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december in Town From the Desk of Town Manager Libby Gibson.

What's up in Town Administration?

December 2022

FY 2024 Budget

We made our General Fund budget recommendations to the Board at its meeting on December 14th. Our budgetary focus is mainly to address initiatives contained in the Select Board’s Strategic Plan with housing, Town employee and otherwise, being a top priority. Other priorities include staffing resources, and increased programming in response to growing issues, such as stormwater management, facility and infrastructure maintenance and coastal resiliency. The Board will hold a public hearing on the budget on January 11 and following that, the Finance Committee begins its review of the proposed budget and finalizes its recommendations for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting in March. All the meetings at which the budget is discussed are public.

2023 Annual Town Meeting (ATM)

Throughout December, the Board has continued its discussions about potential articles for the Town Meeting. The Board had some discussion with Town Counsel about citizen articles at its December 14th meeting and the Finance Committee held a public hearing on the citizen warrant articles on December 15th. Zoning articles are currently under review with the Planning Board, Town Administration has begun to assemble the town meeting warrant, and the Select Board is scheduled to adopt the 2023 Town Meeting and Election Warrant at its meeting on January 18th.

Select Board Strategic Plan

The Board held a workshop on November 29th for an update on implementation progress with current goals, and, to consider updates to the Plan. Several updates were made and as of the writing of the E-news, we were finalizing an update to be reviewed by the Board at its meeting on January 4th.

Communications Plan

At the Board’s November 30th meeting, our Communications Manager Florencia Rullo presented the Board with a Communications Plan that was developed over the summer and into the fall, following the Board’s annual governance meeting in July at which the topic of Communications was discussed. The goal of the Plan is to increase communication with the public and to engage residents to participate in town-related matters. The Town of Nantucket is always evaluating communications strategies and tactics. Our steadfast goal is to ensure we provide critical and accurate information to all stakeholders - including residents, seasonal homeowners, businesses, visitors and media – in a timely, transparent manner across multiple channels. Like many municipalities throughout the state and country, we have engaged professional communications counsel to help us prepare for – and guide us through --- myriad communications challenges and crises that could arise without warning. We are currently working with Pierce-Cote for communications assistance and training, Zencity for community engagement assistance and UserWay for assistance with ensuring that our website is ADA compliant and accessible. Nantucket, with its geographic isolation, global recognition and high-profile visitors has communications needs unique from other communities. We are also certainly not immune from damaging false narratives that can be spread through social media, from both on- and off-island sources. Today, local governments working with communications experts is as common as engaging with outside legal, environmental service or human resources firms. Assistant Town Manager Gregg Tivnan and I attended a Massachusetts Municipal Management Association conference more than a decade ago when the growing trend of municipalities adding supplemental communications assistance was discussed. The topic of Communications has since been discussed for several years and brought forth by a Select Board member during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tax Rate and Residential Exemption

At its December 7, 2022 meeting, the Select Board approved the Town’s tax rate and residential exemption (25%). Some misinformation and/or misunderstanding was expressed prior to the meeting. Click here for the Assessor’s review and explanation at both the November 30th and December 7th meetings; and, here, for more detail.

Also….
  • The Capital Program Committee is working on its recommendations to update the Capital Improvement Plan and prepare recommendations for FY 2024 capital projects. The Committee has been meeting weekly since September and will present its recommendations to the Select Board and Finance Committee in January (date TBD).
  • Work on the Town Pier is well underway . The Town Pier repair/renovation project is divided into two phases.

Phase 1 is ongoing now and Robert B. Our (RBO) is the Contractor. The cost of Phase 1 is: $3,675,043.47. The work includes: Additional 100’ extension to the wave barrier; additional timber piles for the dinghy dock; Repairs to the existing 500’ +/- timber pier.

Phase 2 is the replacement of the floating dock and piles as well as electrical and water upgrades for the entire pier. Phase 2 has not gone out to bid yet. On December 13th, Deputy Chief of Police Charles Gibson travelled to Plymouth, MA where the state’s Seaport Advisory Council issued grants to municipalities for water-related projects. Nantucket, thanks to the Deputy Chief’s application, was awarded a $1,000,000 grant following a competitive process. The estimated cost for Phase 2 is $2,500,000. There will be an appropriation request for the remaining funds for Phase 2 at the 2023 May Town Meeting. If the Town Meeting vote is positive, the entire project is scheduled for completion May 1, 2024.

  • Street Lights! We have been very challenged with repairing and maintaining street lights over the last several years. We have recently issued a Request for Proposals to engage (hopefully) an outside firm to assist us. Meanwhile, repairs to lights which have been out for some time are underway. Our Deputy DPW Director for Facilities, Paul Berard, developed this street light outage chart.
  • Short-Term Rentals: After months of work with Granicus, the Health and Human Services Department will be able to start registration of Short-Term Rentals in early 2023. Granicus will be in contact with STR owners to inform them on how to register. The Host-Compliance software will be live in early 2023 and all registration will be done online. In January 2023, the Health and Human Services staff will begin training with the new software. We look forward to helping our community members with this new program.
Thank You…

Thank you to all the Town employees, and Town officials who contribute their time to the operation of the Town. Happy holidays to everyone! Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

A special Thank You to Paula Leary, who is leaving the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority after 25 years as its Administrator. Paula began working for the Town in 1990 in the DPW office and became the NRTA Administration in 1997. The NRTA service has grown tremendously under Paula’s leadership, including an expansion to year-round service in 2019. Thank you for your service, Paula and best wishes with all of your future endeavors!

Special Thank You’s also to:

  • Anne Barrett, Public Health Coordinator, in the Health Department, retired this month with 21 years of service. Anne’s kind and helpful demeanor has been a tribute to the Town. Thank you, Anne, and Best Wishes!
  • Terry Norton – Terry has been taking minutes at HDC meetings since 2007 and her job expanded in 2010 to include minutes for other agencies, including the Finance Committee, Capital Program Committee and Conservation Commission. Terry’s patience and diligence with these sometimes very technical meetings has been incredible. Thank you, Terry, Best Wishes!
In Memoriam

Ed Toole, a 25-year member of the Zoning Board of Appeals passed away on November 19, 2022. I was fortunate to have had the chance to work with Ed a little in recent years on 40B issues. Here is what his friend and fellow Board member, Michael O’Mara said about him: “The Town has lost a committed Town servant with the passing of Edward Toole. He was by far the best-prepared Chair of the ZBA in my tenure on the Board. On a personal note, we sat next to one another for 15 or so years and I always looked forward to and enjoyed his side comments which were usually inaudible to the audience. The community and Island were well served by Edward!

Thank you, Ed. RIP.

Ed with his daughter Maggie
And….

This REMINDER appeared in our December, 2021 E-news and because COVID, flu and RSV illnesses have been on the rise, we issue it again:

  • Wear your face covering as needed or required
  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Sanitize surfaces frequently
  • Get vaccinated and/or get your booster shot

It is ONLY when we all do these things that we can keep our community safe and cases low. Personal responsibility depends on each of us.

Lastly, of the two entries in the Health & Human Services – Natural Resources Departments’ first annual gingerbread house contest was this co-winner, designed and constructed by Coastal Technician Morgan Sayle:

Very funny, Morgan….

Happy New Year, Nantucket!

Human Resources

Personnel:

Our Island Home: Lauren Leamy returned to Our Island Home as a full-time RN. Welcome back, Lauren!

Public Works: Tomeka Gary started working at the DPW as an Administrative Clerk. Welcome, Tomeka, and good luck!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office - Year-in-Review

2022 was a productive year for the Town of Nantucket’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office. Throughout the year, the DEI director participated in internal and external opportunities that highlighted the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in a variety of ways. The touchstones listed below provides a sample as to how town government is working towards becoming more equitable and inclusive for the island’s diverse residents and visitors.

DEI Strategic Plan Update

Our work with Tangible Development LLC. to create a DEI Strategic Plan continues. With assistance from our consultants, the town received its first DEI Assessment Report in August 2022. The report highlights Nantucket’s areas of success and areas for growth within the practice of municipal DEI. The assessment is available on the town website and a presentation on its findings and recommendations is available in the recording of the September 28, 2022 Select Board meeting. The consultation also helped to create an internal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (DEIC). The purpose of the DEIC is to share DEI education with town employees using a variety of opportunities. Looking ahead, several professional development opportunities on an array of DEI topics is one of the final stages of our DEI consultation with Tangible Development alongside operationalizing the strategic plan produced. Tangible Development has assisted the DEI Office and director significantly in developing a DEI path forward contextualized for Nantucket Island.

DEI Programs 2022

The DEI Office produced several DEI programs throughout 2022. In collaboration with different departments and island organizations, the DEI Office acknowledged and celebrated a variety of identity-based heritage and federal holidays, with particular attention paid to highlighting Nantucket’s history. For example, in May 2022, Dr. Frances Ruley Karttunen gave a virtual lecture that celebrated Nantucket’s Asian American Pacific Islanders heritage. The lecture titled Pacific Islanders on a Faraway Island is available on the Town’s YouTube channel. Other 2022 programs included a dissertation presentation in honor of Juneteenth and a brief but detailed write up with resources on the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. In December 2022, the DEI Office produced a program titled Women in Science on Nantucket, which featured Dr. Sarah Bois, Dr. Valerie Hall, Dr. Regina Jorgensen, and Dr. Jennifer Karberg and hosted by the Nantucket Atheneum. These events demonstrate that the DEI Office and town are working strategically to ensure that importance of DEI can reach a variety of audience and residents.

Massachusetts DEI Coalition & DEI Guide

Nantucket’s affiliation with the Massachusetts DEI Coalition continues. With support from the Town Manager, the DEI Director participates in scheduled virtual meetings with other DEI practitioners throughout state. The Massachusetts DEI Coalition provides opportunities for practitioners to share ideas and challenges faced in municipal DEI-work and to seek advice from peers. The coalition recently produced the state’s first ever DEI Guide, which was published in 2022 and the Town of Nantucket is a listed contributor in the guide’s development. The MA DEI Guide was financially supported and coordinated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

Outreach & Collaborations

There were several opportunities for collaborations and public outreach throughout 2022. Apart from collaborations on DEI programs, the DEI director was granted an audience with the Community Foundation for Nantucket to give the group an update on our DEI efforts as well as an opportunity to talk with representatives from the University of Massachusetts Boston on ways to bring courses for life-long learners to Nantucket. In August 2022, Nantucket’s DEI Director and Arlington’s DEI Director jointly presented information on the Massachusetts Municipal DEI Coalition and DEI Guide. The presentation was for employees at Blue Cross Blue Shield who are a part of the Black Professional Network. And, more recently, in fall 2022 the Nantucket Historical Association, Museum of African American History, and DEI Office came together to start the conversation and steps necessary for developing an accessible curriculum about Nantucket’s people of color. DEI-work is collaborative by nature and the DEI Office is happily working with local and state entities to reach DEI goals we envision for our community.

DEI-work & Select Board Pledge

It is important to contextualize the Town’s DEI-work. In June 2020, the ‘Select Board Pledge to the Nantucket Community’ listed many priorities and commitments primarily to advance DEI-work on island. Some commitments included, “develop an Equity/ Diversity office in Town Administration – a cabinet level position…”, “[doing] all we can to stand with the black community, as well as other minorities, to ensure that we do the work to make Nantucket a more just and equitable community…”, and “continuing to be active participants in working hard to educate, train and effect change in our organizations and throughout the community.” As demonstrated by the touchstones above, the DEI Office and town employees are working diligently to ensure that these commitments are fulfilled and prolonged. With community support, we will continue working towards the many commitments listed in the Select Board’s pledge and unabashedly strive towards our DEI mission.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kimal McCarthy, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director

Aerial views of Clark Cove

Energy Office

Municipal Solar Project Updates

In 2019, the Town of Nantucket solicited proposals for the development of municipal solar projects, with the stated goal of increasing the island’s energy resiliency and sustainability. In January of 2020, SunPower was selected as the winning bidder by an inter-departmental evaluation committee to develop a small (grant-funded) roof-mounted array at the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Plant and a larger ground-mounted array at the Wannacomet Water Company property, located at 1 Milestone Road. While a variety of municipal facilities and properties were evaluated, including the landfill and the airport, these two sites were ultimately prioritized as the most economically viable for the Town.

Over the last two years, both projects have been modified in size and scope to maximize savings, while mitigating potential impacts to facility operations and grid interconnections, visual impacts to the immediate surrounding areas, and environmental impacts to local flora and fauna as evaluated by applicable state agencies.

On December 16th, the Select Board received an update from the project developer summarizing the numerous project revisions, and subsequently approved contract amendments on December-21st.

The Town and Water Company look forward to 2023, when both solar projects will be designed, permitted, and proceed to construction, resulting in significant economic, resiliency, and environmental benefits for the island. For more information, please visit: www.nantucket-ma.gov/solarfarm or contact the town’s energy coordinator, Lauren Sinatra, at LSinatra@nantucket-ma.gov.

Housing

In January we will have the 2nd issue of the Housing Office e-Newsletter! If you haven't yet, you don't want to miss it - read it here. And don't forget to subscribe to receive it in your mailbox!

Fire Department

  • Firefighter Mario Cameron has been attending the Mass Fire Academy for his career recruit program. He is completing a 10-week program consisting of classroom instruction, physical fitness, and practical firefighting training. Firefighter Cameron will be certified in Firefighter I, Firefighter II and HazMat Operations when he graduates.
  • Firefighter Alana Macey completed her Paramedic program instruction, clinical rotations, and field rotation where she rode along on the ambulance with Hyannis Fire Department. Alana's certification brings the total number of certified paramedics to four.

Both firefighters had shown a strong commitment to the fire service and the community of Nantucket and should be recognized and commended. Congratulations!

Firefighters Mario Cameron and Alana Macey

Natural Resources

Shoreline Change Monitoring Project

Data collected over the past year from the Shoreline Change Monitoring project is now available to view on the Town website. The Shoreline Change Monitoring Project is an ongoing effort outlined in the Coastal Resilience Plan that will allow us to track erosion to coastal bluffs and dunes in localized areas around the island, which may help inform future resilience planning efforts. Click here for information on the project.

Atlantic Ghost Crab Study

Spooky season is not over at NRD. Our study of the Atlantic ghost crab, which began this summer, has entered its next phase: winter! Atlantic ghost crabs are a tropical and subtropical species of terrestrial crab that live on the eastern coasts of the Americas from Brazil to Rhode Island and, recently, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The shores of Rhode Island are considered the northernmost extent of their range, and it is not until the last several years that ghost crabs have been recorded on Martha’s Vineyard. The past summer confirmed that they are year-round residents of Nantucket as well. Ghost crabs live in large burrows above the high-tide line that can be as deep as 5 feet, often directly above the water table. Many of these burrows were noticed at Smith’s Point by NRD staff this summer which triggered a full investigation into the lives of these new nocturnal predators.

First, we set up some trail cameras. The burrows certainly looked like ghost crab burrows, but common knowledge up to this point was that juvenile crabs floated north on the gulf stream, lived on Nantucket for the summer, but perished during the cold winters before they had a chance to reach their full adult size. With a general lifespan of three years, a young crab wouldn’t reach a size large enough to match the burrows we were seeing until at least its first year of life, meaning crabs would have had to survive at least one winter on the island to be as big as we thought they were. It wasn’t long until we had a pretty clear answer.

An adult ghost crab captured via TrailCam catching some rays outside of its burrow.

The ghost crabs were here, and they were big! Further observation showed us that there was a healthy breeding population of crabs – adults, juveniles, males, females. One crab, two crab; red crab, blue crab… Wait.

To gain a better understanding of what’s happening to the crabs over winter, we turned to technology. We captured six crabs (lovingly ID’d as Fred, Hades, Eugene, Lucky, Cthulhu, and Hercules) and outfitted them with radio transmitters, which will stay on until their next molt. The transmitters have allowed us to track their movements across the shifting sands and will reveal when crabs finally enter hibernation, where they will go, and hopefully tell us when they will emerge in the spring.

Atlantic ghost crab “Fred” wearing a radio transmitter.

So, we have ghost crabs – why is that significant? While that question has many answers, the most positive one is that ghost crabs have long been considered to be indicators of a healthy beach ecosystem: the canary in the coalmine, if you will. The fact that they have clearly decided that Nantucket is a wonderful place to settle down is a testament to our pristine coastal environment. The second big factor is that ghost crabs are predators, and very effective ones at that. While most of their diet is made up of the mole crab, or sand flea, they will eat just about anything that they can catch, including the eggs and chicks of shorebirds, which many organizations around the island (including the Town) spend much time and resources to protect. Our Nantucket shorebirds are fortunate in that they do not face threats from many ground-dwelling predators, unlike their mainland cohorts who have to deal with skunks, foxes, mink, coyotes, and racoons. This new arrival could shake up our island bird dynamics. Since the crabs and birds share the same areas of beach, it is important to understand how they may interact. Lastly, but certainly not least, the range expansion of ghost crabs could signal important changes happening in our little corner of the world. Milder winters brought about by a changing climate could be making new regions habitable for ghost crabs that they never would have been able to survive in previously.

There are many questions yet to be answered, and only time will tell if our elusive little crabs will have what it takes to brave another cold Nantucket winter, but NRD looks forward to providing more updates on this project as new understandings emerge.

Coastal Resources Technician Morgan Sayle

Public Works

To better understand the needs and wants of the community, the Town is conducting a review of the current concession facilities at Children's, Jetties and Surfside beaches.

We are seeking YOUR INPUT on how on how often you currently use the concession facilities, what you think of the current configurations, and what you might like to see changed. By completing the survey, you will be helping as we look towards the future of these concessions buildings.

An Oldie but Goodie... How Do the Waste Streams Work on Nantucket?
Public Works Crew Busy at Work
  • Public Works staff installing a snow fence along Tom Nevers bluff.
  • Public Works staff brush cutting and cleaning up around Milestone Road.
  • On the morning of Christmas Eve, the crew went out to dust off the snow from streets and sidewalks!

Planning & Land Use Department

Updated Residential Stretch Code Takes Effect January 1, 2023

The Town of Nantucket, as a Massachusetts Green Community, adopted the Stretch Energy Code in 2019 for new construction and renovation projects. On January 1, 2023, the Massachusetts residential stretch code will be updated with no concurrency period. For further information on the new Stretch Energy Code changes, please refer to the enclosed summary, which was provided by Mass Save’s Energy Code Advisors, PSD Consulting, and is being provided as a public service announcement to Nantucket constituents as a courtesy reminder.

For more information regarding trainings, tools and resources on the Stretch Code, please visit: https://www.masssave.com/partners/tools-and-resources

Local Contacts:

Sewer Department

Sea Street Pump Station Force Main Project

The second phase of construction for the Sea Street Pump Station Force Main #3 project began on September 19, 2022, on Step Lane. Water main, gravity sewer, sewer force main, and all service connections (water and sewer) to the properties on Step Lane including temporary paving were completed in November 2022. Final restoration including sidewalks and final pavement will occur during the spring of 2023.

During the month of December 2022, the contractor Robert B Our (RBO) continued to work on Centre Street focusing on the installation of the gravity sewer. Once the gravity sewer is complete on Centre Street, the sewer force main will be installed, and the road will be temporary paved for the winter months. Similar to Step Lane, final restoration will take place in 2023. It is anticipated that work on Centre Street will continue through the month of January. In addition, Sea Street work between N. Water Street and the Sea Street pump station will also be ongoing during the month of January.

South Shore Road Sewer Extension Project

The contractor has completed installation of all pipelines to be installed under this project, including building connection stubs to the property lines. The contractor has been working on pressure testing the new gravity sewer lines and should be completing that effort in the coming weeks. Any repairs that are needed to sections that fail the pressure test would be completed in the early weeks of January.

It should be noted that while the gravity sewer work is essentially complete, the Sea Street Pump Station force main and water main projects on S. Shore Road are ongoing and will continue through the winter months. Final surface restoration, including full width repaving, is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2023.

Local businesses and homes remain accessible during construction hours, with single lane closures in effect during construction hours. Police detail officers and/or flaggers are on site daily to assist with traffic management and access to local homes and businesses during construction activities. The public is urged to visit the project webpage for more information, including weekly schedule updates, crew location, and documents for abutters. The Sewer Department can also be reached at (508) 228-7200 x7801 with any questions.

Surfside Road Area Sewer System Improvements Project

Excavation work within the roadways has resumed, albeit intermittently, along Surfside Road to perform spot repairs to the new sewer and to installed stubs for future use by Nantucket Public Schools. Final pump station startup testing was performed on Monday, December 19th, which will allow final connections at Miacomet Ave, Vesper Lane, and the Nantucket High School entrance to be made in the coming weeks to divert all flow to the new station.

Since the last monthly newsletter update the contractor has continued to work on putting the final touches on the pump station and testing of equipment, including the generator, controls, and instrumentation. The crew has also installed binder course pavement in the driveway and parking area on the pump station site. In the coming weeks and months, the contractor will continue to work on making final repairs and working on punch list items in preparation for substantial completion and turning over the station to the Town. Final site landscaping and project closeout will be done in the spring when the weather permits for such work to take place.

The public is urged to visit the project webpage for more information, including weekly schedule updates, crew location, road closures, and detour plans when the final connection phase of the roadway work proceeds. The Sewer Department can also be reached at (508) 228-7200 x7800 with any questions.

Transportation

Surfside Area Water and Roadway Enhancement Projects

On Thursday, December 8, 2022 the Surfside Area Water and Roadway Projects Team hosted an in-person and remote Public Information Forum. It was well-attended with 25 residents in attendance in the Community Room at the Public Safety Facility at 4 Fairgrounds Road as well as 18 remote participants. James Drake, P.E. from CDM Smith, Inc. was present to update the public on the Town’s planned expansion of a public water main in the area west of Nantucket Memorial Airport funded through a $8.2M State Revolving Fund Loan. Additionally, John Osorio, P.E. from Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. presented an update of the roadway reconstruction, drainage, and sidepath projects proposed for Lovers Lane, Okorwaw Avenue, and Monohansett Road.

It was an interactive session with several excellent questions from residents about the water main and roadway projects as well as time to examine large design panels displayed throughout the Community Room. Participants asked site-specific questions to the engineers as well as to Patrick Reed the Town’s Transportation Program Manager, Mark Willett the Nantucket Water Department Director, Michael Maynard the Town’s Environmental Contaminant Officer, and Gregg Tivnan the Town’s Assistant Town Manager for Special Projects.

The Surfside Area Water and Roadway Enhancement Projects consists of several complex and important roadway reconstruction, drainage, sidepath, and water main projects in various design stages in the Surfside area of the island west of Nantucket Memorial Airport. The area of work is bordered by Lovers Lane to the west, Okorwaw Avenue to the south and Monohansett Road to the east. These overlapping projects are broken down into four Phases:

  • Phase 1: Water Main Expansion Project on Lovers Lane, Okorwaw Avenue, Monohansett Road, Skyline Drive, Webster Road, and Nobadeer Way (Fall 2023-Spring 2025)
  • Phase 2: Lovers Lane Roadway Reconstruction and Sidepath Project (TBD)
  • Phase 3: Okorwaw Avenue Roadway Reconstruction and Sidepath Project (TBD)
  • Phase 4: Monohansett Road Roadway Reconstruction and Sidepath Project (TBD)

For updated information on these projects please visit the Surfside Area Water and Roadway Enhancements Projects page.

Treasurer's Office

The Treasurer’s Office has posted a list of unclaimed and abandoned property for checks issued by the Town and County that are uncashed. Please review the list here: https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/215/Treasurer, to see if you have any unclaimed funds.

Saltmarsh Senior Center

The Saltmarsh is back full-fledged as of November 1st! Congregate lunch is now being brought into the Saltmarsh by Elder Services Monday – Friday. It is the one, very important social gathering that we have been missing since we re-opened following closure during the Covid pandemic. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance by calling Elder Services at 508-228-4647. Come join in a nutritious meal with others over 60.

The Saltmarsh has been offering fitness classes every morning and games of strategy, fun and laughter every afternoon. On Tuesday afternoons we offer presentations providing, information, history, culture, cooking among many others. In December, the Saltmarsh hosted a presentation from Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket, about their free, confidential support they offer to our community. The Life Saving Museum offered a bus from the Saltmarsh to the museum with a tour for seniors along with tea and sweets and the Nantucket Historical Museum offered a tour of the Festival of Trees to get in the Holiday spirit. Fran Karttunen presented a talk on the Portuguese heritage of Nantucket. There were two holiday crafts of making Christmas mugs filled with greens and ‘kissing balls’ to decorate in the holiday spirit.

Our monthly programs continue with Cooking with Alice from Health Imperatives which is a crowd pleaser as she demonstrates how to prepare easy, healthy recipes. Samples are available for all who attend! We offer a Tech Clinic for those who have questions about their devices, hearing appointments are available with two different audiologists and Skyping with Social Security. Heather Francis, the town nurse, is available each Tuesday morning for seniors who drop in to have their blood pressure checked, ask general health questions and questions about medicine or disease.

Dick Herman and Rachel Patnaude
Thank you for reading the Town of Nantucket Last e-Newsletter of 2022. Happy Holidays!
Town of Nantucket - 16 Broad Street Nantucket, MA 02554

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Public Outreach Manager Florencia Rullo
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Public Outreach Manager Florencia Rullo