Mahon About Town Nantucket Blog

Cape Cod Life is out with its “Top 400” of the Cape and Islands. Here are the Nantucket winners in all categories. Pick up the magazine for all the details.

Community Leaders, Winners:

Kate Hamilton Pardee, for her work for Nantucket Vistor Services, the Friends of the Nantucket Film Festival, and the Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

Dr. Tim Lepore, medical director, chief surgeon, and expert on tick diseases at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

Phil Stambaugh, VP of the Nantucket Bank, treasurer of the Nantucket Arts Council, and work with the Community Foundation of Nantucket, Habitat for Humanity, St. Mary’s Church, and the NCMC chorus.

Mindy Todd, host of “The Point” on WNAN radio. Though not a Nantucketer, Mindy’s over here as often as she can be, which is not often enough.

Community Leaders, Honorable Mention: Molly Anderson (Nantucket Atheneum), Margaretta Andrews and Chuck Gifford (Nantucket Cottage Hospital). Fifi Greenberg (Nantucket Arts Council), Michael May (Nantucket Preservation Trust), and Bill Tramposch (Nantucket Historical Association).

Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders, Winner
Annye Camara, Annye’s Whole Foods.

Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders, Honorable Mention: Michael Boylan (UPS Store), Andrew and Matt Bridier (Murray’s Toggery), Christian del Rosario (www.nesurfari.com), Donna Elle (Interior Design), Angela and Seth Raynor (Boarding House and Pearl), and Tom Scott (Plum).

The Arts World, Winners:
Michael Vienneau, scrimshander
Elin Hilderbrand, author, Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, Nantucket preservation Trust, Friends of the Nantucket Public Schools.

The Arts World, Honorable Mention: Barbara Capizzo (Gallery), Amy England (singer-songwriter), Nancy Thayer (author), and Greg Hill (painter).

Scientists and Thinkers, Winner:
Jim Lentowski, executive director of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.

Unsung Hero, Winner
Vito Capizzo, coach - one of the most successful in New England

Unsung Hero, Honorable Mention: Jean Egan and Nick Norton (Senior Citizens of the Year), Bob and Suzanne Wright (Autism Speaks), and Andy Quinn (lifesaver).

Up and Coming, Honorable Mention: Andrew Chuplis (runner), Geddes Paulsen (football and art), Ben Simons (NHA curator)

Intriguing, Winner:
Edith Andrews, the Bird Lady.

Intriguing, Honorable Mention: Vanessa Noel (shoe designer), Emma Rusch (96 years old), Thatcher Spring (ties)

Congratulations to all.

Jim Hurd was at this year’s Superbowl, and sent me these photos. Although sent to me the day after the event, we only discovered last week that I never received them, so here they are.

What do Nantucket restaurateurs do in the winter? Here’s waht Tracy Root from Cioppino’s does:

Jessica Mehringer passed away at the age of 35 on March 2. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 18 at 1 pm at the Unitarian Church. Mary Lancaster has written a fine tribute to Jessica in this week’s Nantucket Independent.

John Shugrue died on March 2 on Nantucket. The service has already been held. See the March 8 issue of the I&M for the obituary, and the March 1 issue of the Independent for a story.

Native Nantucketer Thatcher Spring is in the current issue of Boston Magazine. Thatcher, son of Susie Spring, is a nationally ranked sailor, licensed pilot, and now the founder of the Thatcher Spring line of ties. The fabrics are from Italy, but the ties made in America. The style is decidely preppy, though his newsest collection is African themed. Avaiable on island at Murray’s Toggery Shop, 62 Main Street; also available on Thatcher’s website.

Here are the results of a photo shoot I did for a full page article in the Boston Herald last year.

Barbara Gookin has a video on YouTube about the Off Season:

If no image above, or it won’t play, click here.

Island piano player Jamie Howarth told me he had been working on some Grateful Dead original recordings, his secod commercial application of software he created to clean up old recordings better than anyone else has yet been able to do.

When Frank Conroy passed away, Jamie contacted me to ask if I had any old tapes of the Frank Conroy Band at the Roadhouse from 78 to 80. I did, some beat up old cassettes recorded probably right from the recorder with no external mic. Jamie processed about a dozen songs in just a few days, in time to be given to Frank’s family after the service. What I could not bear to listed to before, I now play when I want to think of those halcyon Roadhouse nights of straight ahead jazz.

I picked this up on YACK today - I’ll summarize.

On Jan. 23, Warner/Rhino will release a 3-CD set of music recorded at the Dead’s 1976 New Year’s show at the Cow Palace, San Francisco, restored by Jamie Haworth. But even sooner, Live At The Cow Palace, New Year’s Eve, 1976 will be streamed in its entirety New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day beginning at 3:01 AM.

You can read more in an article written in the Independent by Mary Lancaster about a year ago.

I checked out some of the previews online, and the sound is warm and silky. Makes me want to roll one. Thanks Jamie.