News and Events for Nantucket Island
Ahh, 1970… seems so long ago with so many adventures and three children between then and now… the story really begins in 1968, a ‘Sconset Girl working as hostess at the Mad Hatter meets Missouri bouy bartending a the Harbor House. Who would expect this summer romance to lead to an “I do” at the Siasconset Chapel in July 1970?
Nantucket has always been home to Richard Montfort Cary. He grew up summering here in his family’s Hinckley Lane farmhouse, and his island roots go back to the 1800s. It was in 1970 that Cary moved himself, his wife Mara, and his son Donick back here to escape the theatre. He lived and worked on-island until 2004, with just a few intermissions. Many here remember Richard as the founder of Actors Theatre of Nantucket and as vibrant contributor to our community with his talent in music, writing, and all aspects of theatre.
In these days of social distancing and staying inside, we all find ourselves missing some of the best Nantucket has to offer. No, we’re not talking about the Daffy, Wine Fest, or Figawi, or any of the fun festivals that have been taken off this season’s calendar or made virtual. We’re talking about everything the outdoors has to offer on our one-of-a-kind island.
The year 2020 has delivered many challenges. Everything from the Japanese Murder Wasps to the pandemic and protests. There is a shift. Not only in congress and country, but in the fabric of our fields. Our cool crops wain and our spring begins to yield. Tomatoes seem to double in size and the zucchini is about to bloom. Pole beans are on the trellis and the herbs are on our spoon.
Two years ago, Someone spray painted racist graffiti on on the front of the African Meeting House on Nantucket. Two years later, that Someone is out there drinking coffee and waving at the cops when they drive by. The police department “will vigorously pursue the perpetuators of this hate crime,” which, I suppose, they are still doing.
Nantucket is often thought of as a virtually tree-less landscape. Picturing the conservation lands and open space, we often think of rolling grasslands and the open moors. But take a look closer.
To start, the weather in March was incredible here on Nantucket. Then, April was the pits (including more than the just the weather). May rolled around where we usually see an influx of people at the start of the season; however, that did not quite transpire this year. Fast forward to today, and summertime is so close you can taste it! It is definitely time to enjoy a splash of summer in your glass.
If there are plenty of fish in the sea, then Nantucket is the place to catch them. Whether you’re on the water or at its edge, wetting a line is a wonderful way to relax, contemplate, and, if you’re lucky, feed your family and friends. Our waters are home to a myriad of species like fluke, bluefish, black bass, bonito, but the draw for most anglers on this island is the striped bass.
While the museum remains temporarily closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the public can still enjoy a virtual experience of what the Nantucket Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum has to offer. Enjoy exhibits and artifacts ranging from the Breeches Buoy, an ingenious shore-to-ship rescue device akin to a zip line today, or hear the story of the Wreck of the W.F. Marshall in which all lives were saved including that of a very large Newfoundland dog.
