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I’ve already heard people mentioning that we’ve now entered “Hate Month.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I hold that August is truly a time for enmity on Nantucket. Give me a hot day, with a traffic jam on Main Street, Steamboat Wharf, the Rotary/Roundabout, or the Stop & Shop parking lot and you will observe some barely (though not always) repressed, loathing of others.

March is a time for closing ranks, not opening up wounds with neighbors. At present, there are only a couple of months left to us, before seasonal people begin to appear on-island. I appreciate the influx in many ways, though there are limitations to every situation. Traffic and bodies are two of these.
Speaking of traffic and hate, right now is when drivers are at their most charitable to one another. People tend to yield the right of way to other motorists, rather than seeing if they can finesse it, by sneaking out in front of an oncoming vehicle. That’s for warmer weather. Right now that seems further away than it really is. It won’t be long until you’ll look around and ask where did winter disappear to?

For the time being, most of us will be dealing with dirt roads in one fashion or another. Whether you live on a muddy track, visit friends living there, or in other cases, work along one, it’s something to bear up to. Between snow, rain and the in-between stuff, precipitation has wreaked havoc on these narrow thoroughfares.

Having little else to occupy my mind while slowly slogging down the ruts, my mind tends to wander (as it usually does). Most drivers have their own theory as to the most efficacious way to traverse the bumps and puddles. I try to wend my way in a snakelike fashion, trying to avoid the worst changes in altitude between miniature hills and valleys.

There are those people who try to split the difference between ups and downs. When I see tracks that came before me appearing to go through the middle path, I mentally shake my head at that notion. Just to be sure, every now and again, I’ll follow suit. It doesn’t take more than a few yards of that before I return to my tried and true. Is my way better? Probably not, but it is my way.

The worst practice I’ve seen (and experienced) are drivers, foot hard on the gas, practicing their mogul skills in a mud-slick, dirty-water ballet. Not only is this uncomfortable on the seat, but it mostly puts money in repair-shop tills as mufflers and shocks are quickly beaten into submission. It’s a faster and rougher way to get to one’s destination. Saving 30 seconds can’t be that important, unless you’re driving an ambulance.

Since driving and roads are on my mind, I’d like to thank the DPW crew that trimmed along the sides of Hummock Pond Road a couple of weeks back. For now, the chopped look on the brush they cut back is raw. In a couple of months when vegetation starts turning green, it’ll be less noticeable. The important point is drivers having a better and longer view of oncoming and merging traffic. For a while, overhanging brush was almost on top of traffic.

I was pleased to hear that the Finance Committee voted in lock step to ask the Board of Selectmen to fund the town’s Human Services Department for another year. The BOS idea to outsource this to a private contractor might be a terrific idea. I don’t know and evidently there are many more folks who feel the same way. For a possible savings of $30,000, we need to be sure, beyond a doubt, that people in need don’t end up suffering for a decision that feels thrust upon us.

At the BOS meeting Wednesday night, the board made a Solomon-like decision, splitting the difference and approving the Human Services Department funding for six additional months. At least there is now sufficient time to sort out this whole situation more rationally. People spoke up and the BOS listened. Well done, everybody!

The Red Sox played an exhibition game against the Boston College squad last night. The Eagles were outgunned 15-0, though some errors on their part might have kept the tally a bit closer. For me, it got my juices flowing. I’m ready for some more baseball!
– Goodman’s Gam appears weekly in this space and regularly in The Inquirer and Mirror

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February is a favorite month of mine. The weather isn’t that terrific, but the shortest month makes it feel as if winter is going quickly and spring is in the foreseeable future. There have been a couple reports of green shoots coming up through the ground, so we re on the right track. I’m more than ready for March!

If you’ve been in the Federal Street post office in the past few weeks, there are now slips hanging over dozens of the boxes. These slips are want-ads for empty P.O. boxes. When I first moved here, I had to get on a waiting list until a box became empty. That took several years to come to fruition. I remember feeling as though having Box 1263 made me an official island-dweller.

Seeing so many boxes sitting empty made me a little sad. Not so long ago, the post office removed a couple of tables where people could sort out their mail, so as to add additional, portable boxes. Now they have a surplus of cubicles and there are but two places to figure out what goes home with you and what ends up in the round file.

I fully understand why this has taken place. Parking is often a chore downtown, primarily in the peak season. I’ve found the way to avoid the problem is to go early, late, or after lunch on sunny beach days. Then there’s the Post Office by the roundabout.

I’m not a big fan of this spot for several reasons. The parking is nonexistent at times, even in the off-season. You have to traverse bank traffic by first entering their parking lot on the way to the P.O. The final problem with this USPS facility is the hour the window is closed down in midday. Any time the window is closed (at any island P.O.) there’s bound to be a yellow slip awaiting you, announcing you have mail or packages behind the counter.

Last week I wrote about island characters, or should I say, the lack of them these days. One nice lady, who wasn’t particularly taken by my words, asked a question for the first time, that everyone else came forward with afterward. While there were a number of names bandied about, the name most inquired about was animal-lover Billy Dexter.

There were at least two dozen people that could have easily been included in last week’s story. At some point, I had to make the call for several reasons, one of which was length. Some time in the future I’ll return to the subject, as it seems to have hit a chord with many readers.

Stop & Shop employees have voted to go on strike (I&M story here), but they’re willing to keep speaking to management for a few more days before physically walking off the premises. One of the workers when asked about the strike told me she was on her way to Florida for the week and wasn’t going to think about it for now.

I found it unsettling to see there were already help-wanted ads for clerks well before the strike date. Shopping several times a week means I’ve gotten to know many of the workers there. The people working there aren’t getting rich, though the Stop & Shop appears to be on solid financial footing. In a short while, it may be time to think about whether to cross a picket line, manned by our friends and neighbors, for food.

Nantucket’s 2010 Junior Miss, Georgie Morley, walked away with two awards at the Massachusetts Junior Miss scholarship competition last weekend (I&M story here). Over the years, the island’s young women have done very well, considering this is a small community. One reason is the support they’re given from boosters and former Junior Miss contestants. It doesn’t hurt that we have some very special young women living here.

TD Bank now has the true “White Elephant” on island (I&M story here), as the new owners of the Point Breeze. I wonder who’s going to get Bob and Mia’ s house on Cliff Road?
“Goodman’s Gam” appears weekly in this space and regularly in The Inquirer and Mirror

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School vacation is coming up, and that means town will be even emptier than it has been this winter. I’ll hazard a guess that there will be fewer families traveling off-island, particularly those going on expensive southern sojourns. Trips to closer spots within a couple hours’ ride are more likely. What’s more important is families spending time together.

A recession that’s got us in its grasp has hurt most parts of our lives. The one benefit might be that it could help by pulling members of families closer to one another. I don’t recommend financial straits as a method for fixing what ails the modern household tribe, but it may be a way to begin the process.

This afternoon, I received an email from WBUR, the National Public Radio station in Boston. It was a report from an organization whose website is countyhealthrankings.org . They publish a set of rankings for counties around the U.S.. According to their research, Nantucket is the healthiest county in the Commonwealth.

They take a number of factors, including, among other things, smoking, teen pregnancy, binge drinking and poverty rates in order to reach their conclusions. I’d like to add another couple of reasons for the general good health here. We have a local hospital, unparalleled for a small community, stocked with some mighty fine doctors, nurses and technical staff. Another point in our favor is the island’s fresh, relatively unpolluted air. Nantucket is a less stressful place to live. If you don’t believe me, try living elsewhere. (For more on the study, pick up next week’s Inquirer and Mirror).

We now know the names of candidates for local elections, coming on April 13. This promises contests that may prove interesting, especially for the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board and Historic District Commission. Each of these races will pit incumbents against newcomers.

I like the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As the BOS goes, there are some fixes in order, but ridding ourselves of the two incumbents now running would hurt the board. I’m looking forward to Meet the Candidates night, mainly to hear what some of the new candidates running for the HDC and Planning Board have to say.

The bigger election(s) are going to come in the sheriff’s race(s). We already have two Jims, two Mikes and a Bret saying they’re in the hunt. It appears there could be more people tossing their hat in the ring before the end of April.

In September comes the primary, which then leads to the general election in November. I’m hoping both fall frays are equally exciting. I can’t remember any election around here for a single office with as many qualified candidates. Nantucket voters deserve good choices for all local offices and this go-round should be outstanding!

There are a couple of local spots sporting neon signs (not kosher here) that aren’t actually in the window, but they’re placed so as to be viewed as one passes by. The one that is particularly bothersome is in the front of a bar/restaurant across from the Town Building.

This owner might not be breaking the law, but he is bending it beyond the limit. I know the gentleman contributes his space to many good causes, so it would be nice if he’d consider moving the offending sign away from the window area.

Boston Red Sox pitchers and catchers report for spring training today. There’s a long way to go before the season begins, though this is our warning signal that there are only six weeks of winter left.
– Goodman’s Gam appears weekly in this space and regularly in The Inquirer and Mirror.

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Taking a look at the warrant for the 2010 Annual Town Meeting is tedious, with occasional flashes of interesting articles to be discussed and then voted on. I like to leave mine in the library, so that it may be read an article or two at a time. That way I’m able to digest the entire package.

Most people who received their copy in last week’s I&M, never looked at the warrant. Too many citizens abrogate their duty as voters and refuse to show up at the polls, much less sit through several evenings in the high-school auditorium. What’s worse is the age of most of the people attending Town Meeting. Most seats are occupied by islanders old enough to receive Social Security, or at least they’re closing in on it.

I’m not knocking the virtues of senior citizenship, having been eligible for membership in AARP for 10 years. What bothers me the most is that 30- and 40-year old-voters ought to be weighing in on subjects which will affect them and their children in the near and far-off future. Few of them show up at the meeting.

The old lines, “I’m too busy,” or “I can’t get a babysitter,” don’t cut it. No one is too busy to let important local issues be decided by a distinct minority of the population. As far as finding a babysitter, why not have one parent attend Town Meeting, while the other stays home with junior? If senior citizens are capable of getting to the meeting, surely someone half their age should be sprinting into the auditorium and participating.

I ducked into Nantucket Looms’ new digs on Main Street early this week. As expected, Liz and her minions have put together a beautiful new shop. The Looms should be open within a day of your reading these words.

Later on that same day, I was out toward the airport and having heard online comments about Crosswinds restaurant, stopped in to try the food. Unlike Alice’s, the eatery was open for business.

I had a simple lunch that was inexpensive and tasty. With the Downyflake on vacation for a couple of months and several other restaurant closures (temporary), this turned out to be a good choice. As I was getting up to leave, who walked in but Liz Winship. Well, it is a small island, especially in February.

Everyone I’ve spoken to regarding the outcome of last week’s Super Bowl had the same comments. They were happy the New Orleans Saints prevailed over the Indianapolis Colts. The other message conveyed was that it’s time for the Who to stop performing, at least in public.

Having seen the Who back in their heyday, this was embarrassing to see and hear. One woman told me she thought it was weird to hear a rock band in their mid-60s, singing songs of youth and rebellion. Remember the line, “Hope I die before I get old.” Roger and Pete, it’s time to change “die” to retire and then pay attention to your own lyrics.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics blast off with opening ceremonies tomorrow (Friday) at 7:30 p.m. This should be an exciting couple of weeks. Much of the action will be in real time, as the difference on the West Coast is only a few hours earlier than here. I’ve never skied, though watching it makes me feel exhilarated. The snowboarding is exciting, too.

Figure skating is less my thing, as I prefer to see sticks and pucks flying around the ice and guys policing the action in striped shirts, with whistles. Winter evenings don’t have to be dull. And, there’s another reason to keep the tube warmed up.

On Monday and Tuesday evenings, the Westminster Dog Show is being broadcast from Madison Square Garden. Nantucket is a paradise for dogs and those who love them. So it stands to reason that this is a good reason for us to sit in front of the TV and watch everyday pooches and exotic ones as well. Not only that, islander Rhoda Weinman has two of her Dachshunds entered in the contest.

Monday evening the coverage begins on the USA Network (Comcoast channel 35) at 8 p.m. and then at 9 p.m. it switches to CNBC (Channel 46), ending at 11 pm. Tuesday it’s broadcast solely on USA, beginning at 8 p.m., ending at 11 p.m. These canines are a picture of perfection as they run their handlers around the ring.

I jumped the Valentine’s Day gun last week. Now, you have but three days to buy something sweet for that special someone in your life.
– Goodman’s Gam appears weekly in this space and regularly in The Inquirer and Mirror.

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According to Quentin the Quahog, my prediction from last week’s post was accurate. Our mollusk with all the answers is now reposing in harbormaster Dave Fronzuto’s gullet after spitting to the left on Tuesday. Only six more weeks of winter would be a respite around here. The third week in March, (chronologically) is the signal for spring. We’ll be lucky if it feels like spring a month beyond that date.

Beautiful fall weather (from warm ocean water) results in a late spring. This is a good tradeoff in my mind. Nantucket has made the big time with Quentin this year. The Boston Globe posted the news on Boston.com late in the day, complete with Mr. Fronzuto’s disparaging comments regarding Punxsutawney Phil. I believe most islanders feel the exact same way. Besides, groundhogs are the last thing we need here.

Then there was the sensationalistic story about Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and part of Cape Cod representative Tim Madden. Traveling between Boston and the three communities he serves made him the highest-reimbursed rep for travel expenses in the legislature at $13,900. Tim is up on Beacon Hill just over 150 days per year.

Aside from the toll of that amount of travel, boats, planes and automobiles (sounds like a movie) the tickets cost money. It’s only fair that the state pays for this. The voters in Mr. Madden’s district deserve his services and he isn’t paid enough salary to dole out travel expenses from his own pocket.

This so-called exposé came courtesy of the Boston Herald, a newspaper that is similar to some of the headlines I read while going through the checkout line after shopping for groceries.

There has been much discussion about the fence a homeowner erected going through the dune at Steps Beach. As much as the split rails look ridiculous, standing alone for a short stretch on the beach, it appears to be legal. My question is: how long will it take for some vandal to trash it? Otherwise, summer is coming and kids are sure to use it for a beach party bonfire. The fence is jarring, to say the least.

Years back there used to be a saying here: you can tell a carpenter by the black Lab in the back of their pickup truck. A contractor has two Labs in the bed of his pick up. Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed at least a half-dozen guys in pickups with small dogs riding in the cab. Poodles are the last thing I expect to see with these big macho builder types. They’re no match for a retriever when it comes to retrieving tennis balls at the worksite.

Cutting the social-services department sounds like a good idea to save the town $30,000 a year, but at what cost? The system is working well as it is. Taking a chance like this could easily fail, which would then end up hurting people in need and costing more money (to us) in the future. We all know the old saying, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” I believe there are several other items in the town budget that could save us thirty grand and wouldn’t hurt a soul.

You have to give Cape Air credit. They’ve sent two of their Cessna 402s to help out the relief effort in Haiti. The planes will be making 10 trips a week to ferry in medical personnel as well as medical supplies. One plane will be flying to Port-au-Prince, while the second one is going to service two cities outside of the Haitian capital. Great job and thank-you for doing a good deed!

Sunday is the Super Bowl, an overhyped contest most years. This go-around should be good. The two best teams in the NFL meet in Miami to duke it out. It’s a tough call for me. I’d like New Orleans to win, but I have to believe Peyton Manning will lead Indianapolis to a victory. Or, maybe The Who will steal the spotlight.

You now have four days to buy cards, flowers or candy for your honey. Valentine’s Day is next Sunday.

If you’d like to get a hold of me directly, call (508) 228-4325, write me at P.O. Box 1263, Nantucket, MA 02554, or e-mail me at dgoodman@nantucket.net.
– Goodman’s Gam appears weekly in this space and periodically in The Inquirer and Mirror.

Today’s Commute
– Martie Mack writes the Nantucket Waterfront News blog

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We’re burned through most of January and it feels as if New Year’s Eve took place last week. I still hear people wishing others Happy New Year. Some of this may be wishful thinking on their part. Feeling good about the future won’t make it take place more quickly. But, I’ve always believed that a favorable outlook is preferable to being depressed about what might be ahead of us.

I am hearing some good news from people in the construction trades. There are homeowners calling workers up for projects in the near future. This spring may not be as busy as years gone by, though there is going to be enough work to keep most of us gainfully employed. As usual, once we get well into spring, there will be the usual phone calls from homeowners wanting work done . . . yesterday.

Over the past few weeks I’ve had several conversations with friends and acquaintances regarding to how slow it is around the island. All have had the same basic responses. We are happy to return to a quiet winter. Now is when we have the time to see one another and take a breather in preparation for the upcoming spring and summer. For a while (the past decade or so), it felt as if there was no time off from the crush.

I see that town counsel Paul DeRensis is considering running for the Massachusetts State Senate (I&M story here), to replace Scott Brown who is now our new U.S. senator. Unlike Mr. Brown, I don’t believe we’ll be seeing Paul as a centerfold in Cosmopolitan.

I took a ride last Sunday, hoping to find a pond and do a little fishing. As I said in my first column (Fishfinder), the best thing about fishing is that you see things other people don’t. On this day, there wasn’t any fishing to be done, because there was skim ice on the seven ponds I visited. I did have some interesting experiences while visiting the spots I’d normally be wading.

The first stop was the North Head of Long Pond. Nothing was happening there. Across Madaket Road, I noticed paths through the thin ice, while at the end of each icy trail, large white birds were head down, feeding on aquatic plants on the bottom. I don’t remember seeing that before.

From there I went out to the Second Bridge. One open spot was miniscule, and there were no birds or other wildlife to be seen. The ocean end of the pond was in a similar condition, though there were a few lonesome ducks milling around a small opening in the ice. Driving to and then across Massasoit Bridge, I drove beyond Sheep Pond and then toward Clark’s Cove (the west side of Hummock Pond).
On the way there I looked out at fields covered with golden brown grass. This kind of terrain makes me think about the way idle, desolate wheat fields appear after the harvest. Above them, there were four hawks gliding to and fro, while surveying the open land for an afternoon meal.

My next stop was Wannacomet (Washing) Pond. I did my first (island) freshwater fishing here. It was one of the more pristine spots back then. Today, it’s a trash dump. This was the sole low point in my afternoon. There weren’t just the beer cans one sees tossed alongside roads everywhere these days. Construction debris and household trash was scattered about in several places. Picking up a couple five-gallon buckets of others’ garbage was disheartening and I continued on.

From there it was a short hop to the North Head of Hummock Pond. Looking out at the cliff over by Ram Pasture quickly banished the bad thoughts I’d had a few minutes before. What was surprising was not seeing dogs or people along the top ridge. I had seen close to a dozen vehicles in the parking lot when I had passed that way. There was another hawk there, working the shoreline to my right. Dipping to within a couple of feet of the wind-battered cattails, it looked as if hunting on a cool, sunny day might be play, rather than survival.

I traveled over to Hummock Pond, by Bartlett’s fields and from there to Miacomet Pond. I noticed at least a dozen bundled-up golfers out in the parking lot, so I’m guessing the links were full up. Golf isn’t my game, but I give anybody credit for getting out and enjoying a wonderful winter day.

The one constant I observed at every pond I visited was how high the water levels were. There is no drought on-island. Some basements must be oozing moisture right through their foundations about now.

Tuesday is Quentin the Quahog Day. Should he drool out of the right side of his “mouth” we are done with winter. Otherwise, it’s six more weeks of the same old, same old. No matter which side the briny juice flows, my prediction is at least six more weeks of cool, windy weather to luxuriate in, until things around here begin getting crazy.
– “Goodman’s Gam” appears weekly in this space and monthly in The Inquirer and Mirror.

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Most, if not all of us, were bombarded with phone calls, television ads and I even received a text message in the recent U.S. Senate campaign. Whatever the effect on your psyche resulted from this media bombardment, the voters turned out in droves. A month ago, I was sure there would be few people at the polls on Tuesday. I was pleased to be incorrect.

I may not have agreed with your choice, but voting is an important part of being a good citizen. This election was a financial boon for print, TV and radio folks, coming at a slow time of the year. I won’t miss the incessant palaver of pundits all day long. Now, it will soon be time for local candidates seeking town elective office to begin seeking our votes.

Now we have a new U.S. senator, Scott Brown. He wasn’t my choice, though I wish him and his constituents (all of us) well. All I want is a representative who works for us, not the party they belong to. Partisanship is killing this country, and it’s obvious to see, right down to our local boards and commissions.

I was sorry to hear of a broken blade on the Bartlett Farm windmill. Wind energy is one of the ways we will be able to conserve petroleum, gas and coal needed in the future. Tide power is further down the road and I believe it is an even better source for Nantucket and other saltwater venues.

This malfunction out at the farm is a good example of why the Nantucket Sound wind farm frightens me. I worked at a house that had a well-functioning windmill about 25 years ago. That is after the first windmill they erected had internal problems a number of times. Eventually they got it right.
Then we have the bladeless windmill on Vesper Lane. It worked for a very short time and then the thing helicoptered right off its tower and landed close by. It was replaced, though I’m not certain if it worked after that. Regardless, it hasn’t turned in a couple of decades.

We had the property out by Bartlett Farm that turned out to be a good tax dodge by the people who put windmills in there. I’m not sure whether they generated much (if any) electricity in the short time they stood there. For years after that, I remember the rusted-out remnants lying by the side of the road. I’d rather we not have to deal with that sort of situation in Nantucket Sound.

I like the idea of wind power. My question is whether a huge farm in the sound is going to hold up to the elements, and are we going to save money from this proposed project. There are several more problems I see with this idea and they have absolutely nothing to do with NIMBYism. It’s simply not the right place for what may end up being a hazard to airplanes, boats and birds. That doesn’t include it becoming a junkyard in the near future. We’ve seen that here already.

I was sorry to hear of the layoffs at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. The staff is wonderful. None of us want to hear of friends and neighbors on island losing their jobs. This is tied in with a downsized economy and it hasn’t helped that many (more every year) uninsured people use the emergency room as their primary care physician. That’s not the sole reason for their deficit, there are many factors contributing to any modern health-care facility.

As I was driving out toward Madaket a couple of days back, there was a huge red tail hawk sitting 10 feet up in a tree surveying the field in front of it. I felt it was similar to what many of us are doing at present. We’re looking at what’s in front of us and waiting for something new and hopefully good to appear.

The last remnants of snow have melted and with more sun than clouds, getting outside is more comfortable than it was over the past month. I don’t believe for an instant that we’re going to experience great weather for the next few months . . . but it would nice were it to happen, if even for a week or two. If it’s decent on Saturday, I have a date with a freshwater pond.

Another way to vacate the house this weekend is to attend the Zumbathon at the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club. It’s a fundraiser for the Nantucket Emergency Food Pantry, plus it will help some folks lose pounds gained over the holidays, and get in shape. Betsey Minihan and Suzanne Davis are certified instructors and the agility and energy they exert is amazing to watch.

A few months ago I attended a fundraiser at the Legion Hall and was amazed at the high-energy workout. Zumba is a dance routine set to Latin rhythms. To attend Sunday’s event ( 3-5 p.m.) you need to show up at the B&G Club with $15, exercise gear and be ready to work your buns off. For more information, call Debra DeCosta at (508) 280-2813.
– Goodman’s Gam appears weekly in this space and monthly in The Inquirer and Mirror.

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A front page-piece in the I&M regarding the Jared Coffin House really caught my attention last week. The main building is closed, due to fewer rooms being rented over the winter months. I’m not the least bit surprised by this. For several years the JC House has cut back on a number of amenities formerly available from past owner/operators Phil and Peg Read.

The manager says that they are doing some painting and refurbishing over the winter months. That’s all well and good, but there are other reasons all is not well at the corner of Centre and Broad streets. Christmas decorations that used to adorn the landmark have been minimal, not welcoming as in past decades. The industrial-looking sign on the fence out front, saying they’re closed, should never be able to pass HDC approval.

Without food service (except for Chinese for a couple of summer months) why would one opt for staying in the main hotel in the off-season? The loss of the dining room is one strike and disemboweling the Tap Room is a large loss for both the hotel and the entire community. Not having in-house food service might be one clue as to why business is slow.

The Tap Room was a warm, cozy spot to settle in for a nice lunch, a solid dinner, or a late-night libation with friends. Many nights there was live music and on most Wednesdays, the Board of Selectmen had their second meeting of the evening in those confines. When I first moved here, there were two places in town to go to at night in the off-season: the Jared Coffin House and Cy’s. At least we now have a Cy’s back on-line. The Tap Room is empty, the lights are out and nobody’s home. What a shame.

A few months back several people e-mailed, wrote and spoke to me complaining about the new water tower on Wannacomet Water Company land off the Polpis Road. Now I heard a gripe about the new tower in Sconset.

I’m not totally happy with these new edifices dedicated to the overuse of our ground water. I believe that huge houses and the attendant sprinkler systems have fueled the need for huge tanks towering over our landscape. Wait until summer-dwellers return and see immense structures on the horizon. How many letters to the editor will pour in complaining of the towers that they themselves wrought?

Please don’t forget to vote for a new United States senator next Tuesday at Nantucket High School. The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. For those folks who need an absentee ballot, you have until 5 p.m. Friday to obtain one from the town clerk’s office. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Town offices will be closed and by then it will be too late to get an absentee ballot.

This is an important election and most voters seem to be unaware that it’s even on the horizon. There are three candidates on the ballot, with Martha Coakley, a Democrat; and Scott Brown, the Republican, vying for Ted Kennedy’s former seat. There is Joseph Kennedy, a Libertarian running as well, though he’s far behind the pack.

All three of the candidates have very clear differences between them, so this ought to be a fairly easy choice for citizens who are up to date on the issues. Martha Coakley appears to be a little less liberal than Ted Kennedy was and Scott Brown is more conservative than former Republican senators from the Bay State, and is a Bush/Cheney throwback. Joseph Kennedy has some ideas that sound good, but as a Libertarian (polling in the single digits) a vote for him (in my mind) is equivalent to a non-vote.

Once again, the Atheneum is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to receiving money from the town. By law, Nantucket (and every other municipality in the commonwealth) must fund a library. Around here, we get off with paying approximately one third of the budget for a facility that serves our community with services which go far beyond what many libraries offer.

Today the numbers of people using the Atheneum have increased by 11 percent, while the town is paying them at a level barely above that in former years. The library could lose their accreditation from the state if funding from the town is insufficient. I know times are tough right now, but this is one area that shouldn’t be cut as it would greatly impact so many islanders.

Our school children need the Atheneum, as does the general public for research, use of computers, lectures, movies and the simple pleasure of reading a magazine or a book. We need the Atheneum. If you haven’t been there lately, go in and take a look. You’ll be impressed.

From everyone I’ve spoken with, cutting back on the number of summer specials has met with great approval. Quality over quantity would make all of us feel better. I think about the money a SS is going to cost the town (in reality our insurance carrier) for his insensitive comments to some kids a couple of years ago.

Taking away some of their (already) minimal powers is a smart thing to do. What we need are ersatz cops to give directions to lost tourists and call the real gendarmes when trouble arises. With a couple weeks of training, they aren’t equipped to make sound, on-the-spot judgments in most cases. Either get some more full-time peace officers, or use the SS as hall monitors. Hall monitors, it is.

The Nantucket versus Martha’s Vineyard football game is back. On Nov. 20, the Whalers will be stomping grapes over on the other island. The following year, they’ll do battle here. A one-year hiatus without the Island Cup contest was more than enough.

Saltwater licenses are now going to be required for anglers, beginning this year. Click here to register. It’s simple, takes no time and the best part is that it’s free (this year).

The Patriots lost and lost badly last week. They never looked as if they were really in tune on Sunday. In five weeks, pitchers and catchers report to the Boston Red Sox spring training camp. Four days later the rest of the squad will join them. On March 3 they’ll play their first Grapefruit League exhibition game. Between that, the Celtics and the Bruins, we have something to look forward to. I’m ready.
– Goodman’s Gam appears weekly in this space and monthly in The Inquirer and Mirror

We experienced an extreme high tide last weekend. All the finger piers in the Boat Basin were completely submerged. I grabbed some shots.
– Martie Mack writes the Nantucket Waterfront News blog