Two Guys on Block Island

Whew! What a season it's been! In Season Three's first interview with Steven Wright, the groundbreaking comedian and long-time summer resident likened summers on the island to a book. Each summer- a volume in a series -that at the end of the season is closed and put on the shelf amongst the volumes from summers past. 

But before Rich and Marc put Summer 2023 on the shelf they recap the conversations had with some of the island's own. And what a season it was! From Edie Blaine's yarns from the days or yore to Bill Dunleavy's Barbara Streisand impression, Season Three of TGOBI saw the podcast grow exponentially once again thanks in no small part to Rich and Marc's in depth coverage of what has come to be known as "The Ballard's Debacle".

But it wasn't all bad news. The sun was shining, the mudslides flowed and Block Island enjoyed another (mostly) idyllic summer albeit one with some growing pains. At any rate, thanks to our sponsors the two guys were able to deliver a blow by blow account of what went down during summer 23' via the (mostly) weekly Minipods in addition to introducing listeners to more of the folks that make our little paradise tick.

Thanks for a GREAT season, listeners! In the words of Ahnold...

...we'll be bahk.

Rich and Marc find themselves continuously amazed at the amount of really smart people here on Block Island. Claire Costello ranks at the top of the list. Her days as a trial attorney in New York City found her arguing (and winning) a case before now Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. These days Claire serves as a philanthropic consultant to global power brokers whom need direction when it comes to where to give.

But before that Claire first found work sweeping the floors at the Spring House at age 12. She later earned the distinction of becoming the first female bartender at Dead Eye Dick's during the "Billy Stubbs Days". 

Claire's love for Block Island led her to found the Committee For The Great Salt Pond which successfully cleaned up the harbor after decades of neglect. The committee has been at the forefront of the fight against the proposed Champlin's Marina expansion. A battle that has lasted eighteen long years and is poised to come to an end (one way or the other) over the coming weeks and months. 

Fall is always a BOOtiful time of year on Block Island. As October winds down and the island becomes quiet, one has time to notice how gloriously spooky this place can be! For the third installment of Block Island Ghost Stories Rich and Marc call on some pros to help discuss a few of the island's spectral specimens. 

Rob Coakley, Dave Wilkins and Jesse Wilkins dropped the first episode of their podcast Hometown Ghost Stories on November 6, 2021. Since then the cast has virtually exploded garnering nearly twenty thousand downloads per episode. Featuring a unique story telling style followed by discussion amongst the hosts, HGS does a FANTASTIC job of capturing the spooky essence of their subjects.

Back in July the team dropped their Block Island episode. With the help of our very own Block Island Ghost Tours crew Rob, Dave and Jesse were introduced to some of the island's most notoriously haunted spots. The HGS team found Block Island to be so haunted that a return trip is in the works! Enjoy this episode and be sure to check out the Hometown Ghost Stories podcast on all major streaming platforms. Happy Halloween!

Part 2 of our chat with David Lewis

David Lewis was born and raised on Block Island and his stories are of the stuff that draw most people to our podcast. Tales from the island's simpler days abound. From David's days as a schoolboy at the Block Island School to his college days at Harvard and beyond, one yarn spills into the next seamlessly.

Although David was instrumental in starting the Land Trust, we mostly discuss the people that shaped David's life here.  And it's quite obvious that Mr. Lewis' life was filled with family and friends to whom he owes a great deal.

So press play and learn about how a young entrepreneur who cornered the Codfish Tongue market at an early age went on to become one of the island's most venerable citizens.

Molly O'Neill started visiting Block Island at a young age. What's more impressive is that she opened what would become one of the island's iconic retail shops while still in college. The Scarlet Begonia graced Dodge Street for decades and cemented Molly as one of the "Dames of Dodge St."

But beyond that Molly's been a key player in the Block Island community. From her time at the Chamber of Commerce to her current bid for a town council seat Molly has always had a hand in shaping the future of Block Island. She wears a whole lot of hats. And she wears them well.

Molly is one of the folks out here who continually reinvent themselves. Entrepreneur, mother, public figure and so much more...

Gary Ryan's first visit to Block Island began with a warning from a police officer not to sleep on the beach. But at this point we'd say Gary's earned the right to sleep on any beach he wants.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who cares about our island community more than Gary. A good part of his life has been dedicated to public service here on Block Island. Gary served on the Town Council in addition to being one of the longest-standing volunteer rescue squad members. It's tough sometimes because Gary's the kind of guy who just can't put his work behind him at the end of the day. 

Gary was at one time the proprietor of the High View Inn before it was converted into employee housing. Some great family memories and a few ghost stories are shared. We also learn about Gary's love of history and in particular- his fascination with propaganda posters from this era.

Kim Gaffett is one of Block Island's more revered figures although she'd probably shirk off that designation. Yet during her Block Island life she's contributed more to the community than most. From holding numerous positions in town government (including a stint as First Warden) to serving as one of the island's foremost naturalists and bird experts, Kim's love for Block Island is evident.

Her father Lew Gaffett was one of Block Island's first nightlife impresarios. Kim graciously entertains Marc's numerous questions about Lew's famed establishments beginning with the legendary "Monday Night Club".

Beyond bars- Kim's passion for all things birds takes center stage. Along with previous TGOBI guest Scott Comings, Kim is one of the foremost experts on the fine feathered friends that live on and visit our little migratory rest stop.