In My Footsteps: For My Nina

    Sometimes if you stand on the beach and watch the tide go out it can feel as if it takes an eternity, until it is out and you wonder where the time went. My grandparents were married for 73 years. When my Grampa passed nearly 2 years ago my Nina's tide began to go out. She spent the better part of the last 22 months in a nursing home and virtually isolated from family due to Covid-19. It was sad and unfair for that to be her final chapter. I could only apologize to her when seeing her one of the last times and say that this was not the way we all expected it to go. Her last words she spoke to me were 'I love you too' and for me it was a perfect bow on our 43 year relationship as grandmother and grandson. As I sit here trying to unload a lot of emotion I keep coming back to a few feelings: gratitude, sadness, and joy. I'd rather remember my Nina in those ways and that is what will follow.

    My Grampa was very much a larger than life human. World War II vet, Olympic caliber swimmer and sprinter, friends with icons like Rocky Marciano, jazz singer, and successful business owner. The thing is that all of those achievements and accolades paled in comparison to my Nina as far as he was concerned. She was his everything, and she was indeed the glue that held together the patchwork quilt that became our huge family.

Jo-Anna Drive 1983

    Grampa worked, and worked hard, so it was Nina that became the face of the family as I knew it. She was style and class before I knew what those words meant. I laugh now because I never told her, but growing up in the 1980's she reminded me of Tina Turner. Strong legs, high heels, big hair, and most of all a toughness that earned respect. She raised five children to be loving, kind, and caring adults with those traits being passed along to her grandchildren. She was at the forefront of the women's fitness boom of the late 1960's in Brockton, Massachusetts and again in the early 1970's when moving to Cape Cod. She taught classes and knew how to command a room by being one-part hard and one-part caring. This was evident to the very end like when she gave my Aunt Kelly double middle-fingers during one of our final Zoom calls and then following it up by sweetly saying what a lovely visit it was.

    You see I'll miss my Nina terribly, she represents the end of a chapter as my last grandparent has now passed. However she is always around me because I see her in all of the women in my family over several generations. They have all taken bits of who she was, whether they even realize it or not, and made it part of their own life's quilt. That is the gratitude I have, is that she has scattered pieces of herself all across this family like so many Tiger Lily seeds, and they are in full bloom.

Christmas 1977

    Nina was the one that brought me out for lunch and toy shopping growing up because Grampa was working. I can close my eyes and hear the jazz music playing in her Oldsmobile Tornado and the clicking of her long fingernails on the faux wood that lined the steering wheel and dashboard. Nina was the one that had certain movies and shows on VHS on a little bookshelf behind the front door because she knew I liked them. Godzilla and the Three Stooges? No way she watched those ever. Nina was the one with the anisette toast by Stella-Doro that remind me so much of being a kid. She encouraged me to sit and play with the water games on her deck because at least I was outside. She was the one that demanded I eat something every time I visited her, even in the last few years, that was the Italian in her. I always remember that the leather interior to her cars made me carsick, nearly every time, but I dealt with it anyway because I loved being with her. It was a small price to pay for memories that are so important to me now.

The deck at Jo-Anna Drive 1978

    Selfishly I am sad that Nina is gone. It speaks to me and my own life. The longer I was blessed to have grandparents in my life the more chances I had to make them proud of me. I love my entire family, but nobody in my life was ever a bigger fan of me than Nina, Grampa, and my Nana. Still when it comes to Nina I am beyond happy that she has been reunited with Grampa. She met him when she was an age when most people are just starting high school and they remained together until they were both in their 90's. She was never whole once he left. I am grateful that she remained as long as she did but she needed to go be with him again.

Together again, where they belong.

    It's hard to sum up a life so long and full which had an impact felt by so many. She was the glue that held things together allowing my Grampa the chance to run those businesses. Her legacy lives on in all of us that were raised by her or raised by her teachings. We all are her legacy. We will all do our best to take care of that legacy she left behind. We will hear her in things we say. We will see her in things we do. We are all the Tiger Lily seeds she spread throughout her 9 decades on this earth. I am filled with gratitude, sadness, and joy. Even forever goodbye's are not forever though. I love you Nina and I will see you again in a place far better than this.

In Their Footsteps - Cape Cod History: Sullivan's Donut Shop, Hyannis

The last of the Irish donut makers.

     Sullivan’s was a staple of downtown Hyannis for two decades in the times before Dunkin’ Donuts resided on nearly every street corner on Cape Cod. After successfully running three other doughnut shops in Brockton in the 1950s and ’60s, John “Sully” Sullivan was making doughnuts at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Stoughton, Massachusetts, in 1971, when he was hired by James Despotopulos to work at his Sugar N’ Spice doughnut shop in South Yarmouth. Despotopulos had opened his shop in 1969 after moving to Cape Cod from Stoughton.

     Sully was seen as the unofficial mayor of Brockton, rubbing elbows with the likes of Cesar Romero and his close friend Rocky Marciano. Never the less he moved his wife, Rosemarie, and their five children to the mid-Cape area. There he hoped to settle into a quieter routine, escaping the busier and sometimes dangerous streets of Brockton in the early 1970s.

     Not too long after Sullivan left Sugar N’ Spice, he worked at a Dunkin’ Donuts on the corner of Forest Road and Route 28 in South Yarmouth that still stands as of 2019. Doughnut making was a passion of Sully’s; it also ran in the family. Sullivan’s father, also named John Sullivan, had run a doughnut shop in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, before World War II. It was not long before Sullivan’s Donut Shop lived again, this time on the corner of Bearse’s Way and Route 28 in Hyannis. After purchasing equipment from a closing Jack In the Box fast food restaurant the new shop opened in late 1975 and gained popularity from the get-go.

     These doughnuts were made the old-fashioned way in large vats of oil, with bakers using sticks to flip the sweet lumps of dough and make sure they were properly cooked on each side. These doughnuts were heavier and more filling and satisfying. They came in all sorts of delicious shapes and sizes. There were classic honey-dipped, chocolate frosted and jelly-filled; there were crullers, coffee rolls and doughnut holes. There were also delectable muffins and coffee, of course.

     Though it opened very early for people on their way to work, some could not wait until sunrise for a fresh and hot doughnut. Sully would open his back door before officially opening for the day and sell doughnuts to customers. This practice has been made well-known thanks to Back Door Donuts, located in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. This is part of the Martha’s Vineyard Gourmet Café & Bakery, which opened in 2001.

The counter inside Sullivan’s Donut Shop

     However, there was much more than just the run of the mill doughnut shop lying in those four walls. Sullivan’s was a meeting place before there was Starbucks, and it was every bit a family-run business. Sully’s wife, sons and daughters all worked hard to make each and every customer feel welcome. In return, the customers made Sullivan’s a destination. There were also times that the customers were the staff. A handful of regulars knew how to open the shop, and once the doors were unlocked, they would happily help with the setup, pulling down stools and starting the coffee.

     There were several unique touches to Sullivan’s that made it more than just coffee and doughnuts. For starters, there was a piano located in the corner of the shop; no other Cape Cod doughnut shop could lay claim to that. Said piano would be played daily by the house piano player, Barnstable High School English teacher Ed Milk. It was also played by legendary jazz pianist Dave McKenna. Considered to be one of the finest pianists in the world during his career,    McKenna, also a neighbor of Sully’s, would often play music to the delight of customers and to pay for his doughnuts.

     After moving to Cape Cod in 1966, McKenna played many shows at local bars and nightclubs. Sully remarked that he would often go into work at the doughnut shop at 1:00 a.m. This was around the time that most of the local bars would close, and the musicians, including McKenna, who had been playing would come knocking on the door looking for something to eat. Legend has it that McKenna once ate eighteen hot honey-dipped doughnuts in one sitting but stopped there; telling Sully he “didn’t want to seem like a pig.”

     Also unique to Sullivan’s was the meticulous, hand-painted mural of the mid-Cape area on the wall of the shop. It was common for customers to walk over to the mural, coffee or doughnut in hand, and stare in wonder at the painstaking detail put into this piece of art. 

     Sullivan’s popularity stretched beyond the average joes who stopped in before work. Legendary Boston Bruins announcer Fred Cusick enjoyed popping in for a visit when he was around during the 1970s and ’80s.

     Longtime Kennedy chauffeur Tommy Roderick also frequented the donut shop, picking up a box because “Jackie loved blueberry muffins.” So popular was Sullivan’s that Barnstable Police remarked to Sully that if they were ever looking for a suspect in Hyannis they would simply stake out Sullivan’s and neighboring Christy’s, because whomever they were looking for would end up there eventually.

     Sullivan’s thrived into the 1990s, when construction at the plaza where it resided caused the shop to be closed for a while. It had been featured on the corner of the plaza with glass windows facing the traffic; now it had been pushed inside to a smaller location. Unfortunately, business suffered, and Sullivan’s closed early in 1993.

Where Sullivan's Donuts once stood in Hyannis.

     Much of the equipment used to make the doughnuts at Sullivan’s was bought by the Hole In One Donut Shop. This company, run by four sisters, continues to make doughnuts the old-fashioned way to this day, even in a world filled with Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme. They are still going strong as of 2019, with locations in Eastham and Orleans.

     

     As of this writing, a convenience store sits where Sullivan’s once resided.

In My Footsteps: Trip 41: Brockton, Mass.

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In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 41: Brockton, Mass.

April 7, 2010

            Brockton, nicknamed the City of Champions for its connection to boxing legend Rocky Marciano.  It may be all of that to the average visitor but to me it is a lot more than that.  To me Brockton is where a large part of my family lived and came from.  This trip was just as much about seeing where my mother and grandparents lived and spent time as it was to see the historical sites and some natural beauty that lies within the city’s limits. 

            Originally called part of Bridgewater, and then North Bridgewater, until 1874 Brockton got its name from Isaac Brock.  Brock was a British soldier nicknamed the ‘Hero of Upper Canada.’  He fought and died during the War of 1812 at the Battle of Queenston Heights in present-day Ontario, Canada.  The feel as you drive through the downtown area of Brockton is that of a once thriving industrial center.  There are many old brick buildings that once housed successful businesses more than a hundred years earlier.  They still stand as a throwback to Brockton’s history.  One such building is the brick building that once belonged to the Brockton Edison Company Old Power Station.  Now housing the Metro South Chamber of Commerce(left), the building was constructed in 1883.  The power station was Thomas Edison’s first model of a complete power station.  The main reason that this incredible first in modern power has been overlooked is that Edison felt that it was much more important to achieve a similar three-wire electrical generation in New York City.  The Brockton Edison plant was never fully appreciated during its initial run but its pace in American history cannot be overlooked.

            In the same vicinity as the Brockton Edison building lies Brockton’s City Hall(right) which is a magnificent sight.  It was originally built in 1892 and sits overlooking an area called Brockton Common.  The Common is a small area with benches and a few rows of trees, it is a gathering place in the center of the busy city.  City Hall itself appears to be much more modern than the surrounding buildings despite being nearly 120 years old, the brick design looks like a second skin.  The monument to the Brockton Firefighters who perished in the Strand Theater fire in 1941 is an eye-catching statue and is only the first evidence of the importance of Brockton’s firefighters.  On Pleasant Street lies the Central Fire Station(below).  Built in 1884 it is an historic brick building that is a part of the National Historic Register.  

            Brockton may be the sixth largest city in Massachusetts but there are spots where peace and quiet reigns supreme.  One such place is D.W. Field Park, a 700-plus acre park that is used by frazzled city folk as a way to unwind.  Daniel Waldo Field donated the land during the 1930’s and was a well known contemporary and combatant of Thomas Edison.  Field believed that any city needed an abundance of natural beauty for its people to truly be happy.  He also believed that Edison would disrupt that upon his arrival.  His donation of the 700-plus acres is living proof of D.W. Field’s beliefs.

            The park is a great way to spend a sunny day.  There are several ponds and nearly seven miles of paved roads around the park.  Porter Pond is split by Oak Street into Upper and Lower sections.  Lying next to the park is the D.W. Field golf course as well as a tremendous stone observation tower simply called the Central Tower(left).  The tower, ponds, and golf course wrap together and make an incredible scene that seems to be so far removed from the downtown area but yet it fits right in perfectly.

            After all of the sites had been seen it was time for me to discover the areas that were important to my family in Brockton.  I enjoyed the drive out to a beautifully quiet section of Brockton on West Elm Street where I found the house my mother grew up in.  According to her and my grandparents it still looks the way they remember it.

            The last spot I needed to see was the location of my grandfather’s doughnut shop on Warren Avenue.  Sullivan’s Donuts was a staple of Brockton in the 1960’s into the 70’s.  It was after my grandparents moved down to the Cape my grandfather opened a new Sullivan’s Donuts on Bearses Way in Hyannis that was a popular meeting place into the early 1990’s.  I was truly able to appreciate where my family came from after seeing these spots with my own eyes. 

            Brockton is a mix of city life and history with a splash of natural beauty.  It is also very important in my own life as it is where my mother’s side of the family originated.  I highly recommend that everybody who has the ability takes a trip to areas where their families originated.  Brockton has a lot of culture and things to see, the fact that it holds personal significance only added to the allure.  Have fun and happy traveling!  



     My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, soon to be in stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter!

Directions:  DW Field Park:  Take Rt. 3 North, continue onto Yankee Division Highway.  Merge onto I-93 South, take Exit 4 to merge onto Rt. 24 South.  Take Exit 18B to merge onto Rt. 27 North.  Turn right at Oak Street.  The park is on either side of the road.

            Brockton Edison Building:  Take Rt. 3 North, continue onto Yankee Division Highway.  Merge onto I-93 South, take Exit 4 to merge onto Rt. 24 South.  Take Exit 18A to merge onto Rt. 27 South.  Turn left at Pleasant St., turn right at Montello St., turn right at School St.  The building is now called Metro South Chamber of Commerce.

            Central Fire Station: Take Rt. 3 North, continue onto Yankee Division Highway.  Merge onto I-93 South, take Exit 4 to merge onto Rt. 24 South.  Take Exit 18A to merge onto Rt. 27 South.  Turn left at Pleasant Street, follow it for a mile and a half, fire station is on the right.

References: Thomas Edison's Brockton Power Station

            The Battle Between Edison and DW Field

            City of Brockton Homepage

            DW Field Park.com