from around the world. The full house at the Casino selected Jellyfish and Lobster as its favorite film, a moving piece on two elderly care-home residents who form an unlikely friendship when they make an enchanting discovery.

featured wedding

Bride: Alexandra Kent Bratton • Groom: Samuel Aron Korol • Photographer: Cameron Clark Photography Videographer: Yellow Productions • Venues: First Congregational Church Nantucket, Galley Beach Flowers On Chestnut • Officiant: Reverend Jodi Fondell & Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer

Dance Floor: New Image Dance Floors • Wedding Planner: Melanie Tatum Events

Melissa David Salon • Bride’s Dress: Monique Lhuillier • Band: Ripe • Decor: Flowers on the Square, The Event Rental Co., Placesetters Nantucket

Nantucket’s Leading News Source & Beyond

More people rely on the Current for their news than any publication on the island. Our work has also been cited by some of the most respected media outlets in the country and beyond.

Nantucket Current provides instant news to your phone or email inbox. The news doesn’t wait to break every Thursday, so why should you? Discover why thousands of Nantucketers now view the Current as their single source of news.

Sunny Hostin

Kristin Hannah Kevin Kwan Reid

A

Beach & Beyond

Cape Cod 5

Carolyn Thayer Interiors

Cartolina / Centre Pointe

Chateau Sainte Marguerite

Chip Webster Architecture

Christian Angle Real Estate Citizens Private Bank

Sofa CMC Construction

Foundation for Nantucket

Compass - Marybeth Gilmartin-Baugher Compass - Allison Mazer

Darya

Douglas Elliman

eittem

Eleish Van Breems

exp Realty

Fisher Real Estate

Gail Roberts, Ed Feijo & Team

Gibson Sotheby’s - Michael Carucci

Goldsmith & Davis Architects

Great Point Properties

Heidi Weddendorf

Island Glow Nantucket

J Pepper Frazier Real Estate

James Robinson

Jobe Systems

John’s Island Real Estate

Katherine Grover Fine Jewelry

Kathleen Hay Designs

Ko Ineos Grenadier

Land Rover

Lauren Marttila Photography

Lee Real Estate

Marine Home Center

Marissa Collections

Mark Cutone Architecture

Maury People - Bernadette Meyer

Maury People - Chandra Miller

Maury People - Gary Winn

Maury People - John McGarr

Meg Lonergan Interiors

Murray’s Toggery Shop

Nantucket Cottage Hospital

Nantucket Current

Nantucket Food Group

Nantucket Golf Club Foundation

Nantucket Historical Association

Nantucket Hotel Club

Nantucket

Nantucket

Sotheby’s

Over the past 20+ years, N Magazine has established itself as Nantucket’s leading luxury lifestyle publication and the most powerful advertising vehicle on the island. Renowned for its compelling content, stunning photography and premium production, each issue is hotly anticipated and becomes a permanent collectible in homes around Nantucket and beyond. Accordingly, N Magazine provides businesses with residual exposure unlike any magazine or newspaper of its kind.

To learn more about the many advertising opportunities available with N Magazine, contact Emme Duncan, Director of Advertising and Partnerships, at emmeduncan@n-magazine.com