Two Guys on Block Island

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.

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 around the glory days of the commercial swordfishing industry and like most fishermen- Dickie’s got plenty of stories. Dickie’s been living year-round on Block Island for the last 15 years or so. He spent his summers here when he wasn’t out chasing fish (which was most of the time). “Home” is a relative term for most fishermen anyways as their passion for the salt water life takes precedence over any sort of hum-drum domestic existence. Now in his 70’s, Dickie has occupied his time driving cab and shooting the breeze with those lucky enough to have their ears bent by this island legend’s tales.

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

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 the radical activist group The Weathermen and took part in certain activities which landed her in the clink. Her stories from this period are beyond epic.   With her “Wild Years” mostly behind her Sue has since lived a few different lives. From nurse to documentary film maker her path has been anything but straight and narrow. Smash the “Play” button to hear the rest.

Part two of our conversation with Doc Willis