Two Guys on Block Island

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 com...

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 the...

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...

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 he...

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 o...

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...

We hear it a lot on Block Island. "Geez, I think I'd like to just live on a boat and be a bartender". Sounds like a pretty cool, easy-going lifestyle. Just ask Bill Dunleavy- he'd agree. The ever affable Bill Dunleavy first set foot on Payne's dock as a visitor to Block Island. Little did he know that dock would serve as his home for a few decades. And what a ride it'...

The genesis of the Two Guys On Block Island Podcast began at the door at Captain Nick's.  One night, after a particularly witty round of banter with some incoming patrons Rich leaned over to Marc and said, "You know...we should do a podcast". Well, the rest is history. But look...it's not all laughs and witty anecdotes when it comes to making certain that the patrons of a night...

Jack Lynch is a pretty smart dude. His Block Island story is entwined with so many facets of the island that even though Jack doesn't live here anymore, his presence can still be palpably felt. So when Rich found out that Jack was available during one of his annual forays to the island the Two Guys snapped at the opportunity to sit and chat with this fascinating man. Just press play...

You probably know Kevin O'Connor as the host of the long-running PBS show, "This Old House". But we know him as the affable guy that you bump into at the occasional backyard barbecue here on Block Island.  When Kevin met his wife Kathleen Feeks he was working as a banker in Boston. They'd come to the island to visit with Kathleen's family and during these visits Kevin deve...

Block Island was rocked by the news that on Monday August 8th several incidents of violence which began at Ballard's Reggae Fest culminated in a dramatic mid-trip boarding of the Block Island Ferry by armed Coast Guard personnel. On board, the scene was chaotic. Several passengers were involved in a brawl that left some with injuries from either knives or razors. Terrified crew members and pa...

We talk about the movie Jaws a lot on this podcast. Let's face it. We're all obsessed with it. Imagine what it must've been like to be Chief Brodie's kid? Norman Riker has a rough idea. Growing up the son of the chief of police in the 1970's after leaving city life for a small New England island, Norman experienced all of the faded film grain quirks and nuances Block Islan...

Mike Dugan has a way about him. You'll see what we mean... His life on Block Island has been steeped in the chodachromtic tones that we're all seeking out here. The good ol' days. The 70's and 80's. The days when Block Island was the kind of place that a school teacher could schlep his family to for the summer. The kind of place where the kids would roller skate around the...

Dave Turner has become one of Block Island's most gregarious, beloved characters. It all started when his grandparents purchased and restored a dilapidated house on Beach Avenue. Because of that purchase Dave has spent every single summer of his life on Block Island serving first as a lackey at the National Hotel before becoming Freddie Finn's first mate on a lobster boat. His days at Fi...