Government consultant cites need for better communication, ‘additional clarification’ of roles

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the select board at its meeting wednesday — From left, irwin nesoff, greg grey, brian mccarthy, jerry taverna, susan short green, and town manager jennifer constable. [screenshot courtesy of Hull community TELEVISION]

By Carol Britton Meyer

Community Paradigm Associates was engaged to facilitate discussions between the Hull Select Board and Town Manager Jennifer Constable regarding governance, communication, operational processes, and strategic priorities to strengthen their working relationship following her last performance review. The final report, released in July, was presented to the select board this week.

Several opportunities to strengthen the town’s executive function were identified, related to “greater role clarity, more consistent communication, improved project prioritization, and a more structured approach to strategic planning and budgeting.”

Discussions were conducted with members of the select board and the executive leadership team related to reviewing governance practices, communication processes, and executive operations.

The report summarizes key observations and recommendations “and is not intended to address interpersonal matters among individual members.”

Key observations include:

• Governance roles and the chain of command would benefit from additional clarification.

• Communication expectations between the select board, town manager, executive team, staff, and residents are not fully defined.

• The town is managing numerous significant initiatives that would benefit from a formal prioritization process.

• Strategic planning discussions would be more effective if held separately from regular business meetings.

• The annual budget provides an opportunity to strengthen communication by incorporating recognized Government Finance Officers Association best practices.

Resulting recommendations include clarifying governance roles and chain of command; establishing communication protocols; prioritizing organizational initiatives; and enhancing budget presentations. The report also includes a timeframe for priority actions.

Under the establishing communication protocols category, recommendations include “developing written expectations governing communication among the select board, town manager, executive team, staff, and the public and clearly assigning responsibility for newsletters, social media, news releases, and other communication tools.

“Regular communication between the select board and town manager should emphasize transparency, consistency, and trust,” according to the report.

The Town of Hull is “well-positioned to strengthen its executive governance framework through relatively modest process improvements. Clear governance roles, consistent communication, disciplined project prioritization, regular strategic planning, and enhanced budget presentations will improve organizational effectiveness and reinforce a productive partnership between the select board and the town manager,” the report and accompanying letter to the board states in conclusion. “Implemented thoughtfully, these recommendations will support sound governance, strategic decision-making, and continued high-quality service to the residents of Hull.”

At Wednesday night’s meeting, Constable responded to each part of the report, with input from the board and the audience.

Click here for the consultant’s reports

Board member Irwin Nesoff suggested that more frequent progress reports from Constable on the many ongoing projects would help keep the board and citizens better informed.

Board member Susan Short Green reiterated her desire for the board to meet more regularly to enhance communication.

Resident Susan Mann said she thinks the office hours the board holds before each meeting are helpful and said it is important that the board listen to citizens and what they think, as well as providing them with information.

Board member Greg Grey noted that about 80% of the small number of citizens who normally attend town meeting are educated about the issues before they attend these sessions.

“Maybe we could put a couple of ads in the paper and posts on social media [as reminders about upcoming town meetings]. People need to study the warrant before they get there,” he said.

Green suggested that the board have “more robust” meetings earlier in the process leading up to town meeting “for citizens to get the answers they need before they get there.”

Board member Jerry Taverna, noting that people are busy with work and their children, said it is incumbent on the board to get as much information out to citizens as possible.

“We can also do a better job of shortening up what is said at town meeting [to avoid multiple sessions],” he said.

Nesoff noted that “it’s up to us to get the information out there and make it as accessible as possible, but there’s no guarantee that people will see it.”

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© 2026 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Town hall site, former 7-11 are committee’s top choices for new police and fire stations

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By Carol Britton Meyer

After recently eliminating the Hull Redevelopment Authority property from its list of potential locations, the public safety building committee last week proposed town hall – where the police department and a fire department single-engine substation are currently situated – as a possible location for a new, expanded dual facility that would be brought up to today’s codes and public safety standards.

The committee named the property across Nantasket Avenue from the current Central Fire Station as the priority location for a new fire headquarters because the current site “is too small, beyond its useful life, and cannot be renovated,” according to project consultants, Committee Chair James N. Russo told The Hull Times in an interview. He is a former Hull firefighter from 1973-2002, serving 18 of those years as chief.

This area consists of three properties – the former 7-11 storefront, the current school bus lot, and the DiVito Realty office.

“The town has asked for appraisals on those three parcels, and until we have those in hand, we can’t determine if that’s a feasible option or what that might cost,” he said.

The viability of the town hall location depends on the results of cost estimates and site feasibility to be presented by the project consultant related to a potential renovation of the building for a new dual facility. Both projects are contingent on a town meeting vote of approval for the funding for whichever proposed projects ultimately move forward.

Once the appraisals are completed – expected in the next month or so – the committee will meet to discuss them and inform the select board and town manager of the results. Depending on the outcome, the committee plans to hold a series of public forums at different locations and times of the day and night so as many citizens as possible will have an opportunity to participate.

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” Russo said.

“We asked the consultants to cast a very wide net for potential sites for a new public safety facility, and they did. But the reality is that with our demographics and geography, we don’t have the luxury of putting one combined building anywhere in town and still, at least for fire and EMS services, come anywhere close to today’s national response standards,” Russo said.

Hull Fire Department’s longest response times currently are from A Street to Hull Village, according to Russo, and while they are within current standards, “the other side of the coin is that in order to move that station elsewhere, we’d have to consider increased response times.”

Russo said the committee feels strongest in favor of bringing the current town hall footprint up to code for a dual facility and building a new fire station headquarters at another location – preferably across the street from the current station – if either or both options prove to be feasible and cost-effective, contingent on voter approval.

Both the current fire and police department buildings need renovation, and town meeting voters in 2024 appropriated $150,000 to hire KBA Architects to study alternatives.

Central Fire Station at 671 Nantasket Avenue is more than 100 years old, and the police station has been in its current location on the first level of the municipal building since the late 1970s.

The fire department’s southernmost presence – commonly referred to as the Green Hill Station – has been part of town hall for decades; the Village Fire Station on Spring Street is used during storms and emergencies.

Russo noted that there are “a lot of mixed messages out there in the community, and I’d like to clarify that the committee members are not the decision-makers. We’re strictly a volunteer group of professionals and representatives from the select board, police and fire departments, and concerned taxpayers who all believe this is a critical need for the future,” he said. “Ultimately, we will put together all the information we gather, and nothing will happen until town meeting votes on a proposal. Voters have the ultimate say.”

Russo added that “we’re not dealing with a playground or a town swimming pool, but the delivery of police, fire, and EMS services to taxpayers, residents, and guests who come to our town. The police station is in deplorable condition, and our firefighters have done everything they can do to fix up the stations, but they need to be brought up to code.”

Inaccurate posts on social media make the committee’s work more challenging “because we have to correct faulty information at our meetings,” he said.

What it “boils down to,” according to Russo, “is that there are very few people who don’t agree that there’s a need, but now it’s a matter of how to address that need and how much the town is willing to spend to meet the needs of the future.”

Hull is no longer “that little bedroom community that rolls up its sidewalks on Labor Day,” he said. “There has been a great deal of construction during the last 30 years, and we have a major issue with density. For fire protection, it comes down to the department’s ability to arrive at the scene of a fire and to get it under control quickly. The buildings being so close together … all multiplies that risk.”

It’s not “just buildings we’re talking about, but the future of our public safety services for the next 50-75 years,” Russo said.

For more information on the project, visit the committee’s page on the town’s website, www.town.hull.ma.us/584/public-safety-building-committee.

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© 2026 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Hull commemorates 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks at solemn ceremony

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The public joined with other members of the community to commemorate and remember those lost and injured by the acts of terrorism on September 11, 2001 at the Bernie King Pavilion at 7 p.m.

Featured performers included soloist Lilly Sestito, South Shore Men of Harmony, and the Hull Senior Center choral group.

The solemn ceremony, which marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks of terrorism.

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As fall sports season gets under way, boys soccer team earns 9-1 win, girls team ties

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BEAUTIFUL MORNING: To celebrate the first day of classes of their senior year, members of Hull High’s Class of 2027 greeted the break of day on Nantasket Beach last week. The ‘Senior Sunrise’ has become a tradition for Hull’s students as they embark on their last year in the Hull Public Schools. [Courtesy photo]

Compiled by Matthew Christopher Haraden

• Hull High School’s fall sports season is under way. The boys varsity soccer team opened its season with a 9-1 win over Norfolk County Agricultural High School on Tuesday. The Pirates face Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School at home on Friday, September 11 at 4 p.m., and then travel to Norfolk County Agricultural High School on Monday at 5:30 p.m. before coming home on Wednesday to face Carver at 5:30 p.m.

• The girls varsity soccer started its fall schedule with a 1-1 tie against Rockland on the road on Tuesday. The team next plays at Pembroke on Friday, September 11 at 4 p.m., followed by a home game against Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and then a road trip to Carver on Wednesday, September 16 at 4 p.m.  

• The Hull High football team’s first game is on the road against Tech Boston Academy on Friday, September 11 at 6 p.m., followed by a return home on September 18 to face Monomoy Regional High School at 6:30 p.m.

For the full schedule of all Hull High teams, visit www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=10611.

• The Hull Youth Soccer season kicks off on Saturday, September 12. In-town league games are on Saturdays at the Dust Bowl field in Hull Village and teams have the same schedule each week for convenient planning – Guppies (coed): 9-10 a.m.; Kindergarten (coed) and Girls Grades 1 & 2: 10-11 a.m.; Boys Grades 1 & 2: 10-11 a.m. Most travel teams are on the road, but two are playing at home at Hull High – Boys 5/6 (Panetta) at 11 a.m. and Girls 7/8 at 12:30 p.m. First-day reminder: Players should arrive about 10 minutes before game time and check in at the soccer shed. Wear cleats and shin guards and bring plenty of water.

• Hull Youth Football opens its season this Sunday, September 13 against Lower Cape at Monomoy High School. Mites play at 10 a.m. and Midgets are at 11:30 a.m. Games are played on Sundays. On September 20, the Pirates play Dennis-Yarmouth at home; September 27’s game is at West Bridgewater. The next three games are at home – October 4 against Carver, October 11 against Lower Cape, and October 18 against West Bridgewater. The next two games – October 25 and November 1 – are both away, against Dennis-Yarmouth and Hanson.

• Registration for the 2026-27 Hull Pirates Youth Basketball Travel season (boys and girls entering grades 3 -8) continues online. Families are encouraged to register early to help with team planning and ensure players are ready for the upcoming season. The season runs from mid-November through March, featuring 14-16 regular-season games and playoffs in early March. Registration will close on October 2. The season begins with a tournament, and league schedules will be finalized in early November, with regular season games starting the first weekend in December. Games are held on weekends. The Hull Pirates Travel Program focuses on player development, teamwork, sportsmanship, and competitive basketball in a fun and supportive environment. Payment plans are available to help make registration more accessible for families. To register and learn more about the program, visit the registration page at https://hullbasketball.leagueapps.com.

• Coaches, league organizers, and superfans – We need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names (first and last) of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.

Thank you for your help!

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© 2026 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Wildlands Trust suggests a land-use plan for HRA that includes protected open space

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By Carol Britton Meyer

During a nearly three-hour meeting this week, the Hull Redevelopment Authority hosted Wildlands Trust President Karen Grey to learn about how the land conservation organization could be involved in helping the board decide the best future use of the HRA property – with a focus on preserving open space and related funding opportunities and long-term sustainability.

“You have a great opportunity here,” said Grey, who previously met with the HRA in May 2025.

The high school exhibition room where the in-person meeting took place was full of interested citizens. There was considerable discussion, many questions from the board and audience – with nothing yet decided.

The Wildlands Trust works throughout Southeastern Massachusetts to permanently protect native habitats, farmland, and lands of high ecologic and scenic value that serve to keep communities healthy and their residents connected to the natural world. For more information about the Trust, visit www.wildlandstrust.org.

While the HRA is far from in agreement about overall best uses for the property, there appears to be a general consensus in support of creating open space from the bay to the ocean. Another issue is the need for adequate parking, whatever the future uses of the land might be.

The question of what to do with the property has existed since the redevelopment authority was formed in the 1960s under a federal program to revitalize urban and suburban neighborhoods. The HRA’s original footprint – designated Town Center No. 1 – encompasses the land between the beach and bay from Water Street to Phipps Street; at one time, the authority planned to expand its territory into three additional districts that stretched south toward Atlantic Hill. 

Much of the HRA land has been vacant since the 1970s, when homes and businesses were taken by eminent domain by the authority and bulldozed, burned, or relocated in anticipation of development proposals that never materialized. The HRA has been working for the past several years to create a set of guidelines for the property’s future.

Charles Dwyer, Spinnaker Island resident, referred to the overall process as the HRA “going around in circles for some 30-odd years,” while at the same time urging them to take action to put together a “high-level” conceptual plan for the property to help the community visualize different options for their consideration and feedback.

“This land has been vacant for 60 years, and nothing has been done,” he said, noting that he feels it’s too early for the “nitty-gritty conversations that have been taking place.”

Grey explained that the Wildlands Trust could help Hull develop a phased plan, possibly including conservation restrictions.

“The town will feel good as different phases are achieved,” she noted. Grey also emphasized the importance of planning in the grant application process. 

In response to a question, she confirmed that protected open space can benefit communities in a number of ways, including local businesses, when areas such as newly created parks become destination points.

“The board will decide with the community regarding any conservation restrictions and different potential uses for the property and how to fund them – including potential grants, any available Community Preservation Act funds, and how the HRA can augment those,” Chair Bartley Kelly said.

Member Dan Kernan noted that the HRA has $2 million in its bank account.

The purpose of a conservation restriction is to “protect conservation values,” Grey said. “A conservation restriction is in perpetuity.”

She also asked, “How much conservation land would there be when you’re talking about so many potential uses [for the property]?” 

Ultimately, “it will be the HRA board that makes the decision,” Kelly said. “We’re trying to find common ground and then move forward. [All the HRA members] are here for the same reason – we want to do the right thing for the town, whether or not we agree on how to get there.”

The HRA also considered whether to contract a design firm to explore various options for the property – a discussion that will be continued at the board’s next meeting on September 14.

Others at the meeting urged the board to work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation – which controls the Nantasket Beach Reservation, that abuts the HRA property, Kernan noted.

The DCR is in the process of developing a master plan for the Reservation and is also in the midst of a climate resiliency project.

“The most important thing to happen right now is for the HRA to sit down with the DCR and figure out what they are doing,” Grey said.

Resident Susan Mann agreed.

“If the DCR starts doing things before we get our act together, it will be a mess,” she said. “They do own that land along the beach. We can’t just do nothing.”

Hull’s Climate Adaptation & Conservation Director Chris Krahforst noted that the DCR resiliency plan “will change the nature of [the HRA property].”

The DCR will make a public presentation in late September, including an update on the resiliency project.

A replay of the meeting is available on Hull Community Television’s website, www.hulltv.net.

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© 2026 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Nantasket Beach Car Show rescheduled to Sunday, September 20

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The Annual Nantasket Beach Car Show will be held on Sunday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. along Nantasket Avenue, from approximately Park Avenue to the Mary Jeanette Murray Bathhouse. The revised date is because of the rain we experienced on the original date, September 13. All cars registered for the original show will remain registered unless the owner contacts the organizers with a status change.

A veterans resource fair will be held along with the display of antique and classic autos. Funds raised from the event will benefit Cops for Kids with Cancer and other local charitable organizations. The rain date is September 20.

Volunteers are still needed! They are asked to arrive by 7 a.m. in order to organize, get T-shirts, and receive their assignments, as cars will begin arriving at about 7:30 a.m. Volunteers can park in the DCR lot behind the Horizons condominiums. Vendors and sponsors will set up tables beginning at 8 a.m.

The show starts off with the singing of the National Anthem at 9 a.m., “Start your engines!” call at 10:30 a.m. and the Marilyn Monroe parade at 11 a.m. Live music begins at 11 a.m. Trophies by Kim’s Kreations are scheduled to be presented at 12:30 a.m. and the 50/50 raffle will be drawn at 12:55 a.m.  The show ends promptly at 1 p.m. so that the road can be reopened to traffic as quickly as possible.

The show is sponsored by the Nantasket Hull Rotary Club, Hull Police, Town of Hull, and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

For more information, visit nantasketbeachcarshow.com or contact organizer Craig Wolfe, 89edge@comcast.net or 781-771-6416.

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Hull PorchFest to feature 40+ bands throughout Kenberma during September 19 festival

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On Saturday, September 19 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., the streets of the Kenberma beachside neighborhood will be transformed into a music festival featuring 40 bands from all over the Boston area, in genres including bluegrass, jazz, blues, punk, and hip-hop, plus plenty of rock’n’roll.

Musicians will perform for attendees of all ages on donated porches and driveways that become stages for the one-day, once-a-year event that’s become a much-loved Hull tradition. HPF is incredibly grateful to the wonderful musicians who are donating their time and talent, the porch hosts, Friends of HPF volunteers, Town of Hull, and our music fans.

PorchFest is a free, family-friendly community event, highly walkable and bikeable event that takes place in the rectangle formed by Kenberma and Revere Streets and Nantasket and Beach Avenues. Free parking is available in the lot behind Richardson Insurance, thanks to the generosity of Bruce Minevitz.

The PorchFest tradition began in 2007 in Ithaca, N.Y., with neighbors teaming up to offer their porches as venues so that attendees could stroll down the streets and experience local live music. Since then, the idea has taken hold and expanded across New England and throughout the U.S.

Hull’s PorchFest is unusual because it’s also a registered non-profit that raises funds for a rotating list of worthy causes through merchandise sales, plus fundraisers held throughout the year – including the very successful Rosie’s Rock Festival in March at Jo’s Nautical Bar. In the past, PorchFest has raised money for the Anne M. Scully Senior Center, the Hull High School band program, and the programs for veterans at the Hull Lifesaving Museum. This year’s net proceeds will go toward the Peter Coffman Music Scholarship Fund, in memory of beloved PorchFest founder and treasurer “Washboard Pete,” who was also percussionist for two local bands, Sea Witch and WSU. 

MJ’s Food Truck, which supplies lobster sliders, healthy bowls, sweet treats, and more to beachgoers at the HRA lot, HYT Mobile Kitchen, run by Hy Tran of the former La Dalat, and Vitamin Sea Brewing will join the festivities this year. Trucks will be located at the business parking lot at Nantasket Avenue and Kenberma Street, where PorchFest organizers will sell merchandise and accept donations. 

The rain date is September 20. A Hull PorchFest map, plus information on the bands and more, will be available online. Visit the official Hull PorchFest.com website or the Hull PorchFest Facebook page.

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C Note was the latest in a long line of nightspots for locals who love live music

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Essay by David Kellem 

Back in the ’70s, Nick Sabbag owned and his son David operated a club called The Eudemon Disco at 159 Nantasket Avenue. Disco was king then, and DJs like my classmate Jeff Schiffman spun records there all night. The club also had some live act performances, but it was the disco scene that dominated the venue.

Later the club became Toby’s Place, but I don’t remember much about it.

In the 1990s, Joe Phillips opened the Sea Note. This was a live music bar with great bands, mostly blues as I remember, but also some notables like The James Montgomery Blues Band and Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. There were regional and national acts, as well as some local bands. It was a hot hangout for divorcees! Quite a pickup scene in the days before online apps.

One band I particularly remember, and saw whenever they played, was Taylor Made. They were a funk band from Boston, with one of the Taylor brothers, the shorter, more flamboyantly dressed sibling, fronting the band with elaborate entrances and stage performance as well as a dynamic vocal range and style. His brother, tall, thin and relatively motionless, drove the beat from the back of the stage in an apparent haze of altered consciousness. They were not to be missed.

Anything could happen at the Sea Note back in those days.

Charlie Fruzzetti took over the location in 2008 and changed the name to The C Note. The rebooted club was fairly well-established when Assisted Living first played there in January of 2012, which was our very first gig anywhere. The wives of my bandmates Adam and Mike had booked the venue for their combined 50th birthday party. The entertainment was a three-song set performed by our newly born band. We only knew three songs. Our big hit was “Creep” by Radiohead, which was great until I had to try to hit the high notes.

In any event, Charlie was there that night and saw that our big crowd of friends had a great time supporting the bad but enthusiastic performance. He pulled Mike aside and told him that if we could learn 10 songs that we could be an opening act. He liked the size of our crowd more than our music, no doubt. But we decided at that moment we would, in fact, become a band.

I believe our first performance was as the opening act for The Fools. When we saw the name Assisted Living on the marquee outside, we thought we had made the big time. Little did we know that 15 years later we would have played there four-to-five times a year, played a number of New Year’s Eve shows, and became a headlining act ourselves.

We loved the green room to the left of the stage. It is plastered with band posters from all the years of the venue. The carpet and couch, never really new to begin with, have never changed in there. The college dorm refrigerator may or may not be stocked with water at any given time, and errant food from prior acts might be found within. But man, sitting in that green room is a ritual, and part of a culture.

Nights at the C Note for us were sometimes sparsely attended and sometimes jam-packed. You never knew what it would be like! In the summers, until recently, there was no air conditioning and it could get brutally hot if everyone was dancing. There would be soft spots on the stage floor to be careful about, but the sound system and mix was always top-notch. We loved that we didn’t have to lug in our heavy equipment and set it up. Greg, the sound engineer, was always rock solid and friendly. He was very patient with our “sound checks,” for lack of a better term, and with our mistakes, miscues, and malfunctions. He could always rescue us during a sonic meltdown. And has been a great friend to the band.

The only time I saw Greg get mad was when I jumped off the stage and up onto a countertop to deliver a more compelling song rendition. I had seen Taylor Made do that way back in the day, so why not me? Well, because of my age and relative lack of balance, Greg told me, and liability issues.

Another time at the C Note a large, muscular fan on the dance floor encouraged me to stage dive. Well, I jumped down and he picked me up, not realizing that I am compactly weighted like a medicine ball. He fell, throwing me onto the floor under a table and then landed on top of me. Something hurt bad, but we finished the show. The next day I learned at South Shore Hospital that I had broken two ribs.

Our drummer, Adam, is somewhat of a local celebrity in Hull due to his day job. It was always a blast to see a bunch of people having a great time on the dance floor and then noticing that our drummer was the lawyer guy who they were fighting with earlier that week at the conservation commission or the planning board. Adam would just smile. At the C Note, people get to see another side of their neighbors.

The bartenders and wait staff at the C Note have always been fantastic. They work under difficult conditions, meaning very loud music and often obnoxiously behaving patrons. The door staff has always been courteous and friendly, and handled any problems with skill, not power. Barbara, the manager, has a true love of music and a warm affinity for her bands beneath her sometimes-businesslike exterior demeanor. She has been an incredible friend to Assisted Living over the years. She has generously supported so many local organizations and causes – a gem who will be sorely missed.

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Musicians pay tribute to Hull's C Note as it nears its final show

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Some of the many musicians who have enjoyed performing at the C Note over the years shared their thoughts about what this popular venue means to them, their favorite memories, and the hole it will leave in the local music scene with The Hull Times.

 

Neill Byrnes, Draw the Line: “We’ve been playing the C Note since it opened – it’s basically been our home base. Hull is where we cut our teeth playing clubs, and this room was a huge part of that.”

“The C Note isn’t just a bar, it’s a South Shore institution. Every band that came through here knew it, every fan knew it. It’s going to leave a real void.”

“What made the CNote special was the crowd. This was a room full of deep-cut Aerosmith fans – people who knew every song, not just the hits. You don’t find that everywhere.”

“It’s sad to see those doors close. A lot of memories were made in that building, for us and for everyone who walked through those doors over the years.”

 

Paul Redmond, singer and harmonica player for the Fat City Band, had this to say: “We were the band who had the privilege of playing the opening night of the venue when it opened as the Sea Note and coincidentally played opening night when the new ownership renamed it the C Note – lots of history there. Its closing is going to leave a huge hole for the entire music scene. The C Note was not a restaurant, not a sports bar, but a music room first and foremost. I personally will miss the vibe of the place but also the people who ran it – especially Barbara Rhind, whose history with the Fat City Band goes back decades. RIP C Note, you were not just the premier music room of the South Shore but also greater Boston and the entire region.”

 

Acclaimed blues singer Toni Lynn Washington noted that “many local and international artists around the world have embraced the C Note stage throughout the years. The C Note is the most popular venue for a night on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Nantasket Beach, for entertainment, socializing, and making new friendships as well. The owner and friendly team of hosts welcome you during every visit. The Toni Lynn Washington band, as well as other performers, will always be grateful for the opportunity to perform at this historical venue. The C Note is a place where happy people meet. It will be missed for sure.”

 

The Ali & The Biddies band also shared their thoughts. Drummer Emily “Bongos” Payson said: “It’s hard for us to put into words just how much the C Note means to us. My family is from Hull, so whenever I would let them know my band was playing there, I swear all of Gunrock Beach would show up! We all loved the C Note!”

Payson said the band is “truly devastated that this venue is closing its doors, but we feel honored that we got to play there one last time in August, ending the night appropriately with ‘Last Dance’ by Donna Summer.”

Bass player Spencer Payson said if he could play only one venue for the rest of his life, “it would be the C Note. Thanks go to Barbara Rhind for always booking us to play and [sound man] Greg Campia for always making us sound great!”

Playing at the C Note always felt like an honor to lead singer Ali Howshall. Her father was a member of Zachariah and had quite a following “back in the day, so getting to stand on that same stage as he did more than 40 years later meant I got to be a part of the legacy,” she said.

What made the C Note special for her was the “focus on the music and the people there to have a good time. Sure, the floor was a little sticky and none of the chairs matched, but who cares? There was no judgment, no pretension, just a community of music lovers sharing a space and time together.”

Sitting in the green room surrounded by band posters from the different decades “and knowing how many musicians had sat in that same room waiting to take the stage was something special,” Howshall said. “I’ve played a lot of venues, but none quite like the C Note.”

The first few times guitarist Erich Hochstrasser played live music with a band took place at the C Note when he was in middle school. “It has always been the primary location for all of my rock ‘n’ roll daydreams,” he said. “Whether it’s contemplating how I might jam on certain tunes or how low my guitar should hang, I always wind up picturing myself on that stage in that room.”

Hochstrasser said he’s grateful to have played there with Ali & The Biddies as often as he did and hopes that “the memory of the C Note serves as a blueprint for how cool the local live music experience can and should be.”

 

According to trumpet player Mark Coronado of Booty Vortex, the band had the pleasure of calling the C Note home for many years. “It’s hard to believe it won’t be there anymore. The memories we made there could fill volumes. Barb and Greg and the whole crew were always so, so good to us. The C Note will always be remembered as a venue where up and coming talent could establish a foothold while also being a place where established artists could play to a sold-out, rocking room. Truly, Booty Vortex would not be Booty Vortex without the C Note, and we’ll never forget that.”

 

Speaking for all the members of the band Terpene Profile, drummer Wayne Gay said the C Note’s closing “will leave a huge hole in the local music scene. So many new bands have played and grown on that stage, Terpene Profile included. There are not many venues left on the South Shore that are truly focused on supporting local musicians. You can find sports bars, beach bars, and restaurants that also offer live music, but rarely do you get a chance to experience and be part of a community that is strictly focused on music.”

 

Jay FitzGibbons, drummer for local band Thirsty Boots, shared his memories of performing at the C Note and why it was such an important venue for live music.

“I have been performing in bands in Boston and on the South Shore for more than 40 years. I first performed at the C Note with my Scituate-based cover band Doc Ellis,” he recalled. “We drew good crowds and Barbara eventually asked us to perform on New Year’s Eve 2019-20. It was a fantastic, fun night, again, with very good attendance.”

The following winter – in March 2021 during the COVID19 shutdown -- Rhind asked the band to perform at the club without an audience so it could be live streamed – with the goal of raising funds to help keep the club afloat.

“We of course said yes. We all knew that COVID was very tough on the live music scene, and there was concern that the C Note may not come back from that hit,” FitzGibbons recalled “It was a cold night, and there was no heat, and there were barely any stage lights, but we went and played to an empty venue to help keep the C Note alive during that tough time and had a great time doing so!”

FitzGibbons recently played there with his cover/original band Thirsty Boots, which performed at the C Note three times a year. “It was always a blast!” he said.

The importance of a place like the C Note is that “there are no longer many, if any, clubs for just music,” he noted. “The C Note is a throwback to when music and bands were the stars. No food being served, no TVs in the bar taking interest away. It is similar to the classic music clubs of days past, like The Rat and Bunratty’s in Boston and CBGB in New York City. It contains a sizable stage with a drum riser to allow plenty of space for musicians and their equipment and a built-in sound system, complete with audio engineer (Greg) – unlike current ‘venues’ where you may have to wait for a few dinner tables to be moved before you can set up.”

Rhind, Campia, and the staff “were always a pleasure to work with – professional, pleasant, and always putting the bands and music first. Again, there are no more clubs like the C Note, and it will be missed.” FitzGibbons said.

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Developer withdraws plan for nine townhouses at former Allerton marina

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By Christopher Haraden

Two days before the zoning board of appeals was scheduled to vote on the proposal for nine townhouses at the foot of Allerton Hill, the developer withdrew its challenge to the planning board’s denial of the project at 839-845 Nantasket Avenue.

The ZBA heard a total of six hours of testimony over two weeks and scheduled a vote for Wednesday, September 2 on The Point Nantasket Realty LLC’s appeal of the planning board’s unanimous rejection during the site plan review process. Had Wednesday’s hearing gone forward, the board could have upheld the May 14 denial or sent the project back to the planning board for further action.

Click here to read the full letter to the ZBA from the developer’s attorney

In a letter dated August 31, attorney Adam Brodsky informed ZBA Chair Richard Hennessey that his client – the development team of Chris Reale of Hingham, who formerly owned the Paragon Boardwalk property at Nantasket Beach, and Hingham builder Tom Fleck, whose father once ran the boat yard at the site – “voluntarily dismisses its appeal of the planning board’s denial of site plan review and the building commissioner’s denial of a building permit.”

The developer proposed building nine “residential cottages” connected by a common deck at the former Sunset Marine property, as well as a pavilion, boat ramp, boardwalk, and other amenities on approximately 3.28 acres. The proposal called for demolishing the existing structures, which have been boarded up and surrounded by fencing for years, and repairing the existing dock.

The property was previously operated as a combination of residential and marine-related uses. The Point Nantasket has a purchase-and-sale agreement with ARC DC, which purchased the site, once owned by businessman William R. Kelley, from a court-appointed receiver for $1.05 million in 2018.

Brodsky did not respond to a request for information about whether the developers plan to submit a revised plan or if they are abandoning the project. In 2021 and 2023, Reale and the eventual developer of the Boardwalk site, the Procopio Companies, withdrew their applications before votes were taken by local boards. Procopio later won approval of a slightly different project at 189-197 Nantasket Avenue.

While the Allerton plans were under review, the property owner fenced off a privately owned boat ramp at U Street that had traditionally been used by recreational boaters and the town’s fishing fleet. The owner cited insurance liability and denied that the move was retaliation against neighbors who voiced opposition to the plan.

In its denial, the planning board cited inadequate time “to properly evaluate the project” and said that the applicant had not provided enough information. The developer asserted that the board had overstepped its authority and bowed to pressure from project opponents.

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