Two Guys on Block Island

Ep. 94: Molly Price- Acting, Sandwiches and Death

Ep. 93: Kevin McBride- An Expanded View of Native American Culture

Ep. 92: Tracy Finn- Let It Bee

Ep. 91: Heroes at The Harborside

Ep. 90: Rob Davis- Guitars and Beach Chairs

Ep. 89: Jeff Wright- Power To The People

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Ep. 88: Gail Ballard Hall- Makes a Mean Brandy Alexander

Ep. 87: Peter Wood- The Newspaper Man

We sat down with Peter Wood in March of 2023 to discuss his long and storied history on Block Island. As owner of the Block Island Times back in the 70's-80's Peter kept island residents abreast of what was happening on the island. It wasn't always an easy job. Sadly, the island lost Peter a bit over two weeks ago. Please enjoy this episode and our chat with another island icon.

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Ep. 86: Dickie Stinson- Stories About Dorries

Dickie Stinson’s grandfather was a commercial fisherman who moved his family to Block Island in 1900 from Swan’s Island, Maine. His boat was amongst the vessels that helped rescue survivors of the Larchmont disaster. Dickie was born in 1948. At eleven years old he followed family tradition and also became a commercial fisherman who honed his harpoon skills by practicing on Blue Sharks. Dickie’s life reads like the lyrics to Billy Joel’s, “The Downeaster Alexa”. Our conversation revolves largely ...

In Memory of Bryan Wilson- from 12/23/20

Please enjoy our chat with Bryan Wilson from Season One. We will miss you, Bryan.

Ep. 85: Sue Hagedorn- Radical and Miraculous Growth

Sue Hagedorn arrived on Block Island for the first time on a boat named, “Tor” (“Rot” spelled backwards). Sue and her family would cruise around Long Island Sound, land on Block Island and simply hang out. A self-proclaimed hippie, Sue definitely stuck out like a sore thumb amongst her family’s well-healed Yacht club friends. But that never bothered Sue much. Sue graduated college in 1967 as the summer of love kicked into full swing and took a job at Harvard. It was there she became a member of ...

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Ep. 84: Doc Willis (Part 2) - Painting a Picture

Part two of our conversation with Doc Willis

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Ep. 83: Doc Willis (Part 1) - Painting a Picture

Doc’s grandfather’s cousin Hiram Willis had a wholesale fish market down on Ballard’s dock waaaay back in the day. But Doc didn’t arrive here until many years later at the behest of Power Company Owner, Cliff McGinness. In 1972 (following a harrowing airplane ride) Doc swooped on to Block Island and saved the day. That winter the island was facing an extreme cold snap. We were without a resident Doctor and in the midst of a flu epidemic which had infected the power company’s chief engineer. In t...

Ep. 82: Welcome to Season 4!

Play ball! Welcome to Season 4 of Two Guys on Block Island! Rich and Marc are back to dust off the microphones and bring you more great interviews with some of Block Island's most interesting characters. It's been quite a winter for our hosts. Rich discusses his newfound "hipness" and a new plan for his taxi cab as well as plans for another Tretheway wedding! Marc talks about some musical projects, a trip to Key West with his buddy Rob Davis and a very exciting new summer side hustle. After the ...

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Welcome back! First full episode of season 4 drops April 19th!

Ep. 81: Season Three Wrap Up

Whew! What a season it's been! In Season Three's first interview with Steven Wright, the groundbreaking comedian and long-time summer resident likened summers on the island to a book. Each summer- a volume in a series -that at the end of the season is closed and put on the shelf amongst the volumes from summers past. But before Rich and Marc put Summer 2023 on the shelf they recap the conversations had with some of the island's own. And what a season it was! From Edie Blaine's yarns from the day...

Ep. 80: Claire Costello- Salt Pond Savior

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 comes to where to give. But before that Claire first found work sweeping the floors at the Spring House...

Ep. 79: Block Island Ghost Stories (Vol. 3)

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 their podcast Hometown Ghost Stories on November 6, 2021. Since then the cast has virtually exploded garnerin...

Ep. 78: David Lewis (Part 2)- The Codfish Tongue Salesman

Part 2 of our chat with David Lewis

Ep. 77: David Lewis (Part 1)- The Codfish Tongue Salesman

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 people that shaped David's life here. And it's quite obvious that Mr. Lewis' life was filled with family and ...

Ep. 76: Molly O'Neill- Scarlet Begonias

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 her time at the Chamber of Commerce to her current bid for a town council seat Molly has always had a hand in shaping the future of ...

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Ep. 75: Gary Ryan- Simply The Best

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 on the Town Council in addition to being one of the longest-standing volunteer rescue squad members. It's tough sometimes...

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Ep. 74: Kim Gaffett- A Bird In The Hand

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 Island is evident. Her father Lew Gaffett was one of Block Island's first nightlife impresarios. Kim graciously entertains Ma...

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