Here and There

I finally visited the Nantucket Historical Association’s Tony Sarg exhibit at the whaling museum last week and I encourage you to see it before the end of the year for it is spectacular.

The NHA has given us a real gift in this exhibit, delving deep into the creative mind of this man who was born in Guatemala, grew up in Germany, lived in London and New York City and summered on Nantucket. He was a true citizen of the world, and creative in multiple ways.

Most of us know Sarg for the story of his sea monster balloon on Jetties Beach and as the creative father of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats.

But he was so much more. He was an illustrator, animator, designer, entrepreneur and is considered the father of modern-day puppetry.

Do yourself a favor and take a couple of hours, starting with the exhibit of Sarg’s drawings and illustrated children’s books in the Whitney Gallery of the Fair Street Museum.

From there go to the whaling museum where the McCausland Gallery has a robust exhibit of his puppetry, illustrations, merchandise and more with panels explaining the evolution of Sarg’s creative mind and how he took inspiration from the island for over 20 years.

I went to the exhibit with my son Kevin, an artist, and it is always more rewarding to go to an exhibit like this with someone who brings insights into the aesthetic the exhibitor was trying to achieve.

“Tony Sarg: Genius at Play” will be on exhibit through Dec. 31. Niles Parker, executive director of the NHA, said they decided to keep the exhibit up longer, through the Macy’s parade and the holidays so more people can enjoy it.

Town Meeting is behind us, along with the debate about short-term rentals – for now. The lower turnout at September’s Special Town Meeting reveals an exhaustion on this topic from voters.

I wonder what voters would say about short-term rentals if there were non-binding ballot questions about the topic with various options. We would certainly get a greater response from the electorate, considering that such a small percentage of voters actually go to Town Meeting.

I don’t trust the veracity of “independent surveys” from either side on this issue.

When groups pay to get a survey done, or pay consultants to study something, they are paying to get the results to support their position. There is no such thing as an “independent survey.”

The way our town has ballooned to effectively a city on the sea, the complexity of the issues of growth, the growing socioeconomic divide, the existential threat posed by sea-level rise and the relatively low participation in Town Meeting point to a need for a different form of government for Nantucket.

But we aren’t even close to that happening yet. The wheels of change turn slowly. So, in the meantime, we work with what we’ve got.

Transitioning from hand votes at Town Meeting several years ago to using devices that allow everyone to vote from their seats, protecting their privacy, was a good move. It allows people to vote their conscience without fear of reprisal from their neighbors or business associates. And don’t think that hasn’t been an issue for some people on the past.

Voters should feel comfortable getting up at Town Meeting and speaking their mind on articles without fear of retribution. It was shocking for me to see that a sponsor of an article to change zoning on Woodland Drive, a proposal that was defeated, actually created an Instagram post with the photos and addresses of those who spoke out against the article and sent it out. That is so very wrong. I’d never seen that on Nantucket before. It’s a new low for us.

October is the month to buy your pumpkin for outdoor decoration. But, remember to spray your pumpkins all over with shellac before putting them out if you have deer in the neighborhood. Pumpkins are like dessert to them.