News and Events for Nantucket Island
As we learned last week in Part 1: Island Children Running Rampant, during the mid-1800s, many Nantucket youth were participating in “wicked and lawless conduct.” We continue this week with what efforts were made to deter this behavior and to reform island children…
In the mid-1850s, there is an increase in calls in the newspapers for the town to crack down on the out-of-control youth:
Respoke is all about transformation: repurposing iconic scarves into gorgeous espadrilles, other footwear, hats, furniture, and now fine art! Within their newly refreshed space at 41 Straight Wharf, Respoke Co-Founder, Chris Bartick’s mixed media artwork incorporates remnant silk scarves from the Respoke shoe making process. The subject matter includes graceful whales’ tales and local iconography such as Great Point Lighthouse.
As far back as we can remember (and Yesterday’s Island goes back more than half a century), The Brotherhood of Thieves has been a local favorite. It first opened as a pub in 1972. Island residents and visitors have dined on burgers, fresh fish, curly fries, cheese plates, and beer in The Brotherhood spring, summer, and fall ever since, except for a pause during 2021, when we all feared this island landmark had closed for good.
The Nantucket Historical Association is welcoming visitors back to the Hadwen House at 96 Main Street. For the 2023 season, the historic property will feature several exhibitions, including one focused on Nantucket Lightship Baskets and exhibits highlighting the NHA’s decorative arts and map collections. Niles Parker, NHA’s Gosnell Executive Director says, “Hadwen House is becoming a great space for the NHA to explore more of the island’s important history in addition to the stories we tell at the Whaling Museum.”
Egan Maritime Institute is again partnering with Tall Ship Lynx this year to bring on-the-water experiences to Nantucket students, along with public programs during the summer season that welcome visitors and residents. The Tall Ship Lynx is an educational sailing vessel dedicated to hands-on educational programs that teach the history […]
This weekend the Artists Association of Nantucket is hosting two new exhibitions: a special juried art show in their Big Gallery downtown and their annual July Sidewalk Art Show in the Atheneum Garden. Friday, June 30, a new art exhibit opens in the Artists Association of Nantucket Big Gallery, upstairs […]
“If you’re not real smart, you need smart friends.” I think this quote comes from Albert Einstein. Or maybe Yogi Berra. Who knows—maybe I said it. Regardless, there’s a lot of truth to this, right? Expert advice is a really great way to go when you want to get a question answered. And I am fortunate enough to have a bunch of smart friends, particularly when the questions involve fishing for striped bass. So it seemed like exactly the right time to ask them a bass fishing question. The question was as follows…
The Least Terns are hatching. Residents of the Endangered Species List, the Least Terns get special fencing, some observers, and the path to Great Point blocked. The birds are delicate and fragile things that swoop and dart in constellations over the water. It happens every year. Drivers in Ford 150s, in Expeditions, and in Discoveries find themselves flummoxed at the gatehouse in Wauwinet when someone does not know Who-I-Am. That happens every year, too.
In the early 2000s, I was sampling vegetation in the Middle Moors for a joint project between the Nantucket Conservation Association and Massachusetts Audubon. It was a hot summer with long days sampling transects through the dense brush. Ticks, poison ivy, thorns, and dehydration were my worst enemies. One day I thought I was hallucinating from lack of water when I saw a relatively small fluffy bunny nibbling vegetation in front of me. It wasn’t scared of me and just went about eating as if it was pleased to see me. This wasn’t the common Eastern Cottontail ubiquitous on Nantucket. This bunny was chocolate-colored with long fur and floppy ears.
