Two Guys on Block Island

Hank Hewitt is a force of nature. Like a hurricane wrapped inside a tornado drowned in a tsunami then blown out of a volcano. Hank's path is both wildly random and at the same time perfectly ordered as if the hand of some extraterrestrial force was guiding him towards an ultimate wisdom. 

And while Hank's journey is far from over, he'd probably shake off any hyperbole surrounding his life. Here's a guy who's happy as long as he's got a fishing pole in his hand. Even when he doesn't...he's still pretty damn happy.

We're not going to tell you too much about our conversation with Hank. Best to let this one wash over you and go with the tide. Suffice it to say though, when you get a train like Hank
a-rollin', there ain't much stopping' it either. That's why we invite you to enjoy Part One of our interview with one of the Bodhisattvas of Block Island fishing...Hank Hewitt.

Now drop yer' tackle box and hit, "PLAY", Cap'! 

Madden Gracy is hungover. She doesn't appear any worse for the wear though. That's because she's young. They say youth is wasted on the young which may be true unless the youth in question is wasted.

We joke but let's face it- when you're in your twenties and working on Block Island for the summer you're most likely going to attend a few parties. And while we certainly don't make light of the problems that can come with the consumption of too much alcohol on a too frequent basis, there is something to be said for sewing some wild oats when you're young.

And Madden has sewn some oats and come out unscathed. For the most part. These days, she's an editor living a professional life in Silver Springs, Maryland. And ever since her Grandparents (Jack and Helen Lynch) built a house on Block Island in the 1980's, Madden and her Mom always had a place to stay when they weren't working in the island's summer service industry or sewing oats.

That all changed though when the Lynches sold their island home a few years back essentially leaving Mother and Daughter to pound sand like so many others looking for suitable summer housing. Luckily, they did and celebrated with Pinot Grigio and Cucumber Vodka. 

Much of this episode revolves around Madden's experiences working at the Oar. We discuss how the tough love dished out by her boss ended up teaching her some valuable life lessons. We also discuss the scene at the now infamous Race Week Tent and...well...we pretty much talk a bunch of smack about it. Sorry, not sorry.

We learn that NOBODY gets special treatment when it comes to the wait list for a table at the Oar (the wait can be hours-long in peak season). Not even the daughter of a former U.S. President. We also talk about the dangers of a mudslide/clam chowder diet and the intense vetting process for those seeking to have their own decorated oar hung up in the rafters.

But mostly we talk about the ins and outs of surviving as a server and provide some helpful hints to those who seek to dine out on Block Island. Spoiler alert- don't NOT tip.

Along the way we also randomly discover that Rich is 6.25% Jewish. 

So put down that mudslide and hit, "PLAY", Cap'!

Bryan Wilson is one of Block Island's more recognizable characters if only for his imposing frame. At over six feet tall Bryan has a hard time blending in a crowd. But if there were ever a true definition of "gentle giant", Bryan fits the bill. His calm, even-keeled demeanor makes for a fantastic interview. And what an interview it is...

A long-time year round resident, Bryan has worn many hats over the years. Besides having helmed one of the most successful design/build firms on the island, Bryan has most recently been integral in bringing the East Coast's first offshore wind farm from concept to reality.

Take a listen as Bryan gives us the rundown on his early days on Block Island as well as an in depth look at exactly what it takes to maintain the five massive turbines that comprise the wind farm. The project was extremely controversial during its inception. Here, Bryan discusses at length exactly what it took to make the project happen and answers some FAQ's about exactly how the whole operation works. 

Some of our guests are high profile. Others choose to dwell simply here on Block Island, doing their thing and keepin’  it real.

Jon Damm falls in to the later category. He’s a year-round resident who has also has Rose blood in him. He first came to Block Island in 1956 and lived in a house his family constructed by salvaging a portion of the old rail station that used to exist up the Neck. The house didn’t have electricity but that didn’t bother Jon. Neither did lack of telephone service which didn’t arrive until the 1970’s.

One of the things Jon learned early was how to fish. The ponds of Block Island yield a bounty of White Perch which Jon could feed a small family with given an hour with his trusty rod and reel. Jon’s also a hunter although he sticks to the sometimes elusive “two-legged female deer”.

Jon’s the definition of a hard-workin’ guy. But he does get to kick back every now and then. And while he’s had his mind blown at a Jimi Hendrix concert but nothing compares to the thrill of the auto races.

Cars and motorcycles  have always been a big thing for Jon. We go DEEP into his love of all things that make loud noises and go fast!

All this and a wonderful story about the best pet/friend a guy could ever ask for...

Grip the shift, drop the hammer and press “PLAY”, Cap’!

Up to this point, our interviews have been with people who either live on Block Island year-round or spend the majority of the summer here. In this episode, we talk with a frequent visitor who at the time of this interview was in the middle of a two week stay during September 2020- his longest sojourn on the island to date.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away Matt Michnovetz saw Star Wars for the first time. Years later when a number of his high school friends (including TGOBI host, Marc Scortino) began migrating to Block Island for summer work, Matt became a regular visitor to the island. While some of his buddies remained entrenched in the Block Island community, Matt followed his dreams to Hollywood where after much persistence he became a staff writer on the television show 24 starring Kiefer Sutherland. 

While at 24, a chance encounter with Star Wars producer Rick McCallum led to Matt being asked up to Skywalker Ranch to meet George Lucas and interview for a writing position on the animated series The Clone Wars. He got the gig. Since then he's also worked on another Star Wars animated series, Rebels, and one of 2020's biggest video game releases, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And that's just the Star Wars stuff. 

Matt's a busy guy who knows how to hustle in Hollywood. But that's got to be exhausting, right? Spoiler alert: it is.

So when Matty Mich (as he's known in LA LA Land) needs to unwind- he looks forward to visiting Block Island. Matt's developed an affinity for bivalves, crustaceans and Bloody Marys. In fact, one might call him a connoisseur. And he's got his favorite island spots where he indulges in these habits. He'll tell you all about them. Matt gets into the other things he loves about Block Island and why he makes a point to return here from Los Angeles at least once a year. 

I know, I know- but what about the Star Wars stuff? Look- we tried to pry some secrets out of him but Matty Mich isn't spilling the beans on any deep-dive, hardcore stuff that Star Wars fans fill discussion boards with. What we do get though is a funny, up-close and personal look at what it takes to make it and then survive in Hollywood as a writer. Spoiler alert #2: it's a tough racket! 

So sit back- grab a Bloody Mary, some clams and a lightsaber and prepare to make the jump to light speed as we talk with one of Block Island's "pro-level" visitors.

What? Are you frozen in carbonite? Drop that blaster and hit, "PLAY", Cap'!

Lisa Sprague clams up when you start sniffing around for her chowder recipe. 

Same goes for her Stuffies. What's a Stuffie? Some would say a tiny clam meatloaf served in an ashtray.  There are a few variations on how to serve a Stuffie.  And the exact ingredients added to the butter, breadcrumbs and clams remain unknown. Lisa is like a Knights Templar. Guardian of a vast and important secret handed down through generations and protected under a veil of mystery.

Clams run in the family. Lisa's Dad, the legendary Bo Gemp was a "tonger" (a professional clam harvester). We learn about Lisa's clan and their long standing ties to Block Island.

Lisa started living here full time in 1976 after she graduated from college. At the time she was working as a lifeguard at what was then State Beach. During this segment, Lisa recounts a tender moment interrupted by Champ Starr who was on the hunt for a late night snack. She also had a close encounter with a hammerhead shortly before meeting Peter Benchley (the author of JAWS).

At the end of the season, she answered a classified ad in the local newspaper seeking a Physical Education Teacher for the Island School. Lisa got the job and became the first Gym Teacher here on the island. She designed the course and had to get creative sometimes. No- she didn't take the kids clamming.

Lisa's service to the community has been a constant. She joined the rescue squad in 76' as well and has been involved ever since. She's been a dispatcher at the police station too. Both jobs were serious ones, but we get a couple of funny stories from Lisa. Once, an escape prisoner hijacked a police cruiser and found himself in a real...picklement.

All this and skillet tossing stories too! Just remember- Manhattan clam chowder is NOT a thing. Don't ever bring it up in front of Lisa.

Put down the clam rake and hit "PLAY", Cap'!

Adrian Mitchell is one of the most beloved figures on Block Island. He was born and raised here. He loves Block Island and Block Island loves him. And that's about all we have to say about that.

Adrian is also a humble man so we're not going to sit here and tell you any more about how great he is. Hit "play" and find out for yourself.

Christy and Becca Zendt are charming people. They have such an easy-going, friendly vibe that it's easy to forget they are also successful business women who have recently breathed new life into an old Dodge Street building- rechristening it, The Darius Inn.
 
Thirteen years ago Christy Zendt was traveling to Nova Scotia with a friend. They decided to check out Block Island. After three days on the island, Christy decided this was the place, so she stayed. She found work with Ann Law at the Blue Dory Inn as a chambermaid/jack (or Jane) of all trades.
 
Two years later, Becca was working in Los Angeles. When she came back east to visit Christy on the island, she decided that she'd stay too. Thirteen years later the Zendt sisters are still here and are the owner/operators of The Darius Inn on Dodge Street. 
 
Christy and Becca’s journey from scrubbing toilets in someone else’s inn to scrubbing toilets at their own inn is magical. With the help of many friends, somehow the renovations to the Darius were completed just in time to welcome their first guests. When they bought the inn the second floor was filled with "treasures" from the past. Mostly old chairs. Many yard sales later- some of the remaining antiquities discovered there have been repurposed and have found new life at the inn. And since they opened their B&B, the Darius has come to be known as THE place to stay for those seeking hospitality with a creative and friendly flair.
 
We dive into the history of the Darius (pronounced "door-EYE-us") and learn about its chameleonic past. The building- known as The Gables Too at the time the sisters purchased it was originally built in the late 1600's as the DB Dodge Pharmacy. Log books discovered in the inn's storage room show purchase orders for cocaine and arsenic- two everyday drug store offerings back then. Over the years the building has served as the bank, a dentist's office, a law office and housed the island's telephone switchboard where operators had to memorize the phone book before being hired.
 
Later on, we talk about the preponderance of women who own businesses on Dodge Street. Becca and Christy have found themselves part of an informal sisterhood known as, "The Dames of Dodge Street". Comprised of several other women owning businesses on Dodge Street this coincidental phenomenon leads us to an interesting discussion about whether or not the sisters faced any challenges opening their own business here based on their gender. 
 
It would seem that anyone operating a business on Block Island would be too busy to have a "normal" life. And while the Zendt sisters are anything but "normal", they both have found time to start their own families here. We learn a little about the guys lucky enough to have hitched up with these dynamic sisters and the families they have created.
 
All that and the SECRET RECIPE for Ann Law's famous "Barnacle Cookies"!
 
(just kidding- they know it, but they're not talking)
 
So quit lollygaggin' and hit "PLAY" Cap'!
 
 
 

Tom Mahoney came to Block Island for a bartending job at Yellow Kittens expecting to stay for one summer. Decades later, T-Bird has become a Block Island icon. He's worked at so many bars here that even he can't remember them all.

T-Bird's free-wheeling lifestyle has earned him the reputation as one of the ultimate good time party guys. Along with this comes an outlook on life that doesn't always jive with the nine to five. There's no way to summarize our conversation with The Bird. It's all over the place. 

There are nuggets of wisdom everywhere. You learn a lot when you're trapped behind a chunk of wood serving alcohol to people. You see it all- the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain crazy. And it's hard work. Some would even say it's a young man's game. But for T-Bird it's the exact opposite. The game keeps him young.

Tom Mahoney is living his dream every day on Block Island. Not all days are good- but that's life. T-Bird takes it in stride, rides the highs and lows and gives thanks every day for the community that he calls home. 

Oh- don't worry. There's plenty of antics and shenanigans too...
Grab a tequila, settle back and take the ride. This episode's all about the chub.

Now quit being clippy and hit, "PLAY", Cap'!

Pam Gelsomini has been coming to Block Island since she was born. Back then her name was Pamela Anderson. Go ahead and make your Baywatch joke- we did too. Pam will laugh right along with you. However Pam's accomplishments are no laughing matter. We'll get to those in a bit.

The Breakers was a boarding house on Corn Neck Road that had been owned and operated by Pam's family since the late 1800's. It was a place where Swedish folks would congregate to enjoy their summer vacations. They even had a six hole (Par 3) golf course on the property back then. Sorry! Swedes only. 

Pam recounts her time at the Breakers as a child. Back then, days were filled with picking blackberries, fishing and Sunday afternoon trips down to the ferry dock to wave goodbye to the "Daddy Boat". Also, we find out what interesting deer deterrent Pam's Uncle Billy used to stockpile.

When Pam was old enough to work she took her first job as a waitress at Ernie's. There she met her friend Rich Trethaway. We would've had Pam on the show anyway but she and Rich have been palling around since they were in their early teens. Pam and Rich talk about some of the good times had in the employee housing up above Finn's. We also learn how Pam credits her experience in the service industry with informing her sales techniques later on in life.

Pam's always been a lifelong artist and studied at Syracuse University where she refined her craft. But she found that after graduation, the life of a starving artist wasn't for her. One of the  gigs she took was designing the treads on the bottom of sneakers and shoes. This may seem like a mundane job. But Pam ends up parlaying her knowledge into a business opportunity that would prove to change the course of her life.

Put simply, Pam CRUSHES the business world.  She'll give you the details. Yet- while Pam would prove to be a VERY successful entrepreneur, her passion was always art and food. "Dish Off the Block" is a food blog that Pam began after celebrity chef, Jaques Pepin advised her not to write a cookbook (because "everyone's doing that already"). So instead, Pam's blog is running full steam ahead and is enjoying success  marketing her own line of spices. As if we needed proof that Pam is a foodie, Rich and Pam talk about their experiences in the world of competitive cooking where they felt the heat in the kitchen.

Now quit stalling' and hit PLAY, Cap'!