Topic: Travel

Traveling back and forth to Nantucket can be a tough task during the fog, wind, rain, and snow of winter storms. We talk to Al Peterson of the Nantucket Memorial Airport, Captain John Lynch from the Hy-line, and some regular commuters about travelling to the Island.

There are so many changes going on at the Nantucket Memorial Airport and Airport Manager Al Peterson sat down with Plum host Kate Brosnan to explain just what is going on. For more information, don't miss our coverage of the Airport Terminal Groundbreaking, only on Plum.

From wind, to corrosion, to cobblestone, the life of a car on Nantucket is not an easy one. Which is why we have some helpful tips to get your beloved vehicle ready for winter, thanks to the help of the guys down at Don Allen Ford-Mercury.

After making films about the wine regions of Tuscany, Burgundy & Bordeaux, Plum visited Napa, Sonoma and San Francisco to create the newest wine film Harvest: Napa, Sonoma. Plum’s own Dan Honan & David Kuhn talk about their experiences creating the film.

Don't miss the full-length documentary of Harvest: Napa-Sonoma here.

Nantucket's got a new star on the Island. No, it's not a celebrity. The Star of the Sea Youth Hostel has a new face at its’ original location at Surfside.

In celebration of the completed renovations, the staff of the hostel invited Plum to come and see the new face of the buildings.

Jessica Sutich, Marketing Coordinator for New England's Hostelling International, said "We did a lot of renovations recently. The house is now handicapped accessible. There are ramps to the main and back buildings, and a handicapped accessible bathroom."

The significance behind the renovations isn't just in the ramps that make the hostel more handicapped-accessible, but also in preserving some of the rich history of the building.

Deborah Ruhe, Executive Director of Eastern New England Hostels, helped bring the buildings back to life with amazing efforts. "The hostel has been here since the 1960s," she said, "It's a historic building, and we needed to do a lot of preservation work. We've done four years of projects."

Many people are unaware of the rich history behind the former Lifesaving Station down on Western Avenue in Surfside. Jeremy Slavitz, Lifesaving Museum Curator on Nantucket was on-hand to tell us about the history of the building. "This structure is the oldest U.S. Lifesaving Service structure on its' original foundation in the country," he said, "[At the time it was built] hundreds of vessels were passing the Island every day. Sumner Kimball chose this as a site for the Island's first lifesaving station."

The structure has been at the current location since 1874, and it is still standing today.

"I think [the renovation of the hostel] is wonderful," said Bob Sylvia, Director of Hostel Operations, "We're obviously very grateful for the Island's contributions to the hostel. These renovations have allowed us to offer a better product, and to advance."

The cost of staying in the hostel during summer months (the hostel is seasonal) is around $30 per night, per person, compared to hotels on the Island charging a few hundred dollars per night during peak season.

"Hostels are a great, low-budget way to travel. We have a wide demographic of people who come out [to stay at the hostels]," said Sutich.

The hostels renovations were made possible through funding from a great deal of people. Check out their commemorative plaque in our slideshow below.

For more information on Nantucket's Star of the Sea Hostel, check out their website.

 

Mary D. Malavase is a long-time resident of Nantucket Island. She has raised 2 children, recently retired from over 30-years in the hotel industry, and now works as a broker for Atlantic East Real Estate. She has continued to be a part of Nantucket for various reasons, "I was in the hotel business for 31 years, that's my real career everyone knows me from," she said, "I love small town New England and I love the opportunity to welcome guests and visitors."

In addition to her professional and family accomplishments, Malavase is well known in the Nantucket community for her volunteer efforts. "I have always been on boards of different non-profits," stated Malavase. She is a part of the Nantucket Garden Club, served as a past president of Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, is on the board of Sherburne Commons, Nantucket's first ever senior living community, and served on the board of Strong Wings, just to name a few of her efforts that serve our town.

Additionally Malavase has won several awards from various organizations for her outstanding efforts in the Nantucket community, including the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce Annual Achievment of Merit Award and the Annual Hospitality Award.

"My mantra is that we are priveliged to live in this beautiful small town and with that opportunity we have a responsibility to volunteer and give back," said Malavase, "We, as year-round residents, work and live in the same community, and, consequently, I think that enhances our small town and caring for one another. Here, we are all together 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Stay tuned to Plum for more on our Plum 98, highlighting the giving members of our Island community.

Click here for more Plum 98 on Nantucket.