July 2026

on

Run

MEET J. BRENT TARTAMELLA

A decade defined not by volume alone, but by the stories behind every transaction. Brent’s path led from The Country Club in Brookline to Nantucket & Augusta National. On Nantucket, he and his team led The Westmoor Club to the Platinum Club of America distinction. That same financial precision, quiet relentlessness, and fierce client advocacy defines every chapter he helps write today.

“I’m deeply grateful to the clients who trust in me and to the team at Fisher Real Estate, whose vision and philosophy I am proud to embody.”

Introducing our new Raveis365+ technology platform. Leading-edge AI systems and processes to drive results for our clients. We are helping our agents deliver more personalized services, remove unnecessary complexity, and achieve better outcomes. Luxury client services now powered with AI innovation at William Raveis.

Real-time seller analytics

AI informed pricing strategies

Ryan Raveis champions our Raveis365+ AI platform

ITALIAN ELEGANCE, ANCHORED IN NANTUCKET

Composing a melody in which the note of each individual instrument is beautifully orchestrated, Allied Marine gears up to bring a new symphony to Nantucket.

Presenting the FERRETTI YACHTS 860.

This flybridge yacht features cutting-edge design and technological innovation, where the stylistic and architectural elements work together in harmony down to the finest detail.

About Allied Marine:

As a Ferretti Group company, Allied Marine is one of the largest yacht brokerages in the world. It is the Exclusive US Dealer for new Itama and Ferretti Yachts and the Exclusive US Central and East Coast Dealer for new Pershing and Riva Yachts.

Allied Marine is also an Authorized Agent for Custom Line and CRN Yachts, and a global dealer for preowned and new yacht sales as well as memorable yacht charters.

Make Your Next Move

Old Tom Nevers Rd | Nantucket

Carlton Street | Brookline

$8,250,000 | 6 bed, 5 bath, 1 half bath Web# 92433 Johnny Hatem Jr: M 508.524.3634

$6,925,000 | 4 bed, 3 bath, 2 half bath Web# 73504938

Michael Passaro: M 917.806.8213

Manuel

$4,499,000 | 3 bed, 2 bath, 1 half bath Web# 73440767

Nicole Tirapelli: M 312.296.8048

7 Freeman Street | Lynnfield 17 Pond View Drive | Nantucket

$3,895,000

$3,599,000 | 5 bed, 6 bath Web# 73508097

Richard Peterson: M 617.888.4676

$3,399,000 | 7 bed, 7 bath, 1 half bath Web# 73498293

George Sarkis: M 781.603.8702

Mackenzie Cormier: M 978.837.2780 1 Plymouth Road | Winchester

$2,429,000 | 4 bed, 4 bath, 3 half bath Web# 73505983

Cece Yan: M 781.600.5999 4 Nipmuc Lane | Southborough

1620 S. Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida

For nearly 200 years, Citizens has been laying the groundwork to connect you to the right opportunities, worthy of where you’re headed next. How can we help you get there?

Nantucket Real Estate, Curated Around You.

For

Custom Nantucket gear, available exclusively at our island store.

NANTUCKET | 2 STRAIGHT WHARF

Where local insight meets strategic execution and the results speak for themselves.

Peter Engen • Hal Herrick • Sam Herrick • Jeanne Hicks • Mimi Huber

Maya Kearns • Bob Lang • Kiri McPoland • Shawn McPoland • Drew Moore

Jeff Lee • Carolyn Durand • Bruce Beni • Dan Dunlap • Shellie Dunlap • Peter Engen

Hal Herrick • Sam Herrick • Jeanne Hicks • Mimi Huber • Maya Kearns • Bob Lang • Kiri McPoland

Kelley Noonan • Liza Ottani • Jody Preusser • Jonathan Raith

Shawn McPoland • Drew Moore • Kelley Noonan • Liza Ottani • Jody Preusser • Jonathan Raith

www.leerealestate.com

CONTRIBUTORS

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

N TOP TEN

All the places you need to be and see.

NECESSITIES

Put these items on your summer wish list.

BY THE NUMBERS

A numerical snapshot of Nantucket this season.

Life in the Fast Lane

NBUZZ

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

NEAT STUFF

George and Mara Vasvatekis, a trusted team on and off the court.

NEAT STUFF

Sorella Home takes Nantucket.

KID’N AROUND

How to keep your kiddos entertained this summer.

NTERIORS

Meet the LDa Design Experts.

JULY 2026

NEED TO READ

76 Tim Ehrenberg gives his summer reading list.

NGREDIENTS

Fettuccine with littlenecks, courtesy of the SeaGrille.

NOSH NEWS

82

The refreshing summer drinks for July.

NQUIRY

Jennifer Garner stars in Elin Hilderbrand's The Five-Star Weekend

Interior design icon Bunny Williams at Nantucket by Design.

The Declaration of Independence

The Artists Association honors island painter Jan Purdy Metcalf.

Tony Award-winning actress Audra

FINANCIAL NSIGHTS

Market thought-leader Bob Reynolds 124

NSPIRE

The Food Pantry and Nourish Nantucket find a new home

NDESIGN

134 Beyond the brick walls: Inside Moors End

Even Keel: The Lynx in Sail250

Jennifer Garner

Photo by Elias Tahan

NVESTIGATE

A Second Chance at Life: Addiction Solutions of Nantucket. 170

NTERTAINMENT

A chat with Cartolina’ s Melissa Skoog, former assistant to Anna Wintour 176

NDEPTH

What’s new at the Old Mill? 182

NVOGUE

Driving in Style.

Taking the High Road: Bicycles on Nantucket 199 FOGGY SHEET

A recap of the island’ s hottest events

NUPTIALS

Taylor Elisabeth Shea and Michael Knight tie the knot.

Interior design icon Bunny Williams

Interior designers Bunny Williams and Elizabeth Lawrence

Bruce

EDITORIAL

Brian Bushard

ART DIRECTOR

Paulette Chevalier

DIRECTOR

Emme Duncan

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kit Noble

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER

Brian Sager

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Lola Piuggi

NANTUCKET CURRENT

Jason Graziadei, Editor in

JohnCarl McGrady,

CONTRIBUTORS

Darya Afshari Gault

Mary Bergman

Jurgita Budaite

Tim Ehrenberg

Petra Hoffmann

Jen Laskey

Larry Lindner

Wendy Rouillard

John Stanielon

John Stanton

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Charity Grace Mofsen

Chris Tran PUBLISHER

CHAIRMAN: Bruce A. Percelay

WHAT DEFINES PATRIOTISM? A

s we celebrate the 250th anniversary of this country, what does it mean to be a patriot? For me, the answer starts with those who were willing to give their lives in defense of America. As the proud son of a World War II veteran who coincidentally trained on a ship formally named the USS Nantucket, my father embodied patriotism and was my hero in life.

Nantucket has a long history of military heroes who played meaningful roles in wars that defined this country. Notable Nantucketers included Byron Sylvaro, who was killed in action in World War I, as well as Francis Wilkes, who died at sea serving for the U.S. Coast Guard when it was torpedoed by a German submarine in World War I, Walter Barrett, who received the Purple Heart in World War II while fighting in Tunisia, Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Donald Conway and numerous others.

On Nantucket, patriotism has had a complicated past. In the 1770s, the island’s largely Quaker population wanted nothing to do with the Revolution, while many island merchants who derived a significant portion of their income from overseas trade with London chose finances over patriotism. However, Nantucket has been at the forefront of revolutions of a different sort over the centuries, from women’s rights advocates Lucretia Mott and Lucy Stone, to abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison speaking at the Great Hall of the Atheneum.

Patriotism, in many ways, is in the eye of the beholder. It means a willingness to stand up to support the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of

Rights, but it also demands courage to speak out against what may be wrong with our country. Blind patriotism alone is not patriotic. As Thomas Jefferson said, “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”

We often take our form of government for granted but quite remarkably, our democracy has outlived any major democracy in history, including that of ancient Athens. Defining patriotism is a complicated exercise, and while our country is not without flaws, we live in a most extraordinary nation that affords freedoms and opportunities that differentiate us from any other country on the planet both now and throughout history.

Enjoy the Fourth of July and the celebration of this momentous birthday.

Publisher

BRUCE A. PERCELAY Publisher

Neville Richen, Strategic Air Command

Charles Chadwick (WWI)

Charlie Swain, Air Force (WWII) Hollis Webb, Afghanistan

Merrill Percelay, Merchant Marine (WWII)

Mary BERGMAN

Mary Bergman is an awardwinning writer and historian living on Nantucket. Her work has appeared in Literary Hub , The Common , Provincetown Arts and The New York Times The former executive director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, Bergman is a regular contributor to WCAI’s A Cape Cod Notebook , a place-based radio essay program. Bergman, originally from Provincetown, Massachusetts, is dedicated to documenting the unique people and places of the Cape and Islands in her work. In 2024, her essay, We Could Never Live Here Agai n, was chosen by Condé Nast as the winner of its national writing competition.

J ohn STANTON

John Stanton is a journalist and documentary filmmaker living on Nantucket. He was previously the editor of Nantucket Today and an award-winning reporter for The Inquirer and Mirror, where he covered town and state politics, the island’s Spanish-speaking population, and the impacts of sea-level rise, erosion and ocean acidification. He married Marianne Stanton, with whom he has raised three now-grown children. For this issue of N Magazine, he writes about Nantucket’s maritime history, the Tallship Lynx and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Rebecca SETTAR

Originally from Pennsylvania, Rebecca Settar has unwittingly spent half her life in New England and has lived on Nantucket for more than a decade. Settar is a regular contributor to N Magazine , has appeared in Boston Magazine , and in 2023, published her first book, a collection of short stories titled The List: Selected Stories From One Nantucketer’s Search for Love . For this issue of N Magazin e, she interviews Melissa Skoog, the creative director for Cartolina and former assistant to longtime Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

SARA WEINSTOCK

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

JUNE 30 - JULY 5

CHRISTY LYNN POP-UP

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

JULY 8 - 21

IRENE NEUWIRTH

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

JULY 13 - 18

MARLA AARON

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

JULY 21 - 26

DAVID WEBB

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

JULY 28 - AUGUST 2

SILVIA TCHERASSI POP-UP

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

JULY 30 - AUGUST 2

UNIFORM OBJECT

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

AUGUST 4 - 9

BUDDHA MAMA

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

AUGUST 11 - 16

MONSE POP-UP

AUGUST 12 - 25

SYLVA & CIE

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

AUGUST 18 - 23

ARUNASHI

FINE JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

+ PERSONAL APPEARANCE

AUGUST 25 - 30

& MORE

Events for July 10

7/2

FRIENDS FÊTE

Almanack Arts Colony

The Nantucket Land & Water Council and Almanack Arts Colony join for a night of live music and dancing at the Almanack Arts Colony in Polpis to celebrate the beauty of the island, its arts community and the ecological work to protect Nantucket’s most valuable resources. nantucketlandwater.org

7/6-12

DANCE FESTIVAL

Give it a whirl! The Nantucket Dance Festival offers swing, country line, ballet and everything in between, with free dance classes and children’s events. nantucketdancefestival.org

7/10 ATHENEUM LUMINARY AWARD

Nantucket Hotel

The Nantucket Atheneum’s inaugural Luminary Award Dinner supports the library’s year-round public programming and honors acclaimed author Nathaniel Philbrick. nantucketatheneum.org

7/9-11

NANTUCKET COMEDY FESTIVAL

Get ready to laugh at the Nantucket Comedy Festival with events ranging from Legends of Comedy, to Women’s Night and a Boston vs. New York Comedy Smackdown. nantucketcomedy.org

7/13-16

NANTUCKET BY DESIGN

A must-see celebration of art, textiles, interior design and history, the Nantucket Historical Association’s annual four-day festival returns with world-renowned designers and craftspeople, showcasing the best of both modern style and timeless pieces. nha.org

7/17

DREAMLAND DREAMBIG

Siasconset Casino

7/18 AAN GALA

Great Harbor Yacht Club

An island tradition, the Artists Association of Nantucket’s Gala features prominent art collectors and donors for a lively auction at the Great Harbor Yacht Club, with a tribute to island painter Jan Purdy Metcalf. nantucketarts.org

7/23

MARIA MITCHELL ASSOCIATION CIRCUS

Tom Nevers Field

The show must go on. The Maria Mitchell Association’s Stargazer Gala hits the big top at Tom Nevers Field for “A Night at the Circus,” with additional circus performances

July 24-26. mariamitchell.org

Join the Nantucket Dreamland at the Siasconset Casino for a night of gaming, glamour and gratitude in support of the Dreamland’s programming, world-class performing arts and live performances. nantucketdreamland.org

7/17-20

NANTUCKET ANTIQUES SHOW

Bartlett’s Farm

The Antiques Council’s annual show boasts some of the finest in fine arts and antiques, with 28 carefully selected antiques dealers and art galleries represented from around the world. thenantucketshow.com

7/25

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA NANTUCKET

Jetties Beach

Swim Across America makes a splash again on Nantucket, bringing over 400 swimmers, volunteers and spectators for its annual race in benefit of the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket and Mass General Cancer Center. swimacrossamerica.org

Support Local Artists

PERFORMANCE BRADLEY STRIPE SANKATY POLO

GOLF TOWEL

Made from super soft and absorbent terry and designed with a metal grommet and bag clip to easily attach to a golf bag, this is the perfect gift for the golfer in your life. It’s also customizable with embroidery for a personal touch!

WEEZIE @weezietowels weezietowels.com

Packed with performance features like UPF 50 sun protection, moisture-wicking properties and built-in collar stays, this lightweight polo can take you from the boat to the brewery to Brant Point Grill.

VINEYARD VINES @vineyardvines • vineyardvines.com

KATHERINE JETTER MORGANITE EARRINGS

A breathtaking accessory for summer, these stunners from local jeweler Katherine Jetter are comprised of over 20 carats of blush-colored Morganites and diamonds. As bold as they are beautiful, consider these earrings the wearable art you didn’t know you needed.

THE VAULT @thevaultnantucket thevaultnantucket.com

SUMMER

WISH LIST

PALM NOOSA DAPHNE EMBROIDERED LINEN MINI DRESS

Embody understated luxury in this premium linen-cotton mini dress, showcasing exclusive hand-drawn Luxembourg Tile embroidery. Its sleek apron-style silhouette and delicate lace trim creates a timeless, effortless look perfect for any sun-drenched occasion.

REMY @remycreations remycreations.com

ABSTRACT ICE

Abstract Ice is reinventing the cocktail experience with crystal clear craft ice in beautiful shapes that transform every glass into a canvas. Whether you’re elevating your next dinner party or searching for an event showstopper, Abstract Ice ships directly to your door to bring that wow moment to any occasion.

ABSTRACT ICE @abstract_ice abstractice.com

ST. BARTHS MEDIUM TOTE ROPE

Handwoven from NAGHEDI’s signature neoprene in navy blue, this limited-edition St. Barths Medium Tote features a tonal natural rope detail. Spacious, lightweight, and made for everyday use, it’s the perfect carryall for work, weekend, and everything in between.

NAGHEDI X CARTOLINA @shopcartolina • cartolinanantucket.com

nantucket by the numbers

150

Graduating seniors in the Nantucket High School class of 2026.

5.80

For a gallon of gas on Nantucket, at its highest point so far this year.

1,919

Write-in votes for Bob DeCosta—the most write-in votes ever cast for a Select Board member.

70

Years since the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket was founded.

3

Consecutive state semifinal appearances for the Whalers boys lacrosse team.

1

Remaining “big bus” driver at Nantucket Public Schools.

25

Years the Unitarian Universalist Church had held a Declaration of Independence reading on the Fourth of July.

Years since the Declaration of Independence.

250 $ $ Million

1.05

The price for a gallon of regular gasoline on Nantucket 20 years ago.

20.3

Views in just a week for Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple in 2024, the number to beat for her upcoming adaptation.

10895 Savannah Drive, No. 301

3 BEDS | 3 FULL AND 1 HALF BATHS | $3,950,000

Located on the top floor at the southern end of the Windsor Park Residences, this single-floor home offers privacy, natural light, and panoramic views over the conservation area and Indian River. Accessed by stairs or elevator, a private entry hall overlooks a treelined courtyard. An open-plan living and dining area connect to a balcony and porch, while vaulted ceilings throughout, including in all three bedroom suites, enhance the airy feel.

REPORTED BY THE NANTUCKET CURRENT

THE LAST MUDSLIDE? RETURNS NANTUCKET’S THE DOWNYFLAKE GETS REAL

Cisco Brewers may be one of Nantucket’s most recognizable summer brands, but the brewery recently made clear it does not intend to be involved in the proposed transfer of the Tavern & Gazebo lease, one of the island’s most closely watched waterfront business stories. The potential shift in ownership has sparked widespread speculation about the future of the harborside institution, long known as a summer rite of passage for visitors and locals alike. On an island where restaurants double as social landmarks, any change to a venue this iconic becomes more than a business story, it becomes a conversation about Nantucket identity, nostalgia, and who gets to shape the island’s next era. The Current had reported longtime owner Luke Tedeschi was not given an opportunity to renew his lease for the Tavern and Gazebo, which he has run since 1993.

A year and a half since the Downyflake was demolished, the beloved island breakfast restaurant is officially returning, this time inside the Fairgrounds Restaurant space. This May, Downyflake owners Pate and Ron Oldham sold the business to Ethan and Alexis Devine, who took over Fairgrounds last year. For generations of Nantucket families, the Downyflake has been less a restaurant than a ritual: donuts before the beach, counter seats packed in July, and lines out the door on summer mornings. News of its comeback immediately became one of the island’s most talked-about stories, fueled by equal parts nostalgia and relief. While the restaurant won’t reopen in its original location, many island residents see the revival as a small victory for old Nantucket in a season increasingly dominated by luxury development and turnover.

WATER PROBLEM

This summer’s drought conditions and escalating water restrictions have pushed one of Nantucket’s long-simmering infrastructure concerns firmly into public view. Despite recent rainfall, Nantucket remains in a “significant drought,” according to state officials, prolonging a stubborn dry spell into the summer. As the peak-season population swells, town officials have warned that the island’s water supply is under increasing strain from irrigation demand, oversized development and back-to-back dry seasons. The issue has become especially visible in July, when green lawns and hydrangea-lined estates collide with mandatory conservation messaging. While Nantucket has long marketed an image of effortless summer abundance, the conversation around water is becoming harder to ignore.

BEACH EROSION AND THE BLUFF FIGHT EVENTS REIMAGINED FOURTH OF JULY

Nantucket’s ongoing erosion battle returned to center stage this year after the highly contentious vote over expanding the ’Sconset geotube system failed at Town Meeting. The decision marked another chapter in one of the island’s most controversial environmental disputes, pitting homeowners on Baxter Road attempting to stave off erosion against a group of opponents concerned the project could accelerate erosion down the beach. Few local issues better capture the complicated reality of life on Nantucket, where multimillion-dollar properties sit directly beside a rapidly disappearing coastline. The debate also underscored a growing awareness that climaterelated challenges are no longer theoretical on the island. With bluff retreat continuing to accelerate in some areas, the question is no longer whether Nantucket will change, but how much, and how quickly.

THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN

The Maria Mitchell Association is partnering with Venardos Circus, a Broadway-style traveling circus founded by former Ringling Bros. ringmaster Kevin Venardos, to bring a world-class circus experience to Nantucket for the event. But how does a circus connect to the mission of the MMA? “A circus fosters a sense of wonder, curiosity, and imagination, just as Maria Mitchell inspired in others,” the non-profit said in a statement provided to the Current. The Stargazer Circus would feature acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, comedy, storytelling, and live performances under a bigtop tent in what the MMA is calling a “family-friendly, community-centered, four-day celebration.” The Venardos Circus is an animal-free production.

A longstanding Independence Day tradition on Nantucket will not take place this year after the Nantucket Unitarian Universalist Meeting House announced it is canceling its annual public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The event has been held every Fourth of July for the past 25 years. In a letter, church leaders said the decision was motivated by concerns over recent Supreme Court decisions affecting voting rights and by an ongoing effort to examine the church’s own racial identity and privilege. Following the cancellation, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church announced it will be taking over the tradition this year instead.

SCAN FOR MORE INFO

George Vasvatekis came to Nantucket for a date in the summer of 2012, though he ended up falling in love with the island instead. While still an undergraduate at Bryant University—and working full time for then-U.S. Senator Scott Brown— George obtained his real estate license in 2010 and purchased his first investment property through an online auction from his dorm room, launching what would become a 16-year career in real estate brokerage, development and investment. In 2015, he came to ’Sconset to lead an investment group involved in the restoration of the historic ’Sconset Store at 25 Broadway.

Mara Schmidt arrived the following summer as a professional WTA player, taking time off from the professional world tour to teach at the Siasconset Casino.

NOW

NANTUCKET SERVING

Trusted Team

For eight full summers, they lived parallel lives just 500 feet apart—Mara at the Casino and George at 25 Broadway, and even up on stage, where George acted in On the Isle’s production of Titanic the Musical. “In a village as

small and interconnected as ’Sconset, it’s still hard for us to believe we managed to miss one another for so long,” George said. Mara agreed. “I never thought I’d find the love of my life here,” she added. “It’s kind of crazy.”

In September 2023, they were set up at the same ’Sconset dinner party, and last summer, they were married on Nantucket. As partners in life and at Coldwell Banker Realty, they’ve become a formidable tandem in Nantucket’s real estate scene— “your trusted team, on and off the court,” as they say.

“Working together as a husband-and-wife team happened naturally,” George said. “Our personalities and skill sets complement each other, and we both genuinely love the relationship-driven side of the business—we approach clients less as transactions and more as long-term relationships built on trust and connection.” The seasonal rhythm of island life makes it work: Mara is devoted entirely to her role as Assistant General Manager at the Casino, while in the quieter offseason months she steps in alongside George, supporting the business and helping build it together. And she keeps things moving during the stretches when George is away serving with the U.S. Navy Reserve.

They have also embraced the community they fell in love with. George currently serves on the Board of Directors of On the Isle, the ’Sconset theater company, and was appointed by then-Governor Charlie Baker to the Board of Trustees of Cape Cod Community College, while Mara serves as a volunteer coach for the Nantucket Whalers girls tennis team. They are also active members of the Monument Running Group, regularly turning out for runs and races across the island. “Together, we try to support local organizations, events and businesses whenever we can, and we genuinely treasure the relationships we’ve built here,” George said.

“Nantucket is a one-of-one market,” he added. “There are very few places in the country with this combination of historic preservation, natural beauty, conservation, limited inventory, strong long-term values and such a deeply rooted sense of community. But beyond the real estate itself, what makes Nantucket so special is the lifestyle—the pace, the charm, the walkability, the connection to nature, the feeling of community. It’s one of those rare places where you can truly disconnect and reconnect at the same time.” Their affiliation with Coldwell Banker Realty also allows them to pair deep local market knowledge with the reach and resources of one of the world’s largest real estate networks.

Find your Nantucket with George and Mara Vasvatekis. Stop by the Coldwell Banker Realty office in town at Zero Main Street, or start the conversation at cbnantucket.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VASILIKI VASVATEKIS

Arrives on Nantucket SORELLA MANAGEMENT

Sorella is Italian for “sister.” For Megan Calabrese, the founder of Sorella Management, the translation gets to the heart of the sistership she created. “We approached this from day one as a team that deeply understands what it means to listen, care and execute,” Calabrese said. “It is extremely gratifying to have the opportunity to build a company with your friends, and hopefully show the next generation that they can too.”

Sorella Management, which offers a comprehensive suite of property and project management services designed to take the complexity out of homeownership, is now bringing that promise to Nantucket.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Co-founder Laura Winters, co-founder and owner Megan Calabrese and director of operations, Leigh K. Roy

How did Sorella Management get its start?

CALABRESE: Sorella was created from a genuine desire to provide a level of service that takes a client-first approach, treating each relationship like a partnership, and less like a transaction. Drawing on 20 years in real estate management, this experience allowed me to learn from great mentors the importance of strong foundational industry knowledge, and the importance of building a team and platform that can provide consistent service with an unwavering focus on the client.

What sets the company apart?

CALABRESE: Precision is our standard, and it’s backed by both experience and infrastructure. We were intentional about building Sorella around a high-tech, high-touch approach. On the tech side, we’ve implemented an efficient, streamlined platform that keeps everything organized in one central location—client communications, maintenance requests, financial information, vendor coordination and property documentation—so nothing falls through the cracks and our clients always have visibility into what’s happening with their property. On the touch side, that’s where our team’s character really shows. We know our clients, we know their homes, and we work to anticipate their needs before they have to ask. That combination of smart systems thinking and genuine human care is something you simply don’t find with larger, more transactional companies.

How can Sorella add to the Nantucket experience?

CALABRESE: Nantucket is a place that inspires a certain kind of reverence. There’s a beauty and a character here that deserves to be honored. Sorella exists to make sure that when our clients arrive, whether it’s for a long summer season or a quick weekend escape, everything is perfect. The house is ready, the details are handled and they can simply exhale and enjoy the island. When the sun sets on another great season, clients can pack up and leave the island, knowing their property will be well cared for, projects managed and provided the peace of mind they deserve, knowing we are keeping watch in their absence.

We came to Nantucket because we saw a real need for a more thoughtful, holistic approach to property management here. And honestly, this island felt like the right place for company expansion to bring quality service, build strong relationships, and genuine care. Nantucket homeowners tend to have exceptionally high standards, as they should. Their properties are not just homes; many are legacies. Sorella understands that deeply. We’ve built our operations around the unique rhythms and demands of this island, and our platform is designed specifically to meet those demands. Industry efficiency meets local knowledge, all in the service of the client.

What is the difference that comes with an all-female leadership team?

CALABRESE: We focus on leading with empathy, listening to what matters with an eye for detail and execution that comes naturally to us. We put ourselves in our clients’ shoes, utilize industry expertise to inform decisions, and work together to find the right solution that fits the situation. Building the right team has been one of our greatest priorities from the start. I knew that no matter how strong our systems are, or how deep our vendor relationships, the experience our clients have is ultimately shaped by the people delivering it, and our team genuinely embodies that notion. So, we’ve been intentional about surrounding ourselves with those who share our values and our commitment to excellence. That culture of care and accountability is what makes Sorella different. We’re not just service providers, we become a trusted partner, for every detail.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE:

Water. Cool Breezes. Warm Welcome.

Welcome to John’s Island, a cherished haven enjoyed by generations who have discovered the undeniable allure of life by the sea. Indulge in 1,650± tropical acres along miles of pristine beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. From sunrise to sunset, delight in the active and legendary social lifestyle and world-class features. This is truly ocean-to-river living at its finest, where your boat dock and adventures on the river may be mere steps from your backyard, or where you leisurely bike underneath the canopy of oaks along sun-dappled streets, or take early morning walks on the warm sands as the sea gently laps at your feet. Indulge in gorgeous architectural details, tranquil living areas and lush grounds - all a We invite you to indulge in a life of bliss in John’s Island.

Rachel Hickman Nan Vandervelde

Rennie Gibb

HANDS-ON HISTORY WITH THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

The Nantucket Historical Association is offering daily family programming throughout July and August. Visit the Whaling Museum’s Discovery Center for Hands-On History, featuring a rotating craft inspired by the featured exhibit, “The Wider World and Scrimshaw.” Activities include stamping, watercolors, beading and more. New this year, the NHA’s historic sites will also offer hands-on crafts to complement site tours.

Mark your calendars for the third annual Community Day at Children’s Beach on Wednesday, August 5. The day will feature demonstrations and hands-on activities exploring maritime culture and handicrafts, along with a participatory song and dance performance with representatives from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Island families enjoy free admission year-round. nha.org, @nantuckethistoricalassociation.

SWING INTO SUMMER WITH PEACHTREE KIDS

On the sunny side of Nantucket’s cobblestoned Main Street, Peachtree Kids & Monogram is a bright, welcoming destination for timeless children’s style. Thoughtfully curated for infants and children up to size 14, the shop offers classic pieces alongside fresh, current fashions, including clothing, swimwear, shoes, accessories, jewelry, toys and its signature “Nantucket” rollneck sweater. Peachtree Kids proudly features a variety of small, women-owned, sustainable and beloved local brands, including Joy Street Kids, Nantucket Kids, Maddie & Connor, Timo & Violet, Minnow, The Beaufort Bonnet Company, Oso & Me, Chappywrap, Bits & Bows, Piping Prints, Barnaby Bear, Nanpuppets, Nikki Rene and Liliput Vintage. For beach days and island adventures, the shop also carries Native water shoes for infants up to size 6.

At the heart of Peachtree Kids is its instore monogram and embroidery studio, where everyday pieces become treasured keepsakes. From classic initials on a sweater to a child’s name stitched onto a favorite dress, backpack or baby gift, each item is personalized with care. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 19 Main Street. peachtreekidsnantucket.com, @peachtreekidsnantucket.

Don’t miss one of Nantucket’s must-do family events this summer: the Maria Mitchell Association’s Stargazer Circus, presented in partnership with Venardos Circus July 24-26. Held under the big top at Tom Nevers Field, this unforgettable family-friendly experience will feature world-class acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, comedians and performers from around the globe. Founded by former Ringling Bros. ringmaster Kevin Venardos, Venardos Circus offers a fresh theatrical take on the classic American circus, celebrating artistry, storytelling and human connection. Each performance runs approximately 90 minutes and includes a 15-minute intermission, with concessions available. mariamitchell.org, @maria_mitchell_association

LET YOUR CHILD’S CREATIVITY SHINE AT THE ARTISTS ASSOCIATION OF NANTUCKET

This summer, children ages 4–14 are invited to explore a world of color, creativity and imagination at the Artists Association of Nantucket’s Visual Arts Center on Amelia Drive. Through weekly youth camps and classes, young artists will build confidence, creativity, resourcefulness and persistence while experimenting with drawing, painting,

ceramics, crafts and 3D projects. Each week features fresh themes and handson activities designed to inspire selfexpression, develop artistic skills and foster a love of making art in a welcoming studio environment. Join AAN for a summer filled with creativity, learning and fun. nantucketarts.org, @ackartists.

CREATE THIS SUMMER WITH BARNABY’S TOY & ART

Barnaby’s welcomes its sixth season with over 100 thoughtfully curated art classes for children of all ages. Each class is led by professional educators and artists who inspire creativity while guiding technique in a warm, supportive environment in downtown Nantucket. Whether your child joins a scheduled class or simply drops in to create, Barnaby’s offers a space where imagination comes to life throughout the day. Children are invited to “Drop In & Create” daily from 1:30 to 3 p.m. for a fun, flexible art experience. In addition to its in-studio experiences, Barnaby’s also offers the finest selection of toys on the island and Barnaby’s Art Kits, carefully chosen and designed to spark creativity at home or on the go. Barnaby’s fosters imagination, sparks creativity, builds friendships and generates lots of smiles. barnabysworld. com, @barnabystoyandart.

BE CREATIVE WITH NISDA

Create outdoors this summer with Nantucket Island School of Design & the Arts. NISDA offers kids, family and teen classes, as well as private tutorials for families and friends. Through arts and crafts, folklore and nature studies, young artists can explore world cultures, Nantucket traditions and the island’s natural environment, and “Sail Around the World” through stamps, paint, papiermâché, clay, collage, textiles, photography, kites, masks, puppets and costumes. Every Friday, families can join Generations Together, a multigenerational art-making workshop for all ages. Younger artists will explore painting, mask making and nature drawing, while teens can join NISDA's Studio Arts Program, with offerings in clay, photography, painting, textiles and more. And mark your calendar for the 51st Annual Sandcastle Day at Jetties Beach on July 11, 1–4p.m. nisda.org, @nisda_art.

MARIA MITCHELL BRINGS THE STARGAZER CIRCUS TO TOWN

Rare Harborfront Estate in Monomoy

Harborfront in Monomoy | Offered at $34,500,000

Set on 1.25 acres in Monomoy, 52 Monomoy Road is a rare harborfront estate with sweeping views across Nantucket Harbor to Town, Brant Point, and Coatue. The property offers 10 bedrooms across a seven-bedroom main residence and separate guest accommodations, along with a waterside boathouse, approximately 175 feet of direct waterfront, and a private sandy beach. Distinguished by irreplaceable grandfathered features that could never be replicated today, this is one of Nantucket’s most exceptional waterfront offerings.

1.25 Waterfront Acres 10 BR | 7 Full, 2 Half BA Approx. 175’ Direct Waterfront Private Sandy Beach

Waterside Boathouse

Guest Accommodations

Rare Grandfathered Features

COAST TO COAST: MEET THE DESIGN EXPERTS

MAKING SPACES THAT NURTURE AND TRANSFORM THE HUMAN SPIRIT.

From Nantucket to the West Coast, LDa Architecture & Interiors is an integrated architecture and interior design studio dedicated to making spaces that nurture and transform the human spirit. Their award-winning design solutions reflect a diverse range of projects, from urban city centers to rural and coastal retreats, and from residential to cultural and mission-driven organizations. LDa’s design work is defined by a process that embraces ideas, people, shared learning, service, sustainability and the power of place and context.

2 3

Photographer: Greg Premru

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Oversized windows create a fluid indoor-outdoor connection from living area to the deck with sweeping ocean views.

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A coastal retreat designed for a young family, with playful yet practical details.

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A fresh take on “nautical flair” with colors, patterns, and textures that pay homage to the coastal location.

4

This classic Martha’s Vineyard cottage gets a much-needed refresh with refined finishes and transitional details.

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SCAN HERE FOR INFO

Photographer: Greg Premru

Photographer: Sean Litchfield

Photographer: Sean Litchfield

Artwork

By Heather V McLeod

With record-breaking sales of multigenerational estates, iconic oceanfront compounds, and charming rose-covered cottages, Marybeth represents the finest Nantucket properties for sale and rent. Known for her relatable approach, sharp business acumen, and trusted guidance, she helps clients navigate Nantucket’s nuanced and competitive real estate landscape with confidence.

An Island Advisor in the truest sense, MBG blends local insight with strategic expertise to guide every stage of the Nantucket journey.

Contact Marybeth today

Photo Credit: Holly Matteson Pagon

Tim Ehrenberg, of “Tim Talks Books” and president of the Nantucket Book Foundation, gives his picks for summer reading.

WRITTEN BY TIM EHRENBERG

THE SHAMPOO EFFECT

JENNY JACKSON

It’s July and everyone on Nantucket will be searching for their favorite beach read of the summer, and a worthy contender this season is The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson. From the author of Pineapple Street, this book should be packed in everyone’s beach bag and atop every reader’s beach towel. If you are missing an Elin Hilderbrand summer novel this year, The Shampoo Effect is the book for you. It introduces a group of friends with underlying and simmering tensions that build and build and build (aka the shampoo effect) as the summer and plot progress. Every chapter is told from a different perspective in the friend group, and each dramatic event and plot twist keep the pages turning. You’ll see yourself and your own relationships in this story, but ultimately be thankful that the drama isn’t yours to deal with, just yours to soak up and binge on your favorite beach this summer.

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

SCAN HERE to connect with @TimTalksBooks

VIEW FROM THE EAST WING DR. JILL BIDEN

The Bidens spend every Thanksgiving on Nantucket, and for that, I feel a connection. How fascinating it was to get into the mind of former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and see through her own eyes her View from the East Wing and her time in the White House. She became first lady at a complicated time in American history, at the height of COVID-19 and right after the January 6 insurrection, inheriting a country perhaps as divided as it ever has been. She made history as the first-ever first lady to hold an outside job while her husband was in office, continuing to work as a professor at a nearby community college.

I will be in conversation with former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden discussing View from the East Wing at the Nantucket Dreamland on Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. nantucketdreamland.org

VOYAGERS

MEG CHARLTON

In 1997, Alex and Ana vanished for 36 hours. When they returned, the two six-year-olds described what sounded like an alien abduction. From there came instant fame, interviews, TV appearances and a friendship formed by their shared experience, but what really happened? Now it’s the present day and a mysterious transmission being coined “The Signal” is alarming the world at large and reopening old wounds for Alex and Ana. Voyagers is Meg Charlton’s debut novel, and it may sound like a story too far out in outer space for you, but it’s grounded in themes of memory, friendship, identity and forgiveness. It puts the terrestrial in extraterrestrial. For a book that talks of aliens, it’s a very human novel with a lot of heart. Reminiscent of one of my favorite novels, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow , by Gabrielle Zevin, this coming-of-age tale is one I will look at fondly years from now on my bookshelf. Reading experiences like these are why I love writing this column, introducing you to a great book by a new voice you can’t stop talking about.

THE WRECK OF THE MENTOR: A TRUE STORY OF DEATH, DESPAIR, AND DELIVERANCE IN THE AGE OF SAIL ERIC JAY DOLIN

For readers of Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea and David Grann’s The Wager, make sure to check out The Wreck of the Mentor by Eric Jay Dolin. This is the true story of the American whaleship Mentor, which wrecked in 1832 on a remote reef in the western Pacific. It’s a saga of cultural collision as the 11 surviving seamen encounter the Indigenous people of the Micronesian archipelago of Palau. It’s brilliantly researched by Dolin, who is hailed as the “master of the maritime narrative” (Booklist) and an “expert literary steersmen” (The Washington Post). I appreciate Dolin’s approach to history and the passion for his subject matter. You sail away to another time and place to try to understand what really happened, to get the full story from all its real-life characters of this notable shipwreck. It’s the perfect summer read for Nantucket’s sailing and history enthusiasts, of which there are boatloads.

THE GREAT WHEREVER SHANNON SANDERS

I love a good ghost story, and this novel has four of them. Aubrey Lamb inherits her father’s stake in a sizable farm in Tennessee, and when she arrives there, four ghosts are watching and observing her. Meet Aubrey’s ancestors. This is an epic family drama with a twist—the characters driving the narrative are both the living and the dead. I loved the concept of this novel; the writing was witty, fresh and propulsive; and I couldn’t get the ghosts out of my head. Apparently, the dead are relentless gossips, or at least the dead in this book are. For something a little different this summer, pick up The Great Wherever.

CHECKMATE: GENIUS, LIES, AMBITION, AND THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN CHESS BEN MEZRICH

Who would have guessed that a true story about a game of chess could be so thrilling, tensionfilled, twisty and page-turning. Ben Mezrich, bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and The Antisocial Network, sets the scene with vigor. It’s September 2022 and 19-year-old American chess prodigy Hans Niemann has defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen. A scandal ignites when Carlsen accuses Niemann of cheating. With classic Mezrich magic, we get a dramatic, well-researched narrative account based on hundreds of interviews, first-person sources and documents. While reading this cinematic story, you feel like you’re already watching the film that is currently in production. But this story dives into much more than just this singular chess game. We learn of this centuries-old game’s evolution into a high-stakes, billion-dollar industry and join in Mezrich’s fascination with brilliant minds who play in the gray area between right and wrong. It’s pure genius.

ANDREW SEAN GREER VILLA COCO

Take a trip to Italy this summer in Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer. The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less is back on shelves with a novel about a young man who answers an ad to be an assistant and archivist to the Baronessa. Known as Coco, the Baronessa is an eccentric woman of 92 whom you won’t soon forget. And so begins this charming tale, set in the Italian countryside, where our main character meets a milieu of princesses, handymen, boar hunters, nuns and local wildlife, and does his best to catalog Coco’s possessions, figure out her personality and understand her past. The book is funny and the perfect story to get lost in this summer.

ALL IN THE

FAMILY

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

35 YEARS OF FAMILY MEMORIES AT THE SEAGRILLE

Tucker Harvey more or less grew up at the SeaGrille. Harvey, the youngest child of E.J. and Robin Harvey—who founded the business in 1991—was still in middle school when he started bussing tables, seating guests and sweeping the floors for his parents. By the time he entered his senior year of high school, his dad had given him a job in the kitchen, while his sisters Adriene and Kari worked in the front of the house.

He returned to the restaurant full time in 2012 after receiving a call from his parents. His mother had been struck by a pickup truck while on a bike ride from the SeaGrille and would need months to recover. The restaurant also needed a sous chef, so Tucker stepped up. All three of Robin’s children stepped up when she needed them, and this was one of those times. Three years later, after making a full recovery, Robin was running down Milestone Road, training for the Boston Marathon, when a car struck her. Tragically, she was killed.

“I’ve grown up learning from my parents, and I do my best to follow suit,” Tucker said. The Harveys launched the nonprofit Harvey Foundation in memory of Robin, who had always volunteered for local organizations. The Harvey Foundation has since provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, as well as athletic, educational and mentorship opportunities for island youth. The SeaGrille celebrates 35 years this summer.

FETTUCCINE WITH LITTLENECKS

• 8 ounces fresh or dry fettuccine

• 24 fresh littleneck clams, scrubbed clean

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 ounces smoked bacon, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

INGREDIENTS

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1 teaspoon Calabrian chilis

• 1 cup white wine

• 1 lemon, juiced

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 3 ounces butter

INSTRUCTIONS

• Prepare the clams: Rinse the clams under cold water to remove any sand or debris. Discard any clams that do not close when tapped.

• Cook the fettuccine: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt to the water. Add fettuccine to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the fettuccine and set aside, saving 1 cup of pasta water.

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat with bacon until it starts to brown. Add the minced garlic, shallots and Calabrian chili, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and bring to a simmer.

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Add the clams to the pan and cover. Cook until the clams open, about 5-7 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

• Remove the clams from the pan and set aside.

• Add the heavy cream, butter and half of the reserved pasta water to the pan and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer for another 2-3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add additional pasta water if necessary.

• Combine and serve: Add the cooked fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the clams back to the pan and gently mix them into the pasta. Add spinach to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

A TOAST TO SUMMER

WRITTEN BY JEN LASKEY

Three star-spangled sips for July

As Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Nantucketers are doubling down on their commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If you want to indulge your unalienable right to enjoy delicious drinks this month (in the spirit of democracy, of course), our local bartenders, brewers and sommeliers have just the thing.

From an oyster shell-infused martini with a caviar “bump,” to a new hometown IPA and a quenching white wine from the country that gifted us Lady Liberty for our first centennial, Nantucket drink pros are serving up star-powered pours for people of all stripes. Cheers to them—and to you.

JEAN-BAPTISTE HARDY, FIEF DE CHAINTRE, MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE, MELON DE BOURGOGNE, 2022

($80/bottle at The Pearl)

Recommended by CHRISTINA PETERSON, wine director, The Pearl

“Muscadet is a perfect summer wine,” said Christina Peterson, wine director at The Pearl. “I love it and want more people to drink it.” This is great advice, especially on Nantucket, since Muscadet is the raw oyster’s ride-or-die. Made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne, Muscadet is a dry, mineral-forward white wine from the Atlantic coast of France’s Loire Valley. Peterson is excited to be serving John-Baptiste Hardy’s Fief de Chaintre 2022 by the bottle at The Pearl this season. Hardy has a reputation for making outstanding singleplot Muscadets in the prestigious Sèvre et Maine subregion. “This wine, in particular, is aged sur lie—on the yeast—which adds some body and richness to the otherwise relatively racy Muscadet,” said Peterson. “The Fief de Chaintre has a great balance of minerality and texture—it’s earthy yet bright.”

Fief de Chaintre also has plenty of potential beyond the raw bar. “Oysters and briny seafood bring out the wine’s natural salinity, but its high acidity also makes it an ideal pairing for slightly heavier foods like french fries or mushroom udon,” said Peterson. She encouraged sipping it on the Pearl’s patio in the sunshine with friends, fries and oysters.

Recommended by KIAN ROSS, Bartender, Cisco Brewers CISCO BREWERS, CISCO IPA ($8/draft, $18/12-pack to-go at Cisco Brewers

Few beers are more emblematic of American craft brewing than the India Pale Ale, a style born in Britain but redefined by American brewers in the pursuit of hoppiness. Kian Ross, a bartender at Cisco, is eager to introduce summer visitors to Cisco’s new flagship IPA. Brewed at a classic strength (6.2% ABV), the Cisco IPA balances pleasantly bitter hop intensity with drinkability. “This easy-drinking IPA brings bright grapefruit and orange notes with a little piney kick,” said Ross. “Light to medium-bodied, it’s crisp, refreshing and finishes with a smooth hop linger.” Ross recommends making Cisco’s new IPA part of your perfect Nantucket summer day at the brewery, beach or at a barbeque.

THE FIFTH BEND OYSTER MARTINI ($30 at Billie’s)

Recommended by TAYLOR

HOFFMAN, bar manager, Billie’s

One of the more decadent cocktails you’ll find on the island this summer is The Fifth Bend Oyster Martini at Billie’s. This Nantucket-inspired martini begins with oyster shell-infused vodka, which the bar team prepares by cleaning, boiling and roasting the tops of freshly shucked oysters before steeping them in vodka overnight. “It’s a labor of love,” said Taylor Hoffman, the bar manager at Billie’s. “But it’s easier than it sounds.” This martini also takes a cue from the Vesper, swapping dry vermouth for Lillet Blanc, which adds silky sweetness and a delicate citrus and floral lift to the drink. Horseradish gives it a zesty bite. And then there’s the garnish, anchored like a sidecar to the lip of the glass: A splurgy little spoonful of caviar. The tiny salty pearls are meant to be nibbled between sips—or slurps—mid-martini “as you savor the slowness of summer,” said Hoffman, who suggests pairing The Fifth Bend with local oysters, Billie’s Simple Greens Salad, or the grilled Mediterranean Dorade. Or you could earn bragging points by batching The Fifth Bend at home for your next summer gathering.

Makes1serving • Glassware:Chilledcoupe,martiniorNick&Noraglass

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ounces oyster shell-infused vodka (or make it yourself at home*)

• 1 ounce Lillet Blanc

• 1 lemon peel

• Horseradish (½ teaspoon, grated, or a few slices of the root)

• Small spoonful of caviar (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine oyster shell-infused vodka, Lillet Blanc, horseradish and ice in a mixing glass or shaker.

• Stir until chilled, and strain into a chilled glass.

• Twist the lemon peel over the drink to release its oils, and rub it on the rim of the glass and discard.

• Serve with a small spoonful of your favorite caviar on the side.

TO MAKE OYSTER SHELL-INFUSED VODKA: Scrub four to eight freshly shucked oysters until all of the oyster bits are gone, boil shells for 15 minutes to sanitize, roast for 20 minutes to draw out the shells’ minerality and nuttiness, steep the shells in 750 milliliters of vodka for at least 24 hours, strain the liquid through a clean coffee filter. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Photo by Taylor Hoffman

JENNIFER GARNER’S FIVE-STAR WEEKEND

INTERVIEW BY ELIN HILDERBRAND AND TIM EHRENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NBC UNIVERSAL AND JENNIFER GARNER

Actress Jennifer Garner Stars in Elin Hilderbrand’s The Five-Star Weekend

It took less than a week for the star-studded adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple to top the Netflix charts when it was released in 2024. With the success of the show and so-called Hilderbrand Fever sweeping the country, the release of the bestselling author and Nantucket resident’s follow-up adaptation of The FiveStar Weekend this month is likely to see tens of millions of viewers on NBC’s Peacock in its first week alone.

Unlike The Perfect Couple, The Five-Star Weekend was filmed on Nantucket last fall, bringing an all-star cast of Jennifer Garner, Chloë Sevigny, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall and D’Arcy Carden to the island. Garner, a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild-winning actress, sat down with Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg—who co-host the N Magazine-presented podcast Books, Beach & Beyond to discuss her experience filming on Nantucket, preparing for her role and a possible season two.

Jennifer Garner (center) with Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, D’Arcy Carden and Chloë Sevigny in The Five-Star Weekend, which was filmed on Nantucket last fall.

“To come and get almost a month there [to film The Five-Star Weekend], I just felt so in love.”

– Jennifer Garner

HILDERBRAND: I learned from working with and watching Nicole Kidman work on The Perfect Couple. She took her responsibility very seriously. The younger cast members would be looking up to her. Do you have that feeling, as well?

GARNER: This felt like an ensemble, so it didn’t feel like it was me. But all of my sets tend to be really nice places to work. If you are lucky enough to be getting to make a show as fun as Five Star Weekend, it should be fun to do. What I bring when I show up is a whole lot of energy in the morning, and then, and I just try to be prepared, and I really love the process. I love the people doing it. I don’t mean to be a nerd, but I just feel like I really love a film crew.

EHRENBERG: Everyone always says that adaptations are nothing like the book. We heard it a lot with The Perfect Couple. Does The Five-Star Weekend stay pretty close to the book. If there are differences, why are they made in a movie or show as opposed to a book?

GARNER: There are things about my character Hollis’ relationship with her daughter and the way into what happens between them on the island that's different than in the book. Sometimes that’s the cost. If Hollis’ daughter [Caroline] had had this relationship with her [Columbia] professor, then that’s a whole other person you’re casting, and then do we have to be in New York [for filming]? Sometimes it’s just that, and sometimes it’s the location that you want to take advantage of. Sometimes what’s written in the book is too internal, and you need to see it [on screen] instead of thinking about it. And there are, there are a few things where I think our story diverges, but thematically we’re pretty close.

EHRENBERG: Had you been to Nantucket before filming?

GARNER: I had been to Nantucket for one night before to speak at The Nantucket Project with Mark Kennedy Shriver about Save the Children. That had been a super focused time. I was prepping for a movie, I had kids at home, and so I literally came in and started doing work for [Save the Children]. We had different

The Five-Star Weekend is the second Elin Hilderbrand adaptation, following The Perfect Couple in 2024.

meetings we went to, different dinners, and then we spoke, and then got right back on the plane. I never made it to a beach. To come and get almost a month there [to film The FiveStar Weekend], I just felt so in love. I loved it. I loved every day, every minute. I loved it so much. I don’t know that I could love a place more than I loved Nantucket, especially in September. And Elin, what I loved was meeting your readers.

EHRENBERG: Which restaurants did you eat at [while filming] on Nantucket?

GARNER: We went everywhere. We went to Cisco Brewery, we went to Cru, we went to the Chicken Box. I loved Cisco Brewers, and we went to Something Natural. My house that I rented was close to it, so I went there a couple of times. [I went to] the dunes, the churches—I went to church a couple of times. We climbed [The First Congregational Church] all the way to the top.

EHRENBERG: Do you approach the role differently if the original content is from a book than just a screenplay that someone wrote?

GARNER: Having a book as a backstory and as the backdrop for an adaptation or for a job, I feel like it’s a cheat in a way. It fills in the blanks, because a play or a script of some kind really distills the action down, but a book has time to expand more and be more internal, so you kind of cheat and get to hear what the character’s inner monologue is as you’re playing it. Do I approach it differently? I really take the author’s intentions to heart and try to be really respectful of them.

EHRENBERG: When you have a character like Hollis, who was originally created by a novelist and then adapted for the screen by a screenwriter and portrayed on screen by an actor, you have three women that are breathing life into that character. What is the most Hollis thing about you, and what are some of the differences between you and her?

GARNER: I had a say in how [my character] was going to show up on screen. The thing that Hollis and I have in common is that we both cook. She’s much neater about it than I am. She’s much better at it than I am. I also have a best friend from high school, a best friend from college, a best friend from living in New York, friends from motherhood and friends from my career—I was part of a sorority, and I wish that I had left school with this scrum of girls that I’d gone through

“I really take the author’s intentions to heart and try to be really respectful of them.”

– Jennifer Garner

life with, and we were all meeting up to go to Nantucket and meet Elin.

HILDERBRAND: But you could throw a five-star weekend.

GARNER: I could definitely throw a five-star weekend.

Garner spent over a month filming on Nantucket for Elin Hilderbrand’s TV adaptation. Photos courtesy of NBC Universal.

HILDERBRAND: Do you ever contribute changes to a script?

GARNER: So much. I try to do it as early in the process as possible. Sometimes a writer is doing so many things, but you’re really focused on your one character, so you might have a better gauge on [whether] this arc is tracking, is this story tracking, are we following what I did with my person? Even little things like that, and also [saying] whatever would just flow out of your mouth more easily.

Often, writers will write strife into relationships in a bickering way, and that can obfuscate what’s really going on. Yes, everybody bickers, but there’s usually a more interesting way to get at what the problem is than [being] snarky or biting.

“I could definitely throw a five-star weekend.”

– Jennifer Garner

HILDERBRAND: If you could plan a five-star weekend, which four actors would you invite to Nantucket?

GARNER: I can only imagine it with Regina [Hall], Chloe [Sevigny], D’Arcy [Carden] and Gemma [Chan].

EHRENBERG: What is your favorite book-to-screen adaptation?

GARNER: To Kill a Mockingbird

HILDERBRAND: Who is your favorite literary leading lady?

GARNER: Harriet the Spy.

EHRENBERG: Is there a book that you would love to be a part of the screen adaptation of?

GARNER: Chris Colfer’s books, The Land of Stories.

HILDERBRAND: Who are your auto-buy authors—the authors whose novels you will definitely read?

GARNER: Laura Dave. I’ll read all of Ann Patchett. I’ll read all of David Sedaris, and I’ll read all of Abraham Verghese. I’ll read all of Barbara Kingsolver.

HILDERBRAND: What kind of decisions go into making a season two?

GARNER: It’s really about the viewers. Do they demand it by showing up to season one and sticking with it the whole way through? If you want a season two then please ask your friends to stream all of season one and watch it through the end of the eighth episode. That’s really what makes a decision.

For the full interview with Jennifer Garner, listen to her episode of Books, Beach & Beyond with Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg, out July 15. And a special thank you to the episode’s sponsors, Cartolina, Serena & Lily, Nantucket Historical Association, Book of the Month, Nantucket Book Partners, and Little Brown.

Photo courtesy of NBC Universal

SCAN TO LISTEN

Tom Nevers

A Lifetime of STYLE

Bunny Williams at Nantucket by Design

Renowned interior designer and author Bunny Williams headlines the Nantucket Historical Association’s Nantucket by Design.

INTERVIEW BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BUNNY WILLIAMS HOME

In her career, Bunny Williams has become a design legend, putting her mark on homes from Nantucket to the West Coast. She has received recognition by Architectural Digest’s Hall of Fame and Elle Decor’s A-List. Williams has published nine books on interior design, gardening and lifestyle, and is releasing her latest book, Decoration, this fall. In July, she headlines the Nantucket Historical Association’s Nantucket by Design, bringing her trademark design sensibilities to an island that seems tailor made for her aesthetic.

What brings you back to Nantucket?

I was at the first Nantucket by Design, and what they’ve accomplished in 10 years has made it the buzz of the design world. Everybody loves to show up. It’s really extraordinary.

From a design perspective, what stands out to you about the island?

It’s filled with so much history. I always like to go [to the island]. Luckily, I work on projects, so I get to go when there are fewer people and just walk around the streets and really soak in the history, the architecture, the cobblestones, the whole thing. It’s so beautiful, but it gets a little more crowded in the summer.

Do you prefer Nantucket in the offseason?

I like a lot of places in the offseason, just because I think you can wander and experience it in a different way that is special. I always like to go a little bit before the season or a little bit after, when things are still open, but there are just less people.

What has been your experience working on Nantucket?

One [project] was a new build, which was two houses on one property. Being a new construction, it’s always interesting—like trying to do anything on an island—because you have to get things there. Every project faces the same thing. On the other hand, what’s really wonderful to me about Nantucket is the skill of the craftsmen. It’s limited, and you hope they can work on your project, but there are so many artisans and craftsmen available.

Obviously, there’s a lot of construction going on, but it’s a wonderful place to work in that way. The harder part is getting all the furniture and getting it on the island, getting the trucks there, and often you’re not doing this in the season, so you have to worry about the weather and can the ferries leave—it makes the installations much more complicated.

You’ve compared new projects to new romances. What exactly does that mean?

Well, I think the most important thing is you have to have a bond with your client. You have to court each other. The client and the decorator need to spend time together to understand what you’re trying to accomplish: How are they going to live? How do they want this house to feel? I always say that it’s not my house, it’s their house. It takes some time to get clients comfortable enough to try to explain this to you. Do they lie down on the sofa to watch television? You need to know how they’re going to live in a house; it’s not just how they’re going to have a dinner party, but how they’re actually going to live.

There can be ups and downs. I understand interiors really well. Sometimes the architects might be more worried about where the windows are outside, but not so much about how the interior functions. That can be a thing where you have to build confidence and have each person respect the other and work together. There are always these relationships, whether it’s the clients, the architects or the contractors—everybody is needed in the project, and it’s just how they all work together.

What is the most helpful thing a client can do when they’re working with you? Be honest.

You have also said you design furniture for a lifetime and not for a moment. How can furniture stand the test of time and not feel passé in a matter of years?

If a piece of furniture has quality, is well made and has an interesting design to it. I’m not worried that it’s going to go with something else. It’s the same mentality I have when I’m shopping for oneof-a-kind older pieces. I’m always looking for something with some character that you fall in love with. I’ve been buying for a long time, and the pieces of furniture that I have loved and bought, I’ve kept with me. I’ve moved them from an apartment to a house, even in my house in the country. I may get something else, but that piece goes to another room, because I don’t like to get rid of the things that I’ve chosen, because they’re interesting and they have character to them. Everything we have designed for Bunny Williams Home has to have some sense of character. You see so much of what I call “flat furniture,” just a hunk of wood, which I think can get tiring and boring.

You have also said in interviews that you don’t take on historic houses.

I take on historic houses, but I won’t do a period room. I love old houses, but if somebody wants it to look like a fishing captain’s house from the 1800s, that’s not the person for me. If they’re going to collect period furniture, I’m probably not going to do that.

Most of my clients who buy historic houses want them to look like it’s today. They want upholstered sofas, they want the television, they want a study with their computer. I’m trying to make even a historic house function for today.

Is it hard to strike the balance between traditional charm and modernity?

No, not at all. I personally live in an old house, and I have pieces of furniture that were of the period of the house, but then I’ve got a big comfortable sofa and comfortable chairs. I have lamps that have lamp shades on them, which you would not have had as a period house. I think if you walk into my house, you would say it’s traditional, but it’s certainly not period. I also have contemporary art. I love a house that spans some time, and I think if you work in a historic house, for me it’s fun to find a few things that are of the period, but then move on and make it look like somebody’s lived there for four generations. That’s what is interesting. Then you walk in and you don’t know when it was done.

Some interior designers compare design to storytelling. Do you agree with that sentiment?

No, I don’t think of it as just a story. I think of it as I’m creating a home for people to live in. I look at wherever it is I’m working. I look at the site. Obviously, if you’re working in Nantucket, most people today want a more casual lifestyle. They’re in their dark shoes, they’re on the water, they’re hiking, so the houses have to feel that way. Families need big kitchens so that everybody can have breakfast together. That’s the kind of thing that I think about, and I don’t know that it’s a story as much as it’s the story of trying to make the house be the place that will function for their life, and in the meantime is also interesting and beautiful.

“ The most important thing is you have to have a bond with your client. You have to court each other.”

– Bunny Williams

Are there any trends that are inspiring, or do you avoid trends?

I hate trends. People ask, “What’s the trend?” and I say that a house should not be trendy. You’re going to have it for a long time. You can buy trendy clothes. I can buy barrel jeans this year and get rid of them next year, but to me, the investment of what you have in your home should not be trendy. That’s why I like to mix things up. That’s why I like antiques; I like modern art; I like contemporary things mixed with antiques. I also think one has to be careful not to overdecorate, particularly when you’re in Nantucket. Sometimes you can overdecorate a house, and then you miss the views out of the window and you miss the island, because you come in and it’s almost too confusing.

What does overdecorating look like?

It’s very busy and a little contrived. Everything matches. There isn’t anything that doesn’t match, whereas I like things to blend. There’s a big difference between blending and matching.

Who are the interior designers today that you admire?

There are a lot of people who I think do fabulous work. There are so many of us who came out of Parish-Hadley who I think do great work. We did a book on it. I like Tom Scheerer’s work, I like Stephen Sills’ work and I like Brian McCarthy [and] David Kleinberg. I could go on and on. I think there are a lot of good designers in the whole design world.

AMERICA A SALUTE TO

ON HER 25O TH ANNIVERSARY

One of Nantucket’s most meaningful Fourth of July traditions has been the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Unitarian Universalist Church. This year’s reading will be hosted by Father Max Wolf at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, creating a new tradition on the island. For many of us, the last time we’ve actually read the Declaration of Independence was in grammar school during civics class. N Magazine felt it would be appropriate on this 250th anniversary to provide our readers with a copy of the Declaration of Independence for everyone to read.

This 1,458-word document, written by Thomas Jefferson, changed the course of history and has produced the longest standing major democracy the world has known. Signed by 56 colonists, including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams and John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence announced to the world the colonies’ intention to break away from British rule and establish an independent nation. Today, we celebrate the improbable success of this country, which was described by Alexis de Tocqueville as a “great experiment,” and which, despite internal conflicts throughout our history, still endures.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

Declaration of Independence

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

A Thriving Nantucket Depends On ALL of Us

For more than 20 years, the Community Foundation for Nantucket has partnered with community leaders to address our island’s most critical needs.

Through generous donations to The Nantucket Fund, our grant making helps provide access to affordable childcare, after-school programs, behavioral and physical health services, shelter and food for those in need, and enrichment for our island’s seniors.

Nantucket Fund Grant Recipients from left; Nantucket Boys and Girls Club, Rising Tide Preschool, Our House,St. Mary’s Parrish

Photographer: Kit Noble

Jan Purdy Metcalf will be honored by the Artists Association of Nantucket at its signature gala on July 18.

A PURDY

PICTURE

WRITTEN BY LARRY LINDNER PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

The Artists Association of Nantucket honors island artist Jan Purdy Metcalf

Like many people who make Nantucket their home, Jan Purdy Metcalf's path to the island was circuitous. It was 1997, and Metcalf was renting a cottage on Hummock Pond where every day some 30 geese waited for a retired game warden to come feed them. She could hear his motorcycle zooming down Hummock Pond Road. Born from that recurring tableau was the first painting Metcalf ever sold—a scene of the geese by the pond—and her second marriage—to the game warden.

Now, almost 30 years later, she will be celebrated as the honoree at the annual gala of the Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN), which takes place on Saturday, July 18, at the Great Harbor Yacht Club. “She was an obvious choice,” said AAN Executive Director Tracey Sears. “She’s always one of our top sellers. And she’s always one of the first to help other artists or to volunteer.”

Metcalf has been coming to Nantucket since 1968, although it was an inauspicious beginning. She was flying in from Detroit to visit her boyfriend but missed her connecting flight to the island. Fortunately, a man at Logan Airport with his own plane saw her and took pity on the crying teenager, whisking her to

“Home Run,” a 25x37 painting by Jan Purdy Metcalf, fitting to the AAN’s theme, “Raise the Sails.”

Nantucket for $12. When she reached town, with a coiffed hairdo and in “a really cute dress and heels,” she saw that “everybody had long hair and wore blue jeans.”

“It was the start of a really wonderful relationship with the island,” Metcalf said. She and her boyfriend came back to Nantucket every year, married after a time, and then came back annually with their two daughters. In the early days, she said, “I did a little gardening for 50 cents an hour. Then I got a job as a waitress at the Sweet Shop, which is now Or, The Whale.”

She moved to the island full time when she married the game warden, Eddie Metcalf. “It wasn’t

Above, “Old Harbor II,” Below, “Good morning Sconset”

like I was going to restaurants all the time,” she said. “And my family had grown up. I needed a network. I needed to find my tribe.” She found it at AAN, not a stretch since she had already spent decades on the mainland as an artist, painting wall-size murals in children’s rooms as well as working in interior design.

Many of her works center on sailboats, which is one reason the theme of this year’s gala will be a nautical “Raise the Sails.” Metcalf has been sailing since she was a girl in Michigan, and she taught sailing for a while, too. “The confusion of a race’s start or finish is kind of what I want to capture,” she said about her art. “It’s a mess, lots of boats going this way or that way, but really beautiful to see them all together.” She has seen it, of course, at the Opera House Regatta and also in the Bahamas, where she wintered for years with Eddie and had a close-up view of sailboat races from her front door.

Along with the boats, there are paintings of waterside shanties, flowers and other motifs, notably, the one covered in her Little Black Dress series. “I once saw a picture in The New York Times of the inside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Metcalf said. “All of the women [in the photo] were dressed in black—very New York—but two of the women weren’t looking at the paintings. They were looking at their reflections in the mirror. I thought that was so interesting.” She also likes to paint what she called “a fair amount of old Nantucket, the houses I remember from when I first came—in areas like Madaket, and the little houses by Hummock Pond.”

Her works often have something geometrical and still at the center—a boat, a dress, figures in bathing suits—but movement around them in the form of water, sky or both. As far as genre, “she’s a contemporary artist,” said AAN Artistic Director Robert Frazier. She uses “thicker paint that’s a bit blockier than a watercolor—loose, chunky, but very appealing,” he continued. And yet “at the same time a lot of her art

Old Wharf, by Jan Purdy Metcalf

resembles [the simplicity of] folk art, although not naive or childlike like classical folk art, which is usually from an untrained artist.”

Her Little Black Dress paintings, like her others, are “very simply done in some way but with a very appealing, contemporary look—ladies in black dresses at parties, ladies in bathing suits at the beach, a row of three or four dresses on a rack,” Frazier said. Similarly, he noted that her interpretation of “a lot of vertical masts all bunched up has a very modern feel but, at the same time, a sort of simple older character to it.”

“

It works. “For quite a few years now, Jan has been one of the top 10 sellers at the Artists Association,” said Miranda Holmes, director of the AAN’s Cecelia Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery. “Not everyone on Nantucket collects Nantucket art. Some people don’t want a lighthouse. But Jan’s work fills the spectrum.”

“She’s got a big price range,” Holmes added. “You can collect her at $200, you can collect her at $3,000. Jan allows any level of buyer, and it’s nice to be able to say that you own a piece of her artwork.”

But it’s not just Metcalf’s art that Holmes, Frazier and Sears appreciate. It’s also the way she throws herself into the AAN community. Metcalf shies away from the accolades, so much so that when Sears and AAN board president, Laurie Champion, called her to say they wanted to name her this year’s honoree, she said she

had to think about it overnight. That didn’t sit well with Metcalf’s daughter, who was there at the time. “I’ll call back and say you’re going to do it,” the daughter said. Metcalf has since let herself lean into the recognition, if only a little. “It’s such an honor,” she said, “an incredible honor.” But she’s more comfortable talking about the sense of belonging that AAN has afforded her. “I want to emphasize that [being part of AAN] is really fun. I’ve made all sorts of friends. It’s just been so gratifying to have such a large group of people.”

Holmes still goes back to her talent. “We have a lot of notable names at AAN,” she said, “early 20thcentury artists going right up into the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s—names that are still very collected, highlighted on this island. I see Jan being that person 20 years from now, being one of those highlights of this time, if she’s not still creating art at that point. She’s going to have that level of collectibility. You look at her artwork, you know it’s hers. You don’t need to look for her signature. It’s very much her stroke, her vibrant colors. From her little black dresses to the regatta images, it’s all subject matter she’s extraordinary with.”

You look at her artwork, you know it’s hers. You don’t need to look for her signature.”

— AAN Gallery Director Miranda Holmes, on Metcalf’s art

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Membership Details

$200 — non year-round customers

$150 — year-round residents

To join the club and schedule appointments call Cecilia at 774-236-9432, or email ackgrooming@gmail.com, or visit us at our new expanded space at 118 Orange Street.

Open Monday - Saturday

STEALING THE SHOW

INTERVIEW BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW ELHAMALAWY

TONY WINNER AUDRA MCDONALD

Audra McDonald is used to a big crowd. A six-time Tony Awardwinning actress—as well as a two-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner and member of the American Theater Hall of Fame—she is the most decorated actor in Tony history. But this summer, she’ll be performing in a much more intimate setting, the newly renovated Nantucket Performing Arts Center. McDonald compares it to performing in a living room.

“Whether I’m in a big venue or a small venue, I try to make my concerts intimate affairs, where hopefully the audience really gets to know me and I get to know the audience through song,” said McDonald, who will be performing songs out of the American Musical Theater Songbook with her pianist, Andy Einhorn. N Magazine caught up with McDonald ahead of her performance.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will be performing songs out of the American Musical Theater Songbook with her pianist, Andy Einhorn, at the Nantucket Performing Arts Center.

“The message you get is always about getting in touch with your humanity, because in doing so, you can’t help but see that in others.”

– Audra McDonald

What is your experience on Nantucket?

MCDONALD: I remember being struck by its beauty, understanding why people are very passionate about it. I can see why people go there and never leave.

Is it refreshing—maybe challenging or beneficial to you as an artist— performing at smaller, more intimate venues?

MCDONALD: I wouldn’t say it’s either for me, maybe it’s because I’m older now and I’ve done this for a long time. It’s not a challenge or necessarily a benefit. I just need to adjust to the size of the space, because in the end, my goal is the same. In whatever way I need to do that to make sure that that fourth wall is down and that I’m communicating with the audience in a way that makes it feel like they have an idea of who I am by the time evening is over, that’s the goal. The great thing about it, just being myself and Andy on the piano, is that it really lends itself to a smaller space.

Why do you think the American Musical Theater Songbook has had the staying power it’s had?

MCDONALD: I’ve been in theater since I was nine years old, and so in a way, even though I would go on to study classical music at Juilliard and have exposure in that particular genre, this is my first language, the American Musical Theater Songbook. It’s how I was introduced to theater. It’s how I found who I was as an artist. For me, it’s going back to my beginnings, my ABCs, as it were. What I love is when I do songs and I pick my repertoire and change up my repertoire, I’m always singing something that means something to me, or it helps me convey a message that’s important to me. The fact is that there is just an infinite amount of incredible material that allows for that journey. Andy and I like to [say] we try to give you a full meal. We give you your first plate, your main courses, we give you the amuse-bouche, and we give you dessert. We’re trying to make sure that we get the whole meal in.

It’s such a wealth of material from which

to choose that it’s infinitely inspirational and fulfilling to me to continue to find ways in which to get across my message, my thoughts, who I am and what I love—and a lot of the time that seems to be right in line with what the audience is looking for as well.

With music that is so recognizable, do you put your own twist on the performance, or give it something that is distinctively you?

MCDONALD: I’m choosing these songs because I want to interpret them, because I feel like they can help me to express myself, and they stand on their own as the brilliant material that it is. That’s very important, so that is a part of the main mission. It’s never to imitate; it’s to interpret. And interpretation art inherently implies that it has to go through you in order to do it. To interpret it, to even just to process it, it has to go through you and your sensibility and your brain and your heart and your sins—all of that. For me, that’s certainly always been the goal, to make sure that it ends up being a part of who I am, instead of me just trying to copy what someone else has done. I don’t like to think of it as putting choices on anything. It’s just the way that I am receiving the material, and then processing the material, and then therefore sharing the material. And you can do that while still being true to the composer and lyricists and intent, you know that you can absolutely do that.

How has musical theater changed from the time you entered the scene?

MCDONALD: The one thing that hasn’t changed about the arts is that we need them, and that they are what keep us in touch with humanity—humanity within ourselves. They help us to continue to see the humanity in others, and it’s a part of being human. We needed them as a race from the beginning, and so in that sense, the arts have not changed and in some ways things have become better. In some ways I think we’re coming into an interesting era with AI to see how that affects the arts and whether that will be a detriment to the arts or whether it will help. I don’t know the answer to that. I am certainly curious, and I’m a bit apprehensive about that, but that is certainly something that’s effecting huge change.

Having said that, because of the advent of the internet, a lot of the arts have become more accessible than ever before, and that is a wonderful thing. Although having said that, you need nothing to create art. You can do it sitting in your room by just raising your voice to sing or drawing something on a piece of paper. However, in terms of the arts as an entire discipline, because of the internet and YouTube, and because everybody has a camera on their phone, you’re able to access the arts in a way that we’ve never had before, and that’s an equalizer, which is a wonderful thing.

With those changes, and with funding cuts in the art, how do you view the future of theater?

MCDONALD: I think we’ve gone too far in one direction and we are reaching out towards things that make them feel more human, like reading a book or actually being in a place with their friends or going rock climbing and putting down their phones. People are not necessarily drinking as much, they’re having knitting clubs, they’re doing all these things in a way that makes me feel very, very hopeful. So maybe we’ve started to correct in a way because we’ve gone so far in one direction. This new generation would put their entire lives on the internet, and then say, “Wait a minute, what makes us most human?” They are heading back in that direction in a way that I think can only be a wonderful sign of the possibility of the future health of the arts in general.

What do you hope people take away from your performance on Nantucket?

MCDONALD: I hope it inspires them to come back to this new space. I hope it inspires them to seek out more live concerts, to enjoy the idea of going out into a place and being with each other in that space and receiving music and being a part of a live performance. Live performance does not happen without the audience. I hope they get to know who I am, and for me, the message you get is always about getting in touch with your humanity, because in doing so, you can’t help but see that in others.

“Whether I’m in a big venue or a small venue, I try to make my concerts intimate affairs, where hopefully the audience really gets to know me and I get to know the audience through song,” – Audra McDonald

A Legacy Estate on the Sconset Bluff

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Nantucket Real Estate

For over 30 years, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Island Properties Nantucket has represented Nantucket real estate at the highest level guided by refinement, integrity, a nd deep local expertise

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INTERVIEW BY

BRUCE A. PERCELAY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

TAKING STOCK

NANTUCKET SUMMER RESIDENT AND FORMER PUTNAM INVESTMENTS CEO BOB REYNOLDS

Bob Reynolds is widely regarded as a leader in the securities world, having served as chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments and president and CEO of Putnam Investments. Reynolds, a Nantucket summer resident, sat down with N Magazine to discuss the state of the market, the lingering effects of oil prices, and our local economy.

The disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street has never been greater. The market is at an all-time high, while credit card defaults are increasing and high inflation continues to impact the middle and working classes. How do you reconcile these two realities?

REYNOLDS: I don’t think there’s a huge difference between Wall Street and Main Street. Wall Street does have institutional investors, but there are a lot of individual investors in the market, especially with 401(k) retirement planning, which brought investing to Main Street America.

I do think the strength of the market surprised some people. But when you look at employment levels, the unemployment rate is relatively low, which is a great sign. Consumer spending remains a huge driver of growth, even though I do think people are being a lot more selective right now. The biggest thing to me, which has always driven the market, has been for-profit businesses. Those are very healthy. Of course, it’s led by tech, healthcare and AI-related companies, but across the board they have been relatively strong. It was a great first quarter, and if you look at household wealth, it remains elevated, especially compared to pre-pandemic levels. This is supported by home values and the financial assets.

A number of highly respected Wall Street veterans are projecting a major market reversal, and that the current melt up will not have a happy ending. What are your thoughts?

REYNOLDS: I don’t agree with it. You have to be optimistic about the market, but there are some challenges out there. There’s no question about it.

Last month, we spoke with Andrew Ross Sorkin, who drew parallels between the current market and the crash in 1929. Given the exponential growth of our national debt and the weakening of the dollar, could you envision a 1929 kind of event with the stock market?

REYNOLDS: No, because there are too many levers to pull, and the government didn’t have back then what they have now. I don’t see that as a remote possibility. I think there are too many good things going on in the economy, even though we’re being challenged by a geopolitical situation.

Back in the dot-com era when the market was booming, you had companies getting paid with eyeballs, but I think in today’s economy it’s different. The super valuations are in AI companies, which is not [paid with] eyeballs, it’s actually delivering something that can have a significant impact on the world for years to come.

There are many doom-and-gloomers about the impact of artificial intelligence, however there are others who feel the increase in productivity could create dramatic growth, much like the industrial revolution. What camp are you in?

REYNOLDS: I’m optimistic. If you go back in time in America’s history, any time there was new development—whether it be steam engines, trains or electricity—America has a way of adapting to these changes. I don't think the AI revolution is going to go as fast as people think, but I do think that certainly in the very near future, it is going to create a lot more jobs. Like everything else, we should find ways to take advantage of it. One area where I know it will have a dramatic impact is medicine, which is huge for the Boston area.

The S&P 500 has risen significantly, though mostly as a result of a limited number of stocks—most notably the Magnificent 7. What is the purpose of investment diversification if buying outside of technology has a much higher risk of reducing your return?

REYNOLDS: You can look at the S&P in two ways. One is cap-weighted, and that’s when a fewer number of stocks can dominate the market, and the other way is equal-weighted, where every stock is 0.2% of the market. The S&P capweighted was up 10.7% and the S&P equal-weighted was up 8.7%. So large stocks have had an impact, but not to the level that people would want you to believe.

Meanwhile, high oil prices impact virtually every aspect of the economy. How are we to avoid further inflation without significantly lowering oil prices?

REYNOLDS: It makes it more difficult. Inflation has cooled but it remains above the Federal Reserve’s long-term target, so it makes it much more difficult. Usually when you have a rise in oil prices, you have inflation because the cost of goods goes up. I think it’s a geopolitical challenge, and I think time will have to bear it out, whether it’s as impactful in the long term as some people suggest.

Bob Reynolds

If oil prices were to drop tomorrow, how long would it take to lower costs on the consumer given how sticky prices are on the downside?

REYNOLDS: I think it depends upon the industry. At the pump, I think you would see [costs lower] in a relatively short period. Longer term, due to contracts and prices paid for petroleum and the products that are made with it, it may take a little bit longer. Every time there’s a thought that there could be some type of deal in Iran, you see dramatic drops in the price of oil, and it does take a while to enter the economy, but it would have immediate impact.

The expectation before the war in Iran was that rates would come down, but now there looks to be a likelihood of them going up. What is your prediction?

REYNOLDS: Right now they certainly will not be cut. It all depends on inflation, which has cooled a little bit. I don’t think there’s an immediate need to raise interest rates. I think the big [employment] number was helpful in that unemployment has not changed at all, but I think inflation has to be the biggest concern on the horizon for the American investor.

Nantucket and places like it seem to be the beneficiaries of the market upswing in general and with AI in particular. Do you see the demand for luxury housing on Nantucket and the real estate market continuing to appreciate?

REYNOLDS: To me, Nantucket is a different part of the economic lesson in supply and demand. That’s one of the huge challenges not only on Nantucket, but across the United States. They’re just not building homes, and [high] interest rates have put a challenge on people buying homes. I think on the high end, you’re not going to see that big of a change right now.

The Massachusetts economy was once the envy of the nation, but now appears to be among the worst performers in the country. What is your view on where the Massachusetts economy is heading?

REYNOLDS: In Massachusetts, we’re last in the country in private-sector job growth since the pandemic, and we’re [near the bottom of] states in domestic outflow. Most of the people leaving the state are young workers and people with wealth. I think that creates a very, very ominous future for the state, and that definitely concerns me. We’re creating a situation where the further you get behind, the harder it is to catch up.

The millionaire’s tax in Massachusetts is doing what politicians have wanted, but when does it start to cost the state?

REYNOLDS: It’s costing the state now. That’s what you don’t hear. If you had no millionaire tax, you would have zero revenue [from the tax], and if you have a millionaire tax, you have some number, so that’s the number they all show. But what it doesn’t tell you is the people that have left the state.

If there was a sector of the market outside of AI that you felt was the next area of investment opportunity, what would it be?

REYNOLDS: I think you would have to go into the pharma industry. With how AI can cut down the time of testing and get to the right answer very, very quickly—I do think that will have a dramatic impact on the pharma industry in a positive way.

Are you bullish on the market as a whole over the coming year?

REYNOLDS: In the shorter term, when you look at the market, the harder it is to predict. The next three or six months are a little bit easier, but it’s still difficult. The longer term you go out, the more certain you are on the market. If someone’s time horizon is five years, the equity market is the best place for your money.

Under One Roof

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Nourish Nantucket, The Food Pantry and The Land Bank Team Up

It might be the single most transformative step towards solving Nantucket’s growing food insecurity crisis.

This June, Nourish Nantucket and the Nantucket Island Land Bank opened a first-of-its-kind Community Food Hub, providing a new and larger home for the Food Pantry after years of uncertainty over its downtown lease, as well as a commercial kitchen for prepared meals and a new venison processing facility.

“This new facility will dramatically enhance our ability to help serve the food needs for over 3,000 individuals who utilize the various food programs on the island—however, our goal is to expand our mission, as this only

represents half of the population in need,” Nourish Nantucket Executive Director Meg Browers said. Nourish Nantucket launched two years ago with a bold goal of solving the island’s food insecurity problem. Last year, it partnered with the Land Bank in a major expansion of the conservation organization’s efforts, to jointly purchase the space for the Food Hub on Boynton Lane. Under the partnership, the Land Bank manages the basement deer-processing facility—which provides ample space for local deer donated by hunters—while Nourish Nantucket runs the kitchen and food pick-up area. The Food Pantry, under a long-term lease, operates out of the same building, bringing Nantucket’s food security initiatives together under one roof.

Brooke Mohr (left), John Wise (center) and Bruce A. Percelay (right) look over a site map at the Community Food Hub, which opened in June.

“This was a remarkably seamless partnership between three organizations, which now under one roof can work together to solve the food insecurity problem on Nantucket,” said Bruce A. Percelay, who created Nourish Nantucket as a single fundraising vehicle for the 12 different agencies on the island, and serves on the organization’s board.

On an island known for fine dining and luxury estates, it might sound ludicrous that more than 30% of year-round residents struggle to put food on the table. It might sound counterintuitive that the island’s Food Pantry—for years the most crucial means of providing food to the hungry—was losing its lease downtown. But that is the harsh reality of the island’s severe housing shortage, the exorbitant cost of living, and the seasonality of labor for a large chunk of Nantucketers.

As of last year, some 46% of Nantucket Public Schools students qualified for free and reduced school lunches, while across the Cape and islands, roughly one-third of households go to bed hungry, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank. With the new facility, Nourish Nantucket will be able to curb food insecurity like never before on the island, through grocery cards, direct support to island schools, ready-toeat meals for kids in the summer and food rescue from summer rentals.

In addition to existing programs, the Land Bank’s creation of a deer-processing facility is an innovative solution to multiple problems on Nantucket. “By helping reduce the overpopulation of deer on the island, which in turn helps mitigate the tick infestation, we are also able to provide high-protein food for those in need,” Land Bank Executive Director Rachael Freeman said. “We will be preparing ground venison that is hunted on the island. It is truly a win-win situation.”

The goal is to address hunger across all walks of life. According to Nourish Nantucket Board President Brooke Mohr, some 46% of foodinsecure households have children, and 42% of food insecure households have seniors. “The food hub is a manifestation of what we’ve been doing since we started,” she said.

Perhaps no organization will feel the impact of the new community food hub more than the Food Pantry. “With the threat of losing our home a year ago, a facility like this is a dream come true,” said Ruth Pitts, the pantry’s manager. “It satisfies our space needs, our parking needs and is at a location that is easily accessible. The partnership created by these three organizations has produced a wonderful long-term solution for us so we can focus our efforts on doing our job.”

“This new facility will dramatically enhance our ability to help serve the food needs for over 3,000 individuals who utilize the various food programs on the island.”

– Meg Browers

While the facility goes a long way toward feeding islanders, the need is still severe. Last year, Nourish Nantucket raised over $360,000 for grocery store gift cards for 600 individuals when federal SNAP funding was cut, though more than 1,000 other islanders remained on the waiting list. For other islanders whose salaries disqualify them from receiving federal benefits, Nourish Nantucket bridges the gap.

According to Mark Donato, vice chairman of the Land Bank Commission: “The collaboration with the Land Bank, while seemingly atypical for our organization, reflects our goal of responsible land management, and helping reduce the deer population while feeding those in need on the island could not have been a better solution.”

The Community Food Hub brings Nourish Nantucket and the Nantucket Food Pantry under one roof, with additional space for the Land Bank’s venison processing facility.

7 & 9 PARK LANE

‘SCONSET | $2,495,000

Two darling cottages in the middle of ‘Sconset Village

4 SACCACHA AVENUE

CISCO | $5,895,000

Cisco serenity just moments to South Shore beaches

95 HUMMOCK POND ROAD

HUMMOCK POND | INQUIRE FOR PRICING

Expansive two and one half acre property with myriad options

ROOTED IN LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, GUIDED

BY EXPERIENCE

With firm roots and a long line of historic Nantucket families in her genes, Lara’s knowledge and understanding of the island are vast. As an 8th generation Nantucketer, she grew up with a love for nature, travel, and for the unique and tenaciously caring community that exists on the island. In addition to over a decade of full time yearround experience navigating complex transactions in many segments of the Nantucket real estate market, Lara is deeply involved with local non-profits and volunteer opportunities. Always looking to maintain a high standard of knowledge, Lara has earned her Accredited Buyer Representative and Resort and Second Home Property Specialist designations from the National Association of Realtors and sits on the Continuing Education Committee of the Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers.

JEWEL

in the CROWN

A TOUR OF MOORS END

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Moors End was built between 1829 and 1834 by Jared Coffin before he moved to Broad Street.

The story goes that Jared Coffin built the brick estate on the sprawling undeveloped lot on the corner of Pleasant Street and Mill Street as an escape for him and his wife at the edge of town. Coffin, a whaler who did well for himself in the early 1800s, called the house Moors End, since it stood at the edge of what was then the entrance to the Middle Moors. But just a few years into their stay, Coffin’s wife decided the brick mansion was too far from town. They left the house and built another brick mansion at the corner of Broad and Centre. That property is known today as the Jared Coffin House.

For the past 200 years, Moors End has been shaped and amended by the changing times as it moved from family to family, and from generation to generation, from the Coffins to the Hallets, the Minturns, the Gardners,

the Williams, the Flanagans and the Sandersons. Throughout its history, portions of the property have served as a Prohibition-era speakeasy, a dance hall, a horse stable, a private bistro and a gathering place for garden parties, fundraisers and galas.

When it was all said and done, Moors End had become the crown jewel on an island well known for its Quaker architecture, whaling captains’ estates and pre-Civil-War homes. It’s the only residential lot over an acre in downtown Nantucket. Its slate roof and brick walls bring it back to another point in time, when visitors from around the world would stroll through its long halls and meander around venerable American elms and beeches and through the hedgework of its Victorian garden, perhaps the finest on the island.

Built between 1829 and 1834, the original house fronting Pleasant Street is the oldest residential brick building on the island. Its iconic brick walls around the perimeter were added in the late 1800s after the Coffins had left. A

One of two front rooms, the parlor contains a 360 degree painting of Captain James Cook’s voyage to Polynesia

A significant renovation was undertaken at Moors End this spring.

The barn at Moors End.

wing was added in the 1920s, after it was purchased by Edward Sanderson, one of the early benefactors of the Nantucket Historical Association. For that project, Sanderson hired architect Fiske Kimball, who was perhaps most well known for renovating Monticello, and for his 30-year tenure directing the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Along with the new wing—with its secondstory library, kitchen and several sitting areas— Sanderson hired Stanley James Roland to paint a mural around all four walls of the dining room, depicting Captain James Cook’s voyage to Polynesia, as well as the trials and tribulations of a harrowing whaling voyage into the South Pacific.

In the back, the barn tells another story entirely, that of Nantucket’s agrarian past and a time before Wranglers and Defenders whipped down Pleasant Street. The barn—an old horse stable—once towered over the edge of the moors, providing sweeping views of the island from a third-story perch that has since been taken down.

But perhaps most spectacular is what’s written on the walls in the fourth-story cupola, where signatures line the room, some dating back to 1856. The etching has

faded into the wood, leaving only a guess as to the visitors the property has seen: a man visiting from Glasgow, a family caught in a storm. Not all of those oldest words have survived.

From the top floor cupola, the house peeks over the neighborhood, providing a unique view of the chimneys along Pleasant Street and the steeples of the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse and Congregational Church. It’s a reminder for anyone who has visited that Moors End has stood the test of time.

The second story library with two Chesterfield leather couches.

The other first-story room at the front of Moors End, the living room showcases a 1926 painting of a whaling trip to the South Pacific.

B O S T O N M E D F L I G H T . O R G / G I V E B O S T O N M E D F L I G H T . O R G / G I V E N O N P R O F I T

$11,250,000 | Ty Costa

$4,950,000 | Gloria Grimshaw

$3,150,000 | Melanie Gowen

Town

Town

Town

$3,595,000 | Susan Renzulli

Town

Madaket

Young & Bakney Young

Town

$6,595,000 | Deb Killen & Josh Lothian

WRITTEN BY JOHN STANTON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Tall Ship Lynx Prepares for Boston and Sail250

It was said that the muzzle flashes of the swivel cannons and the pistols, etched against a dark October night in 1814, could be seen from the rooftops on Orange Street. In the waters off Madequecham, a bloody battle was being fought between the British frigate of war HMS Endymion and the American privateer Prince de Neufchatel.

The Prince de Neufchatel was a stateof-the-art vessel, well-armed, very fast and maneuverable, fitted out for the express purpose of raiding merchant ships and outrunning the British Navy. Its crew had already plundered an estimated $3 million by the time it was seen off Nantucket. It had all but shut down shipping along the Irish Sea earlier that spring.

The British frigate sent five small boats with 104 officers and marines to use the cover of darkness to attack the privateer. In a bloody battle—which included a moment when the captain of the privateer held a torch over the opening to the gunpowder room and threatened to blow everyone up rather than be taken—the crew of the Prince de Neufchatel managed to repel the British attack.

Tall Ship Lynx, a regular visitor to Nantucket Harbor, is participating in Sail250 up the Eastern Seaboard to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary.

More than two centuries after that battle, the tall ship Lynx spends its summers in Nantucket Harbor, serving as a floating memory of those fast ships that helped turn the tide of the war for the new nation. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War and the nation’s maritime history, Lynx Captain Don Peacock is sailing the tall ship along the Eastern Seaboard, through the Cape Cod Canal and into Boston Harbor as part of Sail250.

The event is similar to any number of tall ship parades in the past, including the Bicentennial Tall Ships parade in 1976. Peacock can remember watching a tall ship event in the 1990s from a vantage point in Boston. “The fleet was anchored near the islands in Boston Harbor and it was a forest of masts,” Peacock said. “It was an amazing sight and made you think how important these sailing ships were to a young America.” There often comes a moment, he said, when the Lynx is heading out of Nantucket Harbor, around Brant Point, tracing the movements of a whaling ship leaving the island for the Pacific, when you can feel that reflection of history.

NANTUCKET IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

“It was an amazing sight and made you think how important these sailing ships were to a young America.”

– Lynx Captain Don Peacock

In both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, Nantucket’s official stance was neutrality, a decision fueled by the island’s large Quaker population and the fact that the whaling industry did business in London. The obvious geographical reason was the island’s isolation.

Through the Egan Maritime Institute, the Lynx offers educational opportunities for islanders.

In his book, The History of Nantucket, Obed Macy described the result of that simple but devastating truth of island life: “There is no place within the limits of the nation more exposed to the ravages of an enemy, and none more out of the reach of the protection of government than this.”

The British naval blockade provided a harsh lesson for Nantucketers during the revolution. The whaling business was all but shut down, as whaleships and their oil were seized and their crews jailed or forced to serve in the British Navy. Heavily armed cruisers

were allowed to continue working without harassment and the British would issue passports for a handful of coasting schooners to bring supplies to the island from Boston and New York. The British found the terms agreeable. In the middle of the Revolutionary War, Nantucket had crafted its own treaty with a foreign power.

When the war ended, Nantucket began to rebuild its fleet. The Brant Point Shipyard was built and the whaler Rose launched. Soon the fleet numbered some 116 ships, including 46 whaleships.

flying the Union Jack patrolled the waters off the island, preventing packet sloops from delivering provisions, fuel and even mail.

A few years into the Revolutionary War, Nantucketers found themselves frigid and starving. At Town Meeting, residents decided the only choice they had was to cut a deal with the British. The terms, in part, had Nantucket agree not to take up arms against Great Britain, surrender its arms and ammunition and “make no opposition against any British vessel into this harbor to refresh.”

In exchange, a limited number of whaling ships

But another war with the British was on the horizon, and memories of those hard times during the Revolutionary War were fresh in the minds of many islanders. The War of 1812 promised to be déjà vu, complete with a decimated fleet and starving citizens.

This time, town officials didn’t wait for armed ships flying the Union Jack to fill the Sound. In May 1812, they petitioned the federal government to reconsider entering another war. If war must be declared, they asked that the cod and whale fisheries be exempted from wartime strictures. The petition was ignored, and war was declared on June 8, 1812.

Lynx Captain Don Peacock

It did not take long before the deprivations of what was then recent memory once again became the reality of life on Nantucket. One August morning in 1814, the British ship HMS Nimrod was seen at the sandbar, and a skiff came to shore under a white flag, offering

“It was an amazing sight and made you think how important these sailing ships were to a young America.”

– Lynx Captain Don Peacock

a deal from Admiral Alex Cochrane that was similar to the previous agreement. Nantucket’s official stance, once again, would be neutrality.

When the morning dawned after the October battle between the Endymion and the Prince de Neufchatel, 33 men from the British ship had been killed against only six on the privateer, including a Nantucketer who had earlier hired on to pilot the ship through local waters. The wounded from both ships and the captured British sailors were sent into ’Sconset and carted off the beach and into town—a town, of course, that was under British control.

The captain of the Prince de Neufchatel, a Frenchman named John Ordronaux, sailed

his damaged ship and wounded crew into Boston, where he retired a wealthy man. The prize ship he had captured, the Douglas, ran aground near ’Sconset. Her cargo was carried away by Nantucketers, who considered their good fortune, in the face of the starvation rations they were living on, just another kind of privateering.

In London, speeches were being made in Parliament arguing that the war was not worth the expense. Repairs were made to the Prince de Neufchatel, another captain was found and the privateer set sail again. Eight days out of Boston, it was captured by the British. The war ended later that month.

The Lynx is an interpretation of an 1812 era privateer.

Eve Manghis Nantucket Scholar Recipient 2012

Being a Nantucket Scholar has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I completed my undergraduate studies at Harvard University entirely debt-free, which allowed me to pursue a career in medicine without the burden of financial uncertainty. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine and am currently completing Internal Medicine residency at the University of California, San Francisco, where I will serve as Chief Resident before beginning a fellowship in Cardiology. My research focuses on developing novel prevention tools to reduce disparities in cardiovascular disease. I am also passionate about mentorship and work as a medical school admissions consultant, supporting students navigating their own paths into medicine.

43 Nantucket Scholars since 2006

82 Professional Scholarship recipients since 2018

65 institutions of higher education attended Grants to 100+ Island organizations

942 grant requests – 818 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 24 years for the benefit of Nantucket youth.

Join the CLUB

The Hensdale Club Looks To Take Root On Nantucket

There could be a new private club in town. Alan Worden, the co-founder of The Westmoor Club, struck a deal with the owners of a sprawling agricultural lot on Old South Road for what could be the latest private membership health club on Nantucket, complete with swimming, racquet sport and a health center. Why? The Nantucket Yacht Club, Great Harbor Yacht Club, The Westmoor Club, Nantucket Golf Club, and the Sankaty Head Golf Club were completely full.

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

The proposed Hensdale Club on Old South Road. Courtesy of Alan Worden

Alan Worden, the co-founder of The Westmoor Club and the leader behind the proposed Hensdale Club.

“A lot of those folks grew up with certain island traditions...and for folks who are here in the summer, one way they connect with Nantucket is through the activities and relationships they have through a club.”

– Alan Worden

“All the clubs are full and it’s getting hard for legacies,” said Worden, who released the proposal for the Hensdale Club this spring. “A lot of those folks grew up with certain island traditions, whether it’s buying a book at Mitchell’s, riding [bicycles] to Altar Rock, or trying to learn to kite surf. There are traditions that we all connect with in different ways, and for folks who are here in the summer, one way they connect with Nantucket is through the activities and relationships they have through a club. I look upon it from that perspective—the desire to meet other nice people is fundamental.”

The Hensdale Club—a nod to the family that owned the farm in the mid-1800s— stands out in a crowded field of private membership venues. In addition to a wellness center, pool, pickleball courts, racquet courts and dining and function rooms, the club would also feature active food production, including an 8,000-square-foot greenhouse and an outdoor orchard. In the off-season, Worden hopes to donate greenhouse produce to island food security initiatives. Another part of the sustainability mission includes a so-called bio pond, or an ecological feature for stormwater retention.

The Hensdale Club is proposed on a 12-acre lot on Old South Road owned by the Valero famliy, which plans to lease the majority of the property and retain over an acre.

“All the clubs are full and it’s getting hard for legacies.”

– Alan Worden

It takes you about 10 seconds to figure out that longevity is ultimately connected to the soil, because if you start with wanting to lead a healthier life, food is medicine and food comes from soil, so the soil better be healthy,” Worden said.

For Worden, the proposal comes down to four core tenets: longevity, sustainability, service and connectivity. “We are less connected because of technology,” he said. “That’s why I think these spaces and any opportunity for friends to gather—whether it’s the Little League barbecue, some club event or the Boston Pops—connect people in an environment that increasingly feels disconnected.”

The proposal, which still needs approval from the Historic District Commission and Planning Board, comes 21 years after the Westmoor was unveiled and 23 years after Great Harbor came on the scene. If approved, it would carve out over 10 acres of the Valero family’s property under a long-term lease, while preserving the remainder for the family.

Largely undeveloped, the property would remain primarily open space.

Anyone who has been to Valeros, or seen it from the abutting Land Bank property, would associate the land with the longstanding garden center and the family’s livestock. The Valeros plan to keep operating their garden center, while Worden hopes to keep the horses on the property with a proposed equestrian program, which would be made available to the year-round community. “I raised three of my four children here, and having the activities in the off-season is pretty critical,” he said.

It might just be another club among clubs. But with the Valeros opting not to sell their land to a developer and hoping to preserve the open space they have, Worden argued a private club makes the most sense. As a long-term lessee and not the property owner, Worden said his goal is not to increase density, especially not in a part of the island that’s grown frustratingly used to a bottleneck to the Milestone Rotary.

“My undergraduate degree was in architecture, so this land as a physical piece of land is likely to have something occur on it, and when you look at what that could be, it could be very dense housing,” Worden said. “I appreciate that there are people who

would suggest that, but the reality is this has been owned by a family for 40 years, and that wasn’t a choice they wanted. They didn’t want density.”

"If you start with wanting to lead a healthier life, food is medicine and food comes from soil, so the soil better be healthy."

– Alan Worden

As for the “service” tenet, Worden points to philanthropic efforts of the other private clubs on Nantucket as an example for the Hensdale Club. He said the club intends to create a community fellowship program consisting of nocost—three-year memberships to senior leaders of Nantucket nonprofits and publicsector institutions.

“I’m very proud of Westmoor and the work we’ve done there from a physical point of view, but also from a programming point of view,” he added. “It has so many enviable features and programs that the members really embrace, and when you talk to those members, what they tell you is the number-one reason to join Westmoor is to meet other nice people. That story of connection has been consistent over 21 years.”

Renderings of the Hensdale Club. Courtesy of Alan Worden

Connecting Our Coasts

With a lifetime of experiences, friendships, and deep family ties to Nantucket, Christine considers both coasts home. She loves sharing the beautiful contrasts between the boating and golf seasons, oyster roasts and clambakes, indigenous landscapes, blooming gardens, local artists/authors/music, and real estate opportunities.

From the cobblestone charm and weathered gray-shingled cottages of Nantucket to the moss-draped oaks and tidal waterways of Coastal Carolina and Savannah, Christine’s 40+ years of coast-to-coas t living bring a unique perspective to those “considering Coastal Carolina & Savannah”.

RESURRECTING A GHOST SIGN

WRITTEN BY MARY BERGMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

The faded Petticoat Row sign gets a new life on Centre Street.

At the corner of Centre Street and Main Street, on the bricks of the Congdon & Coleman building, you can just make out a faded handwritten sign in black and white. PETTICOAT ROW, the sign once proudly declared. For decades now, this faded sign has merely whispered.

Petticoat Row, as Centre Street was called for generations, was once home to many women-owned or operated businesses. A romantic myth about Petticoat Row persists—that women ran businesses there while their whaling captain husbands, brothers and sons were away at sea, following sperm whales all points south. This is the stuff of widow’s walks and cobblestones being used as ballast in whaleships. Women did operate businesses across the island—many in their own homes—during the whaling industry and throughout the 19th century. But Petticoat Row’s stretch of women-run shops took shape in the post-Civil War era, after the decline of the whaling industry, as more and more women needed to earn a living outside the home.

In 1923, the last of the old-time merchants of Petticoat Row, Miss Hannah G. Sheffield, died. A news item in the Inquirer and Mirror at the time announcing her death noted, “Verily, times have changed, and the character of ‘Petticoat Row’ has changed more than any other street in town. It will henceforth be only a memory.”

But in 1935, just 12 years after Sheffield’s death, there was an appetite on the island to enshrine Petticoat Row in memory. The Selectmen were petitioned to place a sign at the corner of Centre and Main, and another at the corner of Centre and India (then called Pearl Street) to name the block Petticoat Row.

The sign on Centre and Main was painted by 1941, but how long it was maintained remains a mystery, while the India and Centre sign was lost to time. A 1973 effort to officially rename Centre Street to Petticoat Row was defeated by the Selectmen at the time. Those who opposed the measure were concerned that changing a street name would create too much confusion for residents, especially when it came to where their credit card statements would be mailed.

Last spring, island real estate agent Shelly Lockwood, whose offices are situated on the former Petticoat Row, took stock of the faded sign on the Congdon & Coleman building and decided she wanted to see it restored to its former glory. Lockwood dove into research at the archives of the Nantucket

Businesses on Petticoat Row in the 1870s. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association

One of two historic signs marking Petticoat Row, at the corner of Main and Centre streets.

“Verily, times have changed, and the character of ‘Petticoat Row’ has changed more than any other street in town. It will henceforth be only a memory.”

– The Inquirer and Mirror, 1923

Signs painted on bricks were less expensive than signs made of wood, and people on Nantucket during the Great Depression (like the rest of the country) would have been looking for ways to save money. Sign painting was dangerous work, as sign painters had to be up very high.

Preservationists are often split on what to do about ghost signs. They are ephemeral objects; they were not made to last forever. Should they be documented and photographed and then left to fade away? Or should they be restored and revived, given a new life?

Painting the Petticoat Row sign is more than just making it look nice; it is a way of making sure women’s history does not fade from memory either. In a moment

Historical Association and found an image of how the sign appeared in its heyday. Next, she approached Jim Congdon, co-owner of the building on which the sign is painted, about restoring the sign. Congdon was supportive of the idea. But this being Nantucket, Lockwood had to first get permission from the Historic District Commission and Sign Advisory Council to repaint the existing sign. It was perhaps an odd catch—that a sign that has existed for at least 89 years needed permission to be repainted—but Nantucket does things its own way. The faded Petticoat Row sign had surrendered to the weather and the passage of time. Throughout the country, these “ghost signs” pop up all over, usually as faded advertisements in urban environments on brick buildings.

Left to right: Centre Pointe manager Amanda Kepley, Nantucket Preservation Trust Executive Director Rita Carr, attorney Rhoda Weinman, Pinwheels owner Beth Hanlon, Nantucket Run Centre owner Bridgette Hynes, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket Executive Director Bethany Oliver, The Vault CSO Cece Baggott, Nomad manager Amanda Tanner and Born & Bread co-owner Kim Anderson.

Left to right: Attorney Jessie Brescher, Cattivo owner Rachel Najera, Serenella manager Marianela Negron, Via Coquina manager Meryl Sousa, Hostetler Gallery owner Susan Hostetler, Marissa Collections manager Caroline Morris, attorney Sarah Alger, The Dress Code president Suzanne Gleason, Ladybird Lingerie general manager Marissa Bares.

where women’s contributions to this country, and women’s rights, are under siege, reminding the island and all who visit that this island has always been a place where women were able to own and run businesses is important. “Working women were highly esteemed within the community,”

Jascin Leonardo Finger, a curator and deputy director at the Maria Mitchell Association, wrote in her master’s thesis, The Daring Daughters of Nantucket Island.

contributions had an impact on more than just this little sliver of sand. According to Finger’s research, there were at least 100 businesses on the island owned by women in the 19th century.

This summer, Congdon & Coleman reached out to island artist Penn Austin to repaint the faded sign, bringing attention to the ghost sign and to the history of Petticoat Row. Will this new sign fade away, too? Maybe, in time, it will take on a similar patina to the old sign.

The Daring Daughters of Nantucket Island explains that while women did work in other towns and cities across the country, women on Nantucket made decisions about finances that impacted not just their families but the island’s economy. As Nantucket occupied such an important place in the global economy at the height of the whaling industry, the island was a place where women’s

Paint does not do well here, at the mercy of the wind, waves and salt spray. Not everything was made to survive the weather. It takes a lot of work to make it feel like not much changes on Nantucket.

Even if the sign does fade away, the contributions of women to this island, and this country, will not.

The women of Petticoat Row in the 1890s. Courtesy of the NHA

HELLO AGAIN

AMERICA

250 at

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Author Nat Philbrick receives the Atheneum’s Luminary Award

SNantucket does not fit the cookie-cutter story of patriotism during the Revolutionary War. In fact, islanders wanted nothing to do with the Revolution, so much so that Nantucket was regarded by the rest of New England as an island of Tories. Instead of supporting the cause, mariners chose loyalty with London, fearing the repercussion of severing ties with one of their most lucrative markets.

Nat Philbrick will be honored this month with the Atheneum's first-ever Luminary Award.

We don’t have Nantucketers that fought on Bunker Hill,” said Nantucket resident and bestselling author Nat Philbrick. As the war started, island merchants struggled to make ends meet, a problem that got so bad that by the winter of 1780, residents were surviving primarily on rats and seagulls. At the same time, they were at odds with most of Massachusetts. Nantucket was even attacked by patriot marauders from the Cape during the war. “ Islanders looked at the Revolution as a collective trauma that put them at odds with everybody,” Philbrick said. This July, Philbrick—who has been researching Colonial America and the American Revolution for over two decades—will speak about Nantucket’s role in the American Revolution and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence at the Nantucket Atheneum’s first-ever Luminary Award Dinner, where Philbrick will receive the inaugural award.

According to Philbrick, a child of the ’60s who grew up reading the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and watching Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News, the nation has always been divided. The country he came to know over the nightly news was embroiled in deep political division that made it seem to a young Philbrick like every day the country was teetering on the brink of collapse.

Several years ago and over a dozen books to his name later, Philbrick embarked on a journey to retrace George Washington’s steps on the presidential tour he took around the new nation to convince residents from Massachusetts to Georgia that a federal government could unify even the slave-holding South and the anti-slavery North. On that trip, Philbrick realized the division he had witnessed as a kid paralleled the political uncertainty of the new nation—and that the division lives on today, only in a new form. It’s not that history is repeating itself, he said, but, as Mark Twain put it, history “often rhymes.”

“I grew up in Pittsburgh, where there were helicopters in the sky and a neighborhood on fire beside my own, and race riots in the high schools,” he said. “[The ’60s] felt like things were out of control, and it’s different kinds of forces at work now. It’s a similar but different sense of our whole system being on the brink. I think the 250th anniversary [of the Declaration of Independence] is well timed in terms of reflection, and it’s my sincere hope that this moment of looking back will enable our country to see what really matters and hang on to the essentials that will keep us here in the future.”

As the first recipient of the Atheneum’s award, Philbrick will be speaking on not only his body of work, but the American Revolution and the early days of the young republic. And with the country gearing up for both national and local celebrations for our 250th anniversary—including the typical pomp and circumstance of fireworks and parades, as well as a UFC fight at the White House—Philbrick has fluctuated between outright pessimism over the future of the country and reassurance that things have a way of working out.

“The times now feel very perilous,” he said. “We feel like we’re on the edge, but what I’ve begun to realize is it always feels that way, and it’s only in retrospect where we can say, ‘Well, they had it figured it out in the past,’ but they didn’t. No one has ever had it figured out. We were born in a revolution, we were born amid controversy, amid disagreements, amid violence, and it’s how we came into being. Every generation enacts a version of that. Sometimes it’s more partisan and ugly than others, but it’s part of the democratic process, where people who don’t

necessarily agree are forced to come to some kind of terms.”

Perhaps the best example comes from close to home. Annual Town Meeting, sometimes called the last true vestige of democracy, remains at the core of town politics on Nantucket while serving as a blueprint for a functioning democracy that values civil discourse, diverse opinions and the rule of law. “That is democracy at its bare-knuckle best, and it’s every spring we enact the process that is at the heart of this country,” Philbrick said. “It’s an experiment. We’re the only republic that is a long-term republic that’s emerged from a revolution and been around this long, and I think it’s always going to feel tentative and on the brink, and it just goes with the territory.”

The other example for Philbrick is George Washington, whose first presidential tour Philbrick followed and then wrote about in Travels with George. Washington had a golden opportunity to become a monarch in the new nation but chose to abdicate power after two terms and sail off into the sunset. Philbrick’s Atheneum presentation is titled “250 Years Later: American Independence and the Advent of George Washington.”

“Someone like George Washington, who had been in a position to become a version of a king, resisted that and made possible who we’ve been since. I think that’s an example that should be a source of inspiration for this country moving ahead,” Philbrick said. “What matters is the rule of law, that no one personality, no one is above the law, that we have our system of government that’s about the people. I think we have to see that. That’s how the founders saw it working.”

It’s not lost on Philbrick that he’ll be delivering that message at an event organized by a public library, the institution that provided him with a home base when he first moved to the island. Public libraries and the constitutional freedoms of speech, religion and expression go hand in hand, he said.

“It’s my sincere hope that this moment of looking back will enable our country to see what really matters and hang on to the essentials that will keep us here in the future.”

– Nat Philbrick

As Atheneum Executive Director Leslie Malcolm put it: “The Atheneum stands in the community as a trusted information source. All public libraries serve as that within their communities. Civic values are at the core of what we do. We want an informed citizenship. We offer it for free.”

“It’s what the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution are all about,” Philbrick said. “There really isn’t an institution on this island that embodies the importance of free speech and the right of access to knowledge and the cultural aspects of our society [like the Atheneum].”

The Nantucket Atheneum’s Luminary Award Dinner honors author Nathaniel Philbrick on July 10 at the Nantucket Hotel.

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ASECOND At Life CHANCE

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Addiction Solutions of Nantucket: Fighting the Stigma of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse

Addiction Solutions quite literally saved Holly Cunningham’s life. Cunningham, who grew up in a broken household surrounded by heavy drinking, never knew a life without substance abuse. She had her first sip of alcohol when she was a kid and started drinking recreationally before she turned 12 years old. “With everything that was happening in my life, I ran to drugs and alcohol,” she said.

When her mother passed away six years ago, drinking on her own became a way to ease the pain. Her addiction had become so severe by 2023, that the Nantucket Police were called on her during a night out at The Muse. When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs stated she had been walking like a “ragdoll” and was acting “out of her mind,” according to their report.

Cunningham spent 48 hours at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and the day she was released, took a load off with a glass to drink. When she showed up to work the next day, she was shaking, and her boss noticed. “I decided that next day that I had had enough,” Cunningham said. “I was so sick that I could barely function. I was detoxing, and [my boss] suggested that I come [to Addiction Solutions]. The moment I walked in here, I completely, 100% surrendered, and ever since, the

way I look at life is completely different.”

Cunningham has been sober for over three years, making her one of countless success stories at Dr. Tim Lepore’s Addiction Solutions of Nantucket since its launch out of Lepore’s office in 2005. While Addiction Solutions doesn’t fit the glossy, picturesque version of Nantucket, it has undoubtedly become one of the most important organizations on the island. Last year, its clinic saw a 35% uptick in activity. Cunningham was one of 230 patients treated last year.

“The island is an impossible place to live. There’s no housing and people have to work three jobs, so you’re living through stress, and it’s hard to navigate that, but it’s easy to pick up a bottle of vodka,” said Tom McCann, a board member at Addiction Solutions. Couple that with the potency and availability of opioids and hallucinogens, as well as the loneliness that comes with living on an island 30 miles out in the dead of the winter, and the picture becomes clear.

“We have an idea of what someone with addiction looks like and you don’t want to admit that it could be you,” Addiction Solutions Secretary Lauren Murray Soverino said. “We all know someone to just one or two degrees of separation who has struggled with substance abuse.”

Holly Cunningham has been sober for over three years, thanks in large part to Addiction Solutions of Nantucket.

“The moment I walked in here, I completely, 100% surrendered, and ever since, the way I look at life is completely different.”

– Holly Cunningham

For Brad Ciran, a spray technician at Champoux Landscaping, it started with a few parties. When he moved to Nantucket eight years ago, the bustling night scene was the place to be, and with 112 restaurants and package stores with liquor licenses on Nantucket— including a few licenses awaiting final state approval—the island seemed to be swimming in booze.

Ciran partied with crowds of locals and tourists for his first year on Nantucket. He also experimented with oxycodone, OxyContin, hydrocodone and morphine. By the end of the year, he had tried the incredibly powerful and dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl—at first without knowing he had taken it—drastically increasing his risk of an overdose.

In 2023, roughly 69% of all drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involved opioids other than methadone, meaning they likely contained fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Massachusetts, more than 2,100 overdose deaths were reported

Lisa Doran has been sober for eight years.

in 2023, a reflection of the prevalence of opioids like fentanyl, according to the state Department of Public Health. That number is likely an undercount.

“There would be days I would be up all night going to work the next day, just not even knowing how I’m standing up, all while trying to keep a habit going, and wanting to not miss out on anything,” Ciran said. “I look back on it and I think, ‘How did I make that work?’ Being part of the bar scene here is pretty fun to an extent. I lived it, but it got out of control.”

Ciran lost his job at Champoux Landscaping, which ended up being a turning point for him. “I begged to get my job back, and Ben [Champoux] said, ‘You’ve got to get sober and you’ve got to do this,’” Ciran recalled, referring to Addiction Solutions. So he walked into the clinic at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Step by step, he started to turn his life around. Ciran applied for a spray technician license and studied hard. He took online classes through the University of Massachusetts’ Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and received a turfgrass management degree.

“[Going to Addiction Solutions] had to be done. It just had to be done,” Ciran said. “I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t do it—100%. There’s not even a question about it. There’s no way I would still be alive if I kept doing what I was doing.”

“The moment I walked in here, I completely, 100% surrendered, and ever since, the way I look at life is completely different.”

– Holly Cunningham

Opioid use has skyrocketed over the last decade, according to data from the CDC. In 2017, a nationwide public health emergency was declared in response to the opioid crisis, while in 2018, Congress enacted the Support Act to make addiction treatment more available. At Addiction Solutions, that involves not only counseling and drug testing, but the use of medication to curb addiction, including Suboxone and Naltrexone. Addiction Solutions has also launched a program with the Nantucket courthouse to give people in legal trouble an opportunity to get clean through the program rather than face jail time.

Lisa Doran started drinking and smoking marijuana when she was a middle schooler on Nantucket, and was sent to rehab her freshman year of high school. But after years of substance abuse and numerous attempts to get clean, addiction had its way. After getting into opioids, she ended up homeless, living in a shelter in Hyannis, with a daughter

“We have an idea of what someone with addiction looks like and you don’t want to admit that it could be you.”

– Addiction Solutions Secretary Lauren Murray Soverino

who was staying with Doran’s mother on Nantucket.

“People can be addicted to smoking weed or drinking their whole lives, and it doesn’t get as bad as it gets when you’re doing opioids,” Doran said. “The drive to get it is so much stronger because you get physically addicted so quickly. It gets really bad really quickly.”

It got to a point where she needed to take her life back. “I had my second daughter in 2007, so for her whole life, I had been using opioids, and everything was messy,” she said. “I wasn’t there for her. I wasn’t allowed to be in my mom’s house without supervision. I didn’t feel like there was any other option.” So, like Cunningham and Ciran, she went to Addiction Solutions, and has been sober for more than eight years.

For Cunningham, who has been sober for three and a half years, the greatest joy out of sobriety is being able to remember holidays and not feeling sick the next day. After she got sober, her older sister invited her to her house for Thanksgiving for the first time. She wears a bracelet every day that reads, “Grateful”—proof to her that she has not only rebuilt her life, but redefined what it means to be happy.

“For so long, I chose alcohol and drugs over food,” she said. “I spent my last dollars on alcohol instead of food, and to me, making that decision now to eat rather than buying a substance—that’s life changing. That’s living. I’m actually living for the first time, and being proud of my life.”

“It’s finding peace in my life,” she added. “It’s having freedom from pain and freedom from hate, and finding that true inner happiness that was in me from when I was a little girl, that should have been there from the beginning, but now it’s there.”

We’re close to opening the doors to a new home for Nantucket’s animals, but we still need to raise critical funds to get there this summer. Please help ensure animals in need have a safe place to land and our community has a place to turn for support.

Devil Prada, the WEARS BUT SHE WEARS Cartolina

Thirty Years After Assisting Anna Wintour, Melissa Skoog Leads Cartolina on Nantucket

Chicly dressed in a designer charcoal wool full length coat and running in 90 millimeter heels, Melissa Skoog quickly exited CHANEL’s Manhattan storefront, her arms full of shopping bags, while three employees carried more behind her. A black tinted-window car idled on East 57th Street

WRITTEN BY REBECCA SETTAR PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MELISSA SKOOG

and as the door was being held open by the driver, a group of New York City tourists stopped to gawk at what they could only assume was a celebrity running from the paparazzi post-shopping spree, and like any curious tourists would do, they all began taking Skoog’s photo.

Cartolina's Melissa Skoog took cues from Anna Wintour, the famous designer whose work inspired The Devil Wears Prada.

T“his was my mom’s favorite story,” said Skoog, the creative director of the clothing line Cartolina, who in 1996 got her first big break in the fashion industry by working as an assistant to Anna Wintour, then editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a job since made infamous by Lauren Weissberger’s New York Times bestselling novel The Devil Wears Prada, based largely on her own experience just a few years later. In the blockbuster hit movie based on the book, actress Anne Hathaway portrays Andrea Sachs, a recent college graduate who unwittingly lands a position as assistant to an extremely demanding fashion editor played by Meryl Streep. On the heels of the release of the sequel film The Devil Wears Prada 2, it could be said that Hathaway is essentially playing Skoog, who confirms the original movie adaptation was “very real.”

“It was 1,000% that stressful,”

“I truly believe that she created the cultural zeitgeist and the meaning of luxury through the lens of Vogue.”

– Melissa Skoog

Skoog said. “Just like Andy in the film, I was running in heels everywhere.” Being Wintour’s assistant came with its own perks, one being the proximity Wintour enjoyed to the most elite fashion designers, A-list celebrities and musicians.“Elton John was playing,” Skoog recalls of one notable “housewarming party,” an elaborate monthly celebration Wintour would host to commemorate each magazine issue. It was hosted in, of all places, the bedroom of Gianni Versace’s Manhattan townhouse, in view of a custom-painted Basquiat mural. “Anyone you can imagine—every major celebrity you can imagine—was there,” Skoog said.

Working the card table, Skoog saw paparazzi camera flashes just before a strikingly handsome man walked in the door. “And then all I hear is, ‘Excuse me, do you have a card for John?’ John was John F. Kennedy Jr. “I was in this three-way conversation with Gianni Versace and JFK Jr.,

and I’m 23 at the time,” Skoog laughed. “And I thought, this is outrageous. And it was like that every month.”

“[Cartolina] has made me enjoy fashion again in a way that I haven’t in a long time.”

– Melissa Skoog

“I truly believe that she created the cultural zeitgeist and the meaning of luxury through the lens of Vogue," Skoog said. "She created this world of beauty and refinement and culture and knowingness that I think, especially in the 90’, when you thought about the finest things in life, the most interesting, coolest trends, it all came through Vogue.”

Working for Wintour also meant proximity to fashion itself, and when Skoog “fell in love” with stiletto Manolo booties that appeared in the pages of British Vogue, she was able to get herself a sample pair, despite them not being available in the United States. Wearing them, “I literally felt like I couldn’t breathe,” Skoog said. But on one notably tired morning after endless 12-hour days on the job, she accidentally left them in the backseat of a taxi cab.

I was beside myself. I must’ve looked forlorn because Anna asked me if I was OK and I told her what happened. A few weeks later, she put a box on my desk and said, “I’m sorry you had to be without them for so long. George [Malkemus] made you a pair.” Wintour truly valued her employees. “She never asked anyone to do anything that she wouldn’t demand of herself. She worked as hard as she wanted you to work. She always showed me respect.”

After finally leaving Wintour’s side, Skoog enjoyed a varied career in fashion, from Banana Republic to Prada, and eventually to forming an agency of her own, called Skoog Co. From there, she connected with Cartolina and its founder Margaret Anne Nolen, owner of Centre Point in downtown Nantucket.

As for her own connection to fashion, Skoog muses that what she loves about clothing is the power of it to create your mood. “It’s one of those most conscious but subconscious choices we make every single day as humans,” she said. “The way we dress really embodies how we feel.”

Playfully coined as “elevated weekend,” the Cartolina line is a far cry from the all-black New York City uniform Skoog used to wear with Wintour. “This job has taught me to be more curious with color and print which I’ve never done before. It’s made me enjoy fashion again in a way that I haven’t in a long time.”

“I truly believe that she created the cultural zeitgeist and the meaning of luxury through the lens of Vogue.”

– Melissa Skoog

SUSAN LISTER LOCKE

Hunger on Nantucket is Real.

The high cost of living poses a challenge to island residents from teachers and nurses to Coast Guard members and service industry workers. Without those who make Nantucket work, the island simply cannot function.

Nourish Nantucket is addressing the hunger crisis on the island by coordinating 14 food agencies along with our new Food Hub. With your support, we can end hunger on Nantucket once and for all.

For further information scan the code, visit nourishnantucket.org, or call Meg Browers at 508-825-6872.

GRIND IT'S A

WRITTEN BY BRIAN BUSHARD

IPHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

THE RESTORATION OF THE OLD MILL

t is to Nantucket as the Mayflower is to Plymouth, the Public Garden is to Boston and the Liberty Bell is to Philadelphia. The Old Mill on Prospect Street is an inseparable part of Nantucket’s identity, yet for the past two years, it has been shrouded in tar paper with its blades removed and doors closed to visitors.

Erected in 1746, when Massachusetts was still a colony, it is believed to be the oldest functioning grist mill in America. The windmill has stood the test of time and at various moments in history, was actually considered for demolition were it not for voices of preservation over the years. As important a landmark as the mill is, why does it seem so painfully slow to restore it, which has not seen a kernel of corn ground in nearly 700 days?

Like many restoration projects, there is more to restoring this mill than meets the eye. When the Nantucket Historical Association set out to restore the building two years ago, they uncovered mysteries that they were not expecting, forcing them to embark on the biggest restoration of the mill in its 280-year history.

“We wanted to do a restoration project that is right for this building and right for the island and right for the history of this place,” Parker added. “We’re doing it with the right materials and the right processes with the right people involved, however the complexity of this renovation goes far deeper than we had imagined.”

The Old Mill perched on Prospect Street in the 1890s, one of a handful of operational mills in the area. Courtesy of the NHA

The NHA undertook a major restoration project to one of the most iconic historic structures on Nantucket.

Nantucket's windmills in a row. Painting by James Walter Folger, 1908. Courtesy of the NHA

“

For two years, the historic structure has stuck out like a sore thumb to drivers on Prospect Street. What started as a “fast-paced,” simple structural renovation and reinforcement has become a multiyear operation. Last year, the NHA consulted Husk Preservation Inc and started a project to study the property, down to its granite inner mechanism, to determine the scope of the work necessary.

On the outside, it looks like any old renovation, with its shingles stripped and chain-link fencing lining the perimeter of the property. Inside, however, Husk and the NHA are studying the date of the timber through a scientific dating process called dendrochronology, as well as the moisture, rot and movement of the building. The goal is to retain as much historic material as possible, and when not possible, honor the original workmanship by replacing hewn wood with hewn wood, or beveled white oak with beveled white oak, according to Husk Preservation President Amy Boyce.

John Murray, who operated the Mill for 30 years until his death in 1896, one year before the NHA purchased it at auction. Courtesy of the NHA

As a smock mill, the octagonal tower spins only on its rotating cap, with a beam connecting to a wheel on the ground allowing operators to rotate the sails in the direction of the wind. The NHA has installed moisture sensors throughout the building, a groundwater sensor underneath the building, and, once it’s ready, plans to lift the cap, like a saluting sailor, to wrap up the restoration.

Part of restoring the Old Mill means bringing it back into operation. “It’s now our generation that’s saying it is historically important and is an icon on the island,” Parker said. “I would find it really sad if we decided to just shingle it and let it disintegrate over the next 50 years. That would be the wrong decision. It’s important for us to preserve it and keep the story going.”

“I would find it really sad if we decided to just shingle it and let it disintegrate over the next 50 years. That would be the wrong decision. It’s important for us to preserve it and keep the story going.”

– Parker

The mill has a storied past on the island. It was once a business investment for the Swain family. In 1829, it was sold for $40, the estimated price of the beams for firewood. It was operated for decades by Azorean immigrants, until it fell into disrepair in the late 1800s, when the NHA swooped in for $885. In August 1970, it was set on fire late at night, charring its cedar shingles. Had it not been for firefighters’ quick action, the property could have been toast.

“For generations, it’s been on the verge of being torn down for scrap materials or being sold off, and every generation has made the decision to keep it running,” NHA Executive Director Niles Parker said. “We had a business grinding and shipping corn from here to all over the country, and it has become an icon on Nantucket more so than any other building.

When the Old Mill’s sails are turning, the wind powers the spinning of a third-story wheel fixed with teeth that, in turn, spin the grinding mechanism below. According to Ed Rudd, facilities director at the NHA, running the mill is a lot like sailing a boat. “It has an old cadence,” he said. “When you run the mill for a while, you don’t have to look at the vanes; you can just feel it. You look out at the trees and see how the wind hits the trees and know to put the brake on or move it.”

The restoration, which is expected to finish next year, will be the fourth of its kind since the NHA acquired the property. When it’s completed, Parker hopes the Old Mill can become one of the best educational opportunities for kids on the island. “When people drive by and they see the mill, they know it’s not just necessarily this pretty thing,” he said. “They’ll have a deeper understanding about what it is.” According to Parker, “When you look at the skyline of Nantucket, when the sails are up and it’s running - it’s what distinguishes this island”.

Inside the mill, moisture detectors are installed and testing is done to take inventory of each historic piece.

Driving

in Style

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRIAN SAGER

EDITORIAL STYLIST: PETRA HOFFMANN

HER CARDIGAN, TOP & SKIRT: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

EARRINGS & RING:

KATHERINE GROVER

NECKLACE & BRACELET: SUSAN LISTER LOCKE

HIM

SHIRT PANTS & WATCH: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

DRESS: REMY

BAG: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

JEWELRY: THE VAULT

SHIRT JACKET & SHORTS: SOUTHERN TIDE

WATCH & SUNGLASSES: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

BRACELET: KATHERINE GROVER

HER DRESS & SCARF: TUCKERNUCK JEWELRY: THE VAULT SHOES: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

T-SHIRT BELT SHORTS, & SUNGLASSES:

MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

JACKET: SOUTHERN TIDE

HER SHIRT & TOP: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

SCARF SUNGLASSES & BRACELETS: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

EARRINGS: SUSAN LISTER LOCKE

NECKLACE: FEDE X DARYA

SALON + SPA

HER TOP & SCARF: TUCKERNUCK

CARDIGAN: DÔEN

JEWELRY: THE VAULT

HIM SHIRT & T-SHIRT: SOUTHERN TIDE

SUNGLASSES & WATCH: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

RING: THE VAULT

TOP & SKIRT: MARISSA COLLECTIONS

EARRINGS RINGS

BRACELET & NECKLACE

KATHERINE GROVER TILE BRACELETS: DUBAR

DRESS:

CARTOLINA X CENTRE POINTE

SHOES: TUCKERNUCK

JEWELRY: SUSAN LISTER LOCKE

JACKET WATCH & PANTS: MURRAY’S

TOGGERY SHOP

SHIRT:

SOUTHERN TIDE

HER DRESS: CARTOLINA X CENTRE POINTE JEWELRY: KATHERINE GROVER HIM SHIRT & SHOES: MARISSA COLLECTIONS PANTS WATCH & BELT: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP

BOOKS, BEACH & BEYOND WITH ELIN HILDERBRAND & TIM TALKS BOOKS

Season 4 of Nantucket’s hit podcast with #1 Bestselling

Author Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg of @TimTalksBooks

Join Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 30+ titles and the “Queen of the Beach Reads,” and Tim Ehrenberg, Nantucket’s most voracious reader and creator of the popular @TimTalksBooks on Instagram, as they hit the airwaves for Season 4 of the smash podcast produced by N Magazine. With over 2 million episode streams, tune in as our hosts talk with the who’s who of their publishing industry and bring books to life in a brand new way for podcast listeners!

SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN

THANK YOU TO OUR SEASON 4 PREMIER SPONSORS

Ann Patchett

Sunny Hostin

Liane Moriarty Emma Straub Fredrik Backman Ina Garten

Colleen Hoover

Nicole Kidman

Kristin

Hannah

Sarah Jessica Parker

Jenna Bush Hager

Kevin Kwan

Taylor Jenkins Reid

John Grisham

Dan Brown

Lily King

Gayle King

Elizabeth Strout

Taking the HIGH ROAD

IMAGES

COURTESY OF THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION'S ARCHIVES

A bike ride down memory lane

Before cars took Nantucket, islanders rode bicycles. 1893.

A group of cyclists ride out to Brant Point, 1890s.

A woman rides her first bicycle, accompanied by a dog in the 1890s.

A husband and wife on a tandem bicycle in 1905.

Benjamin Sharp, a state representative, hops off the saddle, 1890s.

A boy outside the former The Inquirer and Mirror, 1910s.

The Weeweder Cycle Club at Monument Square in the 1890s.

Two men pose with their bicycles, 1910s.

Children ride to the Fourth of July Parade in 1938.

Blooms over Centre Street, 1900s Wild roses growing in Polpis, 1890s

A woman riding a bike in the 1960s.

A woman with her bicycle, 1910s.

Harry Turner, former publisher of The Inquirer and Mirror, with three employees in the 1910s.

A woman and her bike on Steamboat Wharf, 1890s.

A young man with his first bike, 1890s.

Summer on Main Street with a sidewalk full of bikes, 1970s.

Island visitors take the road by bike, 1910s.

NANTUCKET

WINE FESTIVAL

Despite the rains on Saturday, the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival brought acclaimed winemakers, chefs purveyors and hundreds of connoisseurs to Nantucket over the last weekend of May, with events around the island from Bartlett's Farm to the Nantucket Hotel and private residences. Events featured winemakers from around the world, including Napa Valley's Moone-Tsai and its limited production chardonnays, as well as Chateau Sainte Marguerite head winemaker Olivier Fayard.

NEW MOON FESTIVAL

The NEW Moon Festival returned to the Siasconset Casino for its third year, featuring empowering short films, food from Lemon Press and a live performance from Billboard chart-topping and Harper's Bazaar honored singer-songwriter MILCK, whose work explores visibility and what it means to be heard.

Bride: Taylor Elisabeth Shea • Groom: Michael Ellery

Keith Knight

• Venue: The Dips, Private Home

Wedding Planner: Handy & Dallaire Events

Florist: All My Friends Florals • Photographer: Mel Toms

Photography • Videographer: Gordon Keiter, Moon

Wave Weddings • Caterer: Island Kitchen • Cake: PPX

Events • Officiant: Father Jeffrey Couture • Music/Band:

The Sultans • Bride’s Dress: A Little Something White

Bride’s Veil: Monvieve • Groom’s Tux: Michael Andrews

Custom • Ceremony: Siasconset Union Chapel • Bridal

Hair & Makeup: Makeup by Flynn Inc. • Rehearsal

Dinner: Shea Residence • Welcome Party: Cru Oyster

Bar • After Party: Straight Wharf Restaurant

Rehash the Bash: Cisco Brewery

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