Mahon About Town Nantucket Blog

The Figawi’s are thankfully gone, so you can go back to town now.

BENEFITS

Tuesday night the 29th, Don Kolp (Brotherhood), Scott Thomas (Nantucket Inn), Scott Allan (Veranda House) and Meghan Canning (Harbor House), now known as “Team ACK”, have come together for a fundraiser for the Pan Mass Challenge, a 192 mile, 2 day bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown, which benefits the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. A minimum donation of $20 gets you in the door, and includes food, cash bar, 50/50 raffle and auction items. Upstairs at the Brotherhood, from 7 to 10. If unable to attend but would like to contribute: www.pmc.org, click on E-gift and donate to Team ACK or the team number TA0051.

Seaside Shakespeare Company presents a one-night-only reading of The Vagina Monologues, a play by Eve Ensler, at the Box this Wednesday night the 30th. Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar start at 6; the reading starts at 7. Laura Gallagher Byrne directs Annie Breeding, Cheryl Fudge, Margaret Hitchcock, Susan Lucier, Meredith Martin and Susan McGinnis. Tickets are $30. 325-7735.

NIGHTLIFE
High energy, percussion driven music from our sister island, Entrain is at the Box tonight, Monday night, May 28. The Boston Herald says “Entrain . . . merges funk, rock, reggae, swamp, and worldbeat rhythm into a sweaty good time.”

Then Tuesday and Wednesday night at the Box, our own Nantucket based Island Fusion, with Burton and Lisa Toney.

Burton is from Trinidad and Tobago, where he was the frontline singer in one of the top Soca bands in the Caribbean, Atlantik. Lisa Toney has also recorded in Trinidad, and received three nominations in the New York Soca music awards. Also in the band is Meghan Trainor, just a teenager, but already a singer, songwriter, and musician. Island Fusion is a fusion of Caribbean music, original material, top 40 music and classic hits. Listen to them here.

Then Superhoney comes into the Box for a three night stint Thursday through Saturday.

The Old South Road Bike Path was formally opened last Friday, May 25. For more photos, go to the Mahon About Town Photo Pages.

Paid Advertisement

The Nantucket Independent becomes a free weekly newspaper beginning June 13. The paper will also be mailed to all island postal addresses, bringing the weekly circulation in high season to 14,000 copies, 11,000 in shoulder season, and 7000 in winter.

Yack is featured in a Boston Globe article today, entitled “Islanders all come to yack on Nantucket’s online forum. Subjects and views run the gamut on community’s site.” Some quotes:

“At Nantucket’s Town Meeting last month , Selectman Michael Kopko kept one eye on the crowd in the high school gymnasium and the other on the town forum’s online chat room. In the run-up to the annual rite of government, Town Meeting had come alive at YackOn.com, where members debated the Nantucket Sewer Act and the plight of a family threatened with losing its land to eminent domain. Through the interminable proceedings, Kopko monitored the snide chat room banter and answered questions that popped up on the screen.

“Ordinary people have become powerful influencers and creators as the Web has evolved . . . where popular opinion can catapult the lowliest blog posting into the spotlight . . . The effect is especially noticeable on the island of Nantucket, where the virtual community has helped shepherd lost pets back to their homes and compelled civic leaders to weigh in or answer questions.

“YackOn has even become party to official town business — when the Board of Selectmen recently voted to put a link to the forum on the town’s website.

“Nantucket’s forum — affectionately or dismissively referred to as “Yack” — has grown from a Yahoo group into a vibrant online bulletin board that attracts about 2,000 unique visitors each day.

“Before this, the only information was on the two local TV channels and the two local newspapers or just talking to your neighbor or someone at work,” she said. “This gives you access to all walks of life — access to people on-island, off-island, people who have just reams of talent and information and knowledge, and they’re accessible to everyone.”

“Patricia Roggeveen , who was elected to the Board of Selectmen without being involved with the forum, refuses to read or post on the forum. “I don’t believe it’s something that is benign at all,” she said. “It’s just like whispering across the backyard fence, but it resonates out over the Internet.”

Read the full article here.

The Nantucket Preservation Trust wrapped up Preservation Month with a benefit Dinner in a garden overlooking Nantucket Harbor on Saturday, May 26, catered with a seasonal menu by Jim Perelman, and music by The Shep Cats.

Cape Cod Life’s Best of Nantucket list is now on the stands - some of the restaurant winners below. Pick up the June issue for all the winners.

Fine Dining
Gold: 21 Federal
Silver: The Pearl
Editor’s Choice: Topper’s

Family Dining
Gold: Atlantic Cafe
Silver: Faregrounds
Editor’s Choice: A.K.Diamond’s

Outdoor Restaurant
Gold: Brant Point Grill
Silver: Rope Walk
Editor’s Choice: Summer House Beachside

Waterview Restaurant
Gold: Galley and Ropewalk
Silver: Topper’s
Editor’s Choice: Straight Wharf

Seafood Restaurant
Gold: Sea Grille
Silver: Brant Point Grill
Editor’s Choice: Nantucket Lobster Trap

Romantic Restaurant
Gold: Cioppino’s
Silver: American Seasons and 21 Federal
Editor’s Choice: Sfoglia

Breakfast
Gold: Black-Eyed Susan’s
Silver: Fog Island
Editor’s Choice: Downyflake

Lunch
Gold: Provisions and Something Natural
Silver: Atlantic Cafe
Editor’s Choice: Centre Street Bistro

The Summer House is now open for the season under Peter and Danielle DeBenedictis.

The Galley Beach is open for the season.

DeMarco is open for its 28th season.

The Hen House now serves late night take out until 2 a.m.

Stubby’s has reopened after the fire, and Stubby’s owners Skip, Jim and Dave have purchased Pronto, open any minute.

PlumTV (Comcast Channel 22) is now airing new episodes of the local show about island chefs, Nantucket Food & Wine. The show is produced by Malcolm Brooks, with Mark Donato as host.

All Kovalencik and Matt Zadorozny: Monday at 5 pm

Evan Marley, Pi Pizzeria: Wednesday, 6:30 pm

Jason Carroll, Water Street: Thursday 1 pm

Paul Dean: Thursday, 8:30 pm