The Lighthouse Keeper
REST PEACEFULLY
BY DANIEL W. DRAKE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
First a word of caution to the obituary readers out there - and we know you are there - who might have had their interest piqued by the headline. This is not an obituary. It is a cheerful celebration of the passing of a presence.

The presence has been Christine Silverstein, who retired this past week as the Executive Director of Sustainable Nantucket (nee Nantucket Sustainable Development Corporation). In the wake of her retirement, she has left behind several organizations gasping for air, and, more importantly, a treasure trove of legacies to Nantucket. She says she is tired, burned out, after a decade and a half of fighting the fight and that she needs time to do what she has been unable to do: reconnect with her family, write, sleep - in short, whatever she feels like doing. That's not unreasonable. It is unfortunate, but not unreasonable.

Christine has been the consummate activist. With her original partner in crime at Sustainable Nantucket, Woody Tasch, and subsequently in collaboration with others, she has tackled a number of high-profile issues on the island; among them airport noise, summer traffic, affordable housing, the original plan to acquire the Dreamland and turn it into an arts center and the viability of the scallop fishery. While not always successful in attaining the result she sought, she has raised people's consciousness of the need to look into the consequences of our collective acts and make value judgments about the Nantucket way of doing things.

The Independent file Christine Silverstein

Perhaps the best sign of a consummate activist is his or her ability to make people uncomfortable. Christine has been pretty good at making people squirm as she has forced unpleasant truths to be dealt with.

Like anyone willing to go out on a limb and point out the faults of society or shed light on human foibles, Christine is not without her detractors. But, over the years, many of those who disagree with her have, nonetheless, come to respect her intelligence, commitment and passion, as well as her character traits of thoroughness and doggedness.

My first exposure to Christine was, I believe, at the 2001 Annual Town Meeting when a tall, slightly waifish-looking woman was observed with her hand up a good part of the time and, when called upon, heard to say some fairly outlandish things on subjects long forgotten. Even then, however, she impressed with her apparent grasp of the issues and it was clear that she has a love and caring for this island home of ours as strong as any.

Since then, I have learned of her dedication in attending meetings and of the copious notes she took at each and every one which could miraculously reappear months later to clarify points, settle disputes or serve as reminders of commitments undertaken. As someone with low tolerance for the stuff of municipal meetings, I can appreciate the excruciation she survived to insure that she stayed on top of what was happening and to be the presence sometimes needed to keep discussions focused and inclusive.

Not too long after we met, a couple of (I thought) like-minded friends invited me to join them on the Sustainable Nantucket Board. I was sufficiently intrigued to say yes, only to have them immediately, and without forewarning, bail. Sitting on that board, where I lasted for one three- year term, was not always entirely comfortable as I tended, at least in my view, to be the proverbial "voice of moderation" in a place where moderation was not always viewed as being helpful. Nonetheless, I came to know Christine well and to value her opinions and her drive to get things done.

Out of discussions we had in the fall of 2003 arose a gathering of scallopers that eventually morphed

into the Nantucket Shellfish Association. From the initial meeting,

she dove into the issues which surround the shellfishery with an enthusiasm which grew the more she learned about the factors influencing the robustness of the bay scallop population.

For four years Christine has stuck with the Shellfish Association, playing the roles of both head cook and bottle washer. She has provided invaluable counsel and advice and, with the support of the Sustainable Nantucket Board of Directors, has gone the extra mile in ensuring the solidity of the organization's administrative underpinnings.

Last winter, wearing two hats, she spent countless hours analyzing the drafts of the 2007 Harbors Plan. The result was two sets of comments; one focused on the issues of interest to Sustainable Nantucket and the other highlighting the matters of importance to the Shellfish Association. The comments were extensive and, to her credit, most of them were adopted and reflected in the final plan.

Among her final acts, in the last couple of weeks, was identifying a donor and obtaining the seed grant for the Nantucket Marine Collaborative's drive to restore the Brant Point Boat House into an important shellfish propagation facility, as well as a center for research and education. In addition, on her next to last day last week, on her own initiative, she submitted another grant proposal for the Collaborative.

Christine's moving on to her next life passage will have an impact across the board. The Shellfish Association will feel it. The Nantucket Housing Office, for which, in its early days, she played a role similar to her just-ended relationship with the Shellfish Association, will miss her presence on the board and her institutional knowledge. Whether they know it or not, even the Airport Commission and airport management may well miss her. They may even regret her absence when her watchdog role is assumed by someone else.

When someone like Christine Silverstein passes out of one's life, it leaves a void. For some the void is greater than it is for others but, in this instance, the real void will be felt by Nantucket. She has been an important presence in the discussions of all manner of things affecting the community; of that there is no doubt.

Now, she has gone to rest, hopefully peacefully, to restore her drive and enthusiasm. She says she may not even read the newspaper - which may be a good thing. But the rest will not last forever, and a venturesome seer - one who has failed retirement and knows the type - will predict that her "sabbatical" won't survive as long as she would like to think. In some capacity, Christine Silverstein will be back and, however she defines the scope of her return, we

will all be better off for it. I

The "Lighthouse Keeper" reflects the views of the author and does not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Nantucket Independent. Please send any ideas or comments to drake@nantucketindependent. com.