Bruce Percelay

N Magazine’s primary mission is to offer entertaining, informative and visually pleasing content relating to Nantucket. However, there are times when it is important to go beyond our shores when events elsewhere have the potential to impact us here.

For this reason, our cover story features Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famed marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, who has been at the epicenter of the BP oil spill in the gulf. Cousteau shares his chilling underwater accounts of the crisis, and talks of both the current devastation and potential impact for Nantucket.

There are a surprising number of Nantucket connections to the BP spill. Island native Heather Thompson works for Transocean in the Gulf, BP’s drilling contractor on the ill-fated rig, and shares her observations with us. Joe Farrell owns Resolve Marine, which has been deployed to the Gulf for cleanup, and James Hackett, a summer resident and chairman of Anadarko Petroleum, which owns 25% of the failed BP ‘Macondo’ well. Last, Cousteau spoke with harbormaster Dave Fronzuto who has already completed contingency plans in the event the oil finds its way to our shores.

In more traditional summer fare, photographer Joshua Blake captures the spirit of one of Nantucket’s true ‘old salts’, lobsterman Chuck Butler, in a story written by Robert Cocuzzo. Consistent with our water theme, copy editor Cris Farley covers what we call the Cisco Surfer’s Society, a hardy group of ‘older’ surfers who clearly demonstrate that surfing is not only timeless but ageless.

For those who believe exercise is the key to longevity, Dr. Greg Hinson shows us his photographic skills in covering the latest Nantucket triathlon. The rigors of the triathlon contrast with our other exercise feature, Body, Mind, Core, in which writer Susan Bartkowiak offers us the various Yoga, Pilates and dance options available on the island.

In this issue we are up in the air with two stories about airplanes; one features the new Caravan service from Island Airline and Tradewind Aviation and the second features an extraordinary catered lunch by the Brant Point Grill on a spectacular Citation Sovereign jet, beautifully framed by acclaimed LA photographer, Stephen Danelian.

Last, nothing is more romantic than summer love on an island, and noted Hollywood cinematographer Russ Alsobrook captures this spirit in a photo essay featuring some of the island’s hottest fashions.

If there is to be any positive result of the gulf disaster, it is a heightened appreciation of our environment and a new appreciation for Nantucket’s vigilance over our own waters. In the spirit of both respect for the environment and shameless self-interest, we ask that you keep this issue, the largest-ever produced by N Magazine since it was founded eight years ago.

On behalf of our entire team, enjoy the rest of your summer and take the time to appreciate how pristine is our island.

Bruce A. Percelay
Publisher

Something Cooking

A committee of well-known Nantucket summer residents have prepared what is perhaps the ultimate cookbook for those who take their entertaining seriously. Entitled “Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations” the cookbook benefits patient care at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Spectacular table settings featured in the bookcover four holiday events.

The works of Coco Kopelman, Muffie Potter Aston, Jessie Araskog, Kathy Thomas, Stephanie Loeffler, and Kelly Forsderg are featured in the book with their interpretations of table settings for Halloween, Christmas, Mother’s Day, and the 4th of July.

A festive book signing event will be hosted at Erica Wilson’s Needle Works on Main Street Friday, August 13th, between 5 and 7p.m.

David Callahan Captains Cape Cod Board of Realtors

For the first time in the 86-year history  of the Cape Cod and Islands Board of Realtors, its president will call Nantucket home. David Callahan, a realtor since 1971 and co-owner of Jordan Real Estate took over the reins of the organization at a June 30th installation ceremony at the White Elephant. And it didn’t take long for Dave to put an island slant on the festivities.

“We wanted to make the connection between the mainland and Nantucket, so we chartered the Hy-Line and brought 250 of the 2250-realtor membership over for the evening,” David says. They joined 50 fellow Nantucket real estate professionals to celebrate his presidency – and to network.

“We’re kind of a self-entity here,” says David, explaining what he sees as his biggest challenge.

“I don’t think we‘ve reached out across our shores to the mainland enough, and that’s where I think we can promote an increase in exposure for our sellers, to broaden their market and bring more buyers to the island.”

In addition, David sees Nantucket as the logical choice as the site for future realtor education programs and committee meetings. Exposure of the island to off-island real estate professionals will be the natural marketing byproduct of Board business conducted here.

“I was just down to Washington D.C. to lobby our Senators and Congressmen, and I see a positive flow in the country. We’ve seen the bottom, and once our inventory of houses reduces itself, prices will start to rise again. The high end is probably stronger than it’s ever been,” he continues. “We had a house sell here for $20 million in February.

We’ve never had one sell for that much money before. And that bodes well. That’s the island market that David Callahan, newest and first Nantucket president of the Cape Cod Board of Realtors, wants to introduce to the real estate-buying world beyond our shores

Written by Bruce Percelay
Photography by Stephen Danelian

At 525 miles per hour, there is no faster meal served on or around Nantucket than that served on a Cessna Citation Sovereign. For those suffering from recession fatigue or simply looking to live vicariously through the lives of the rich and famous, we could find no better venue for a delectable, over-the-top Sunday lunch than the one meticulously crafted by Chef Fred Bisaillon of the Brant Point Grill than on a multimillion dollar jet.

Our slick surroundings featured royal red deep-pile carpeting, doeskin reclining seats, lacquered mahogany tables, and enough avionics to fill the cockpit of a commercial airliner. Complementing our opulent environs was food fit for a king.

Chef Fred introduced the meal with shrimp tempura with Thai chili sauce served alongside a refreshing cucumber salad with a rice wine vinaigrette. The appetizer was followed by Brant Point’s signature lobster roll with arugula and citrus aioli on soft, grilled challah bread. For drinks, the Grill bar served a lobster bloody mary with a 1 ½ foot skewer of ¼ lb lobster claws and wedges of local heirloom tomatoes.

Topping off the meal was a caramelized goat cheese cheesecake with blueberries. According to Chef Fred, “Lobster is a remarkably versatile food which can be served warm, cold or at room temperature. It lends itself perfectly to hot summer days.”

For those who need a jet to accommodate an elegantly catered lunch, CitationAir not only sells and manages wholly owned aircraft through their Jet Management program but also offers fractional ownership and jet cards, a product particularly well suited for those who travel to Nantucket from around the country.

According to Dave Richter, Regional Sales Manager of CitationAir, “Flying on a business aircraft is clearly the easiest way to get to Nantucket and certainly the most relaxing.” For the rest of us, it is simply fun to observe the high life in such a stellar setting.

Never again will the term “airplane food” have quite the same meaning.

Written by Nathan Coe
Photography Stephen Danelian

Lulu Powers has graced Nantucket and the world over with her unique, uncomplicated and fresh approach to both cooking and entertaining. Lulu has been coming to Nantucket since she was a young girl and has certainly experienced her fair share of summer jobs on the island.

From chamber maid at The White Elephant to selling popcorn at the Popcorn Stand, Lulu found her calling in life through her passion for food, styling and entertaining. Her infectious and endearing personality along with an unwavering calmness make her one of the islands favorite personal chefs to both families and personalities alike.

Lulu’s new book ‘Lulu Powers, Food to Flowers’ has become a national best-seller. Stylishly photographed by her husband, award winning photographer Stephen Danelian, the book is filled with her signature libations and dining creations.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay and Cris Farley
Photos by Nathan Coe

Born with the name Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau’s destiny was clear at an early age. He made his first ocean dive at age 11 and eagerly embraced his family’s legacy and relationship with the sea.

The BP oil disaster has catapulted Cousteau into the limelight, as he has become the go-to person on network television with his reports from the Gulf on the leak and the environmental devastation that is occurring in its wake.

Cousteau’s passion is his non-profit foundation, EarthEcho International, which was designed to educate young people about the environment, a cause that he believes keeps alive the legacy of his late father Philippe, Sr. and grandfather, Jacques. In an interview which took place on a boat while touring Nantucket harbor, N Magazine heard Cousteau’s chilling account of the disaster and its possible implications for Nantucket.

N Mag: Philippe can you tell us just a little bit about your background.

PC: I was born in Santa Monica, California. My mother is second generation Californian. I was raised mostly in the United States but we lived in Paris for some time. My father, Philippe senior, died six months before I was born.

N Mag: Where did you gain your experience as a diver and a student of the sea?

PC: I grew up engaged in conservation and then working with scientists and explorers and ex-crew members of my father and my grandfather’s. And it was a life experience and it really engaged me.

N Mag: When did you start to dive?

PC: The first time I ever went diving by myself was on a coral reef when I was 11. For many years before, I would breathe through regulators in the Mediterranean floating on the surface.

N Mag: Can you tell us about the nonprofit environmental organization that you founded?

PC: My father and my grandfather believed so much in the next generation that we started an organization called Earth Echo International designed to revolutionize environmental education in this country. Our goal is to work with a whole new generation to get them engaged and give them the tools to take action in their communities. We’re gearing up to be one of the largest environmental education and service organizations in the country.

N Mag: You have a virtual army of budding environmentalists in your school program. Can they actually make a difference?

PC: Kids have the power to do anything. From organizing capaigns to clean up rivers, to raising money to build renewable energy facilities at their schools and even to get laws passed. Last year, we worked with three young men from Iowa who found out that lead weights used to balance car wheels are toxic. As a result, tremendous amount of lead pollution occurs in this country from wheel weights. They passed a law in Iowa introduced by these 13-year-old boys that phases out all lead wheel weights on all state vehicles and the EPA cited that project as one of the reasons they are changing their position on lead-weighted vehicles nationally.

N Mag: What is your biggest fear in the aftermath of the spill and your most optimistic hope?

PC: My biggest fear is that no lessons will be learned and the paradigm will not change.This oil spill is a symptom of a bigger problem. It’s not the spill itself; it’s the problem of excess in this country. We use enough plastic water bottles every year to power nine million cars. We want huge portions of food that we end up throwing away half of and we want massive homes and multi-vehicle garages. This all comes at a price.

My greatest hope is when I look into the eyes of elementary school kids I see the anger at what they have been robbed of by our arrogance, indifference and selfishness and how much they want to change the world around them.

N Mag: You have become one of the go-to people on the Gulf oil disaster. Explain your first experience down there and what you saw diving near the spill site.

PC: As we lowered ourselves through the surface layer of thick orange sludge, a world unlike any I have ever seen appeared in front of me. It was the consistancy and color of watery tomato soup with chunks of concentrated pieces of chemical dispursant in oil that had coagulated. All this was punctuated by dead fish, jellyfish, oil covered sargassum and seaweed which danced around in the surface current which confirmed our worst fears. I knew that this catastrophe would be more devasting than anyone realized.

N Mag: The leak may finally be under control but how do you assess the damage to the environment?

PC: The leak was so severe and so deep, that it is possible we will completely wipe out species of sea life that we never knew existed. Much of this year’s generation of shrimp and fish may be wiped out, because the eggs that are being layed in the water are very fragile to the toxic oil, this die-off, which will obviously have huge long-term implications. In addition, 40% of the wetlands in the United States in the lower 48 states exist along the coast of Louisiana and are at risk from this spill. 500 million migrating birds fly through that region every year and now we are starting hurricane season, which could have additional impact. Tens of thousands of people rely on this ecosystem, from fishermen to tourist operators, bringing in billions of dollars to our national economy. There is no good scenario; it is an unmitigated disaster. making it roughly an Exxon Valdez every 5 to 6 days. That means the spill has already exceeded 100 million gallons.

N Mag: What is the scenario where Nantucket could be affected?

PC: Well, this has never happened before, but the Gulf Stream swings past the coast of Florida at its narrowest point between Bimini and Florida, which is about 60 miles. There is a circular loop current that runs through the Gulf of Mexico and can pick up some of this oil and carry it out into the Gulf Stream. Now at this point it’s unlikely that it would reach Nantucket, but because it is in the Gulf Stream, it is possible. It’s a big ocean and there’s a lot of area out there; however, currents are very powerful and carry oil and objects a great distance. I’ve seen flip-flops on the beaches of the Arctic and in the fjords in northern Norway before. Clearly, nobody wears flip-flops up there. It’s absolutely conceivable to have ocean currents carry debris and pollution, like oil, great distances. We just don’t know because this is unprecedented.

N Mag: At this moment, what is the size of the spill in relation to the Valdez?

PC: Exxon Valdez was 11 million gallons in 1989, confined only to the surface. This spill has spewed almost 2 million gallons a day, making it roughly an Exxon Valdez every 5 to 6 days. That means the spill has already exceeded 100 million gallons.

N Mag: The passage of legislation that has just allowed the creation of a Nantucket Sound wind farm has come at a rather interesting point. A large number of Nantucketers were opposed to the wind farm, at least before the BP spill. What are  your thoughts about having wind power based in public waters?

PC: Not surprisingly, I am 100% in support of the wind farm. We’re 20 years behind Europe, which has deployed offshore wind safely and effectively. I’ve seen the reports  coming out of Denmark tracking migrating birds that show the birds fly around the towers. What people have to remember is that if it’s not a windmill, it’s another coal-fired power plant. You may not be able to see the results of coal and oil and gas in the air but it is there, polluting our environment and contributing to disease.

N Mag: What is your impression of Nantucket from an environmental perspective?

PC: It’s easy to see just what a precious gem this is in the middle of the Atlantic. I’ve been to a lot of places in this country and in this world that have not nearly this beautiful environment. People have to protect it aggressively. It’s a gift Nantucketers should not take for granted.

N Mag: Thank you very much.

Despite apparent progress in capping the BP well, two studies suggest the potential spread of the oil to the East Coast and Nantucket in the coming months. A series of computer simulations on the possible spread of the oil spill over the course of one year was published July 6th by a team of researchers from the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai’I at Manoa.

The results are chilling, and potentially disastrous for the East Coast and our island. According to Alex Timmerman, a researcher with SOEST, “The oil spreads initially in the Gulf of Mexico, then enters the Loop Current and the narrow Florida Current, and finally the Gulf Stream. After one year,” he continues, “ about 20% of the particles initially released at the Deepwater Horizon location have been transported through the Straits of Florida and into the open Atlantic.”

The second research team, the National Center for Atmospheric research (NCAR), retooled an existing computer model called the Parallel Ocean Program that had been designed to measure “weather” in the ocean by visualizing and simulating disparate currents and flows around the world.

“We basically dropped a ‘virtual dye’ in the water and then watched to see where it would go,” said lead scientist of the NCAR team, Synte Peacock. “The results showed that the Gulf’s powerful Loop Current is likely to push the oil eastward, hitting Florida and then swinging around the state. From there, the oil would accelerate as it hits the fast-moving current in the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf Stream conveyor belt, which extends up the East Coast before swinging toward Europe.”

From where we sit on Nantucket, less than 100 miles west of the Gulf Steam, these two studies, however simulated, reach the same conclusion; that if the oil enters the Gulf Stream it will continue inexorably north up the East Coast and then east to Europe. In the nautical sense, 100 miles is not a large buffer between the Gulf Stream and our shores, and we have historically felt the effects of the Gulf Stream by way of warmer summer water temperatures precisely because of our proximity to its flow. Time will tell.

Philippe continues the work of his family through EarthEcho International, the non-profit organization he founded with his mother and sister Alexandra. He also is co-founder of Azure Worldwide, a strategic design, development and marketing company.

He is also Chief Ocean Correspondent for Planet Green where he has worked on various ocean and water-focused documentary programs. A pioneer in environmental education, Philippe is chief spokesperson for Environmental Education for Discovery Education, the premiere provider of K-12broadband-delivered educational content to U.S. schools.

This August, Philippe and sister Alexandra will head to the Gulf of Mexico where they will host the second installment of “Blue August,” a series of programming events for Planet Green that are underscored by the recent events in the Gulf and will highlight the urgent need that exists for appreciation and protection of all the earth’s bodies of water.

Throughout the month, Philippe and Alexandra will take viewers around the Gulf region and beyond to share the experiences and personal stories of people whose way of life depends on a healthy relationship with the bodies of water around them.

Planet Green’s Blue August primetime television series will be headlined by the U.S. premiere of the series “Oceans Blue.” Shown on three successive Sunday evenings, August 8, 15 and 22, at 9 p.m. (ET).

Oceans Blue, a BBC/Discovery co-production, will follow Philippe and a team of underwater explorers as they embark on a yearlong mission to unlock the mysteries of some of the world’s most famous oceans. The series will introduce the world of undersea archeology, geology, marine biology and anthropology, and forcefully make the case for the protection and preservation of these irreplaceable natural treasures around the world.

There will also be an encore presentation of the three-part Discovery series, “Blue Planet,” beginning Monday, August 9, 16 and 23 at 8 p.m. (ET). Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, Blue Planet is a definitive exploration of our planet’s oceans and reveals the sea and its inhabitants at their most fearsome and alluring. The episodes chronicle the mysteries of the deep, including the intrigue of coastal sea mammals, tidal and climatic influences and the creatures and systems that revolve around our blue planet. The series is also a BBC/Discovery co-production.

For more information on Earth Echo, visit www.earthecho.org For more information on Azure Worldwide, visit www.azureworldwide.com For more information on Blue August, visit www.planetgreen.com/blueaugust and join on www.facebook.com/planetgreen.
And follow Philippe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@pcousteau

The day of her wedding on a spectacular afternoon in Shimmo, Heather Thompson and her new husband Thornton Ring received word that Heather was being called back to the Gulf by her employer Transocean, the drilling contractor on BP’s ill fated rig, Deepwater Horizon.

Heather’s perspective of the disaster was indeed a close one. Two months prior to returning to Nantucket for her wedding, she was stationed aboard the drilling ship “Deep Sea” when a report came over the radio. “There’s been an incident on the Deepwater Horizon and you need to secure your communications.”

That was how Second Mate Heather Thompson first learned of the explosion that may go down as the greatest environmental disaster in history, the explosion of the British Petroleum Louisiana Gulf drilling platform.

Born in Nantucket and a former employee of the Maria Mitchell Aquarium, Heather Thompson has always been in love with the sea. An oceanography major at Maine Maritime Academy, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a third mate license of ‘Steam or Motor Vessels of any Gross Tonnage of Oceans.’

Thompson, who is qualified to captain ships sixteen times the size of the Nantucket ferry, now works for the infamous Transocean as a dynamic positioning operator on the 835-foot Discover Deep Seas drill ship.

In Thompson’s eyes, the relief effort was hindered by bureaucracy because at the time BP was forced to “abandon ship” it lost its authority to implement a response plan, which then became under the authority of the Coast Guard.

According to Thompson, the hole spewed oil for six full days without any containment effort, even though containment booms were available to be used by BP.

Thompson has closely followed reports about the path of the oil and is painfully aware that under certain circumstances Nantucket could be impacted; however, there appears to be a higher probability that if the oil does come up the East Coast it would swing East and eventually hit the coast of England which, according to Thompson, would be “the ultimate irony.”

Written by Cris Farley
Images by Kit Noble and Nathan Coe

Surfing isn’t just timeless, it’s genderless and ageless. If you’re out at Cisco beach and think you’re watching longhaired surfer dudes riding waves, look again, because they are ladies and they’re over the age of forty.

Nantucket has long offered some of the best surfing on the East Coast, attracting all ages to our South Shore breaks. But only in the last several years have surfing moms bonded, and banded together, to ride the waves alongside male surfers who view age as simply a state of mind.

“I started here 22 years ago,” recalls veteran lady surfer Caren Öberg-Gomes, who once competed on the circuit for the Eastern Surfing Association. “I was 18, and back then I was the only girl. Then, little by little, the girls popped in and it felt really nice to have some women to relate to, because we’re not as powerful, physically. So it’s nice to have a sisterhood.” Caren has joined with sister surfers Paula Maloney, Sherry Copeland, Amy Pallenberg and Melanie Kotalac who, in Paula’s words, “Came together because of our communal love of surfing.

“We have what I call ‘surf breaks’ that we go to pretty regularly.There’s a crew of people, and not necessarily just women, but we definitely hang out for sure,” says Sherry Copeland. “A lot of it is just talking together. It’s a time to catch up out there where it’s quiet. I’m a therapist for Family and Children’s Services here so, for me, surfing’s a stress-relief, and it gives you a great feeling of empowerment. It’s amazing.”

For Paula Maloney, who is a partner at Country Village Real Estate, it’s also the element of the unknown that draws her and her friends to Cisco beach.“When you go out to surf you never know what you’re going to get. It could be a phenomenal day in the water, or you could get a day where you’re paddling hard and catching minimal waves. But when you get that ride, there’s just this incredible rush.”

For Caren Öberg-Gomes and Sherry Copeland, surfing has instilled a feeling that is intangible, almost indescribable to the uninitiated, but which is very real and inspirational.

“When you’re out there, you feel everything,” says Caren. “It’s a cross between being super mellow and relaxed, and excited all at the same time.”

The feelings described by Caren, Sherry and Paula are not confined solely to the females who surf Cisco but are the Zen of the sport. Spyder Wright, a summer Nantucket resident and former national surfing champion, understands exactly what they mean.

As a boy, Spyder, who today owns the Trinity Collection on Main Street and builds custom surfboards here, lived in Hawaii where he actually met the legendary surfer, Duke Kahanamoku. As a young man, Spyder surfed competitively around the world, and in 1979 and 1980 was a top-three finisher in the National Surfing Championships.

He later surfed professionally and, in 2008, was inducted into the Surfing Legends Hall of Fame. As such, Spyder is, arguably, the Duke Kahanamoku of surfing on Nantucket. Just as that legendary guru energized and spread the popularity of surfing in Hawaii almost a century ago, so has the 66-year-old Spyder lent a sense of history and continuity to surfing here. He also shares the hard-to-define draw of the ocean and the sport that entices the Cisco sisterhood.

“You’re waiting for that wave that you think is going to be the perfect wave that you’re going to catch and ride. That feeling of having the motion of the ocean underneath you is hard to put into words.” “You’re away from the shore, you’re away from the crowds, you’re away from your job, from whatever stress or negative feeling you might have experienced during your day. You get out there and it’s all washed away.”

Written by Susan Bartkowiak
Images by Kit Noble

In 2005, a group of women in San Francisco proposed that local residents try to eat only food grown or produced within a 100-mile radius, coining the term ‘localvore.’

On Nantucket, our food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches our supermarket shelves and with that comes serious consequences. Road transportation produces 60% of the world’s food transport carbon emissions, air transportation, 20%.

Not only is our environment affected but our health and community as well, so a localvore has many good reasons to eat locally grown and produced food. There are fewer fossil fuels used in transporting and packaging the food, it supports our local community and it is healthier as processing and preservatives are infrequently used.

What’s more, since the food doesn’t have to travel as far, it tastes especially fresh! Localvores on Nantucket are fortunate to have plenty of farms to choose from when cooking at home, and when eating out it is a comforting notion that there are a good number of restaurants involved in the movement. While these chefs and owners are busy making sure what is on the stove is delectable, they are also nursing young plants to ensure they have control over the freshest ingredients.

Mark Gottwald of The Ship’s Inn started his herb garden over 15 years ago. Tri-color sage, lemon thyme and chocolate mint are some of the more unusual herbs grown in the garden behind the inn and used in his flavorful meals. Orla and Michael LaScola of American Seasons have small picking pots right outside the restaurant in addition to a full organic garden grown outside of town. Eight different types of tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, and edible flowers keep the herbs company. They also grow the lavender used in their delicious lavender-infused martini.

Susan Handy and Jeff Worster of The Chanticleer have also planted an organic garden within the restaurant grounds. Carrots, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, watermelon, raspberries and strawberries add to the beauty of the historic restaurant.

The garden has other uses as well, as it also provides the newly picked flowers that adorn the tabletops of the restaurant. Ron and Colleen Suhanosky of Sfoglia grow their own herbs as well. Equal amounts of five different herbs create a heavenly gelato with all the ingredients blending effortlessly. Mint, lavender, basil, thyme and tomatoes, among others, can be found right alongside the restaurant. Gabriel Frasca, Amanda Lydon and Scott Fraley of Straight Wharf Restaurant have a small garden on the premises in addition to one outside of town that produces tomatoes, five kinds of basil, thyme, raspberries, edible flowers and cutting flowers. Patti Myers, who owns an organic farm off Polpis Road, grows lettuces, nightshade vegetables and garlic chives specifically for the restaurant.