The Star Island Corp. office in Portsmouth will be closed Thursday, Oct. 6 for server maintenance. Staff will not be able to respond to email during this time. Normal operations should resume Friday. Thank you for your patience!

The Star Island Corp., in cooperation with Sam Adams Brewery, is proud to announce Starry Night 2011, our third annual event celebrating art, hops and harvest flavors.

This year, Starry Night returns on November 19 to the Discover Portsmouth Center with a ceramics exhibition by the Banks Gallery in Portsmouth and also features a select group of jewelers showing their unique hand-crafted pieces. RAIN for the Sahel and Sahara will also display their work. RAIN is an international non-governmental organization that works with women artisans of the Sahel and Sahara to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency.

The evening will also feature the savory Mediterranean appetizers of Café Nostimo in Portsmouth as well as a choice selection of Sam Adams beer for tasting. Musical entertainment will be provided by jazz duo Kemp Harris and Scotty Vercoe who bring their own spin on genre classics.

The evening begins at 5:15 p.m. Make your reservations by calling the Star Island office at (603) 430-6272 or by emailing email hidden; JavaScript is required. Tickets are $30/person in advance or $40 at the door. VIP Preview tickets are $50/person and allow admission at 4:00 p.m. and early access to the jewelry and ceramics displays for the ideal opportunity to view and purchase the best pieces before someone else does. The evening will be held at the Discover Portsmouth Center, on the corner of Middle and Islington streets.

Join us for a Starry Night filled with art, flavor and fun!

As we pulled away from the island on the luggage boat Sunday for the last time in 2011, I was struck by the activity you could see from the dock: Dancers, yoga practitioners, musicians playing, people knitting, children running and some bopping to the music — all those elements that make for a wonderful week on Star Island.

Thanks for a great summer, and we look forward to seeing you and your families next year. The planning has already begun for the 115th season on our beloved island!

Cheers from the staff and best wishes,

Vicky Hardy
Chief Executive Officer
Star Island Corporation

Arlington, Mass. poet Steven Ratiner heard the news on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 while sitting in a Gosport Chapel pew on Star Island. The events and his setting inspired him to pen the poem “On the Morning We Heard They’d Blown Up the World.”

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Boston NPR station WBUR invited Ratiner to speak about and read aloud his poem, which aired on Sept. 5 during the radio programme “All Things Considered.”

Visit WBUR.org for the full audio clip and the complete poem text.

Star Island staff returned to the island Monday, August 29, the day following tropical storm Irene’s visit to the Seacoast Area. On Tuesday afternoon, retreat and conference guests made the one-hour trip to the island on board the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company’s M/V Thomas Laighton. Star Island, which is located about 10 miles southeast of Portsmouth Harbor, closed the day before Irene arrived due to predictions of strong winds and high seas.

Vicky Hardy, chief executive officer of the Star Island Corp., said she had no doubt that the center could withstand the winds, but the decision to remove all but essential staff members came down to the potential of not being able to get people off the island in case of a medical emergency.

Facilities Superintendent Jack Farrell remained on the island with a core group of 11 supervisors and managers. He reported strong winds and high seas, but minimal damage to the retreat center facilities.

Hardy understood from the Coast Guard that the storm brought 10- to 12-foot seas with winds over 50 knots. “We are happy to open up and welcome everyone to come out to Star Island, especially with Labor Day weekend coming. We will stay opened, as planned, through Sunday, September 18.

The LGBTQ Family and Friends Conference: Transitions and Transformations, has been shortened and will take place from Saturday, August 27 through Tuesday, August 30. Those who had registered for the full six-day conference may wish to remain on Star for rest, relaxation, and to join other scheduled island activities. This three-day gathering will have a full schedule of events and offer participants a lively and engaging program.

Main speaker and specialist in transgender issues Dr. Michelle Angelo; minister of the week and guest speaker Rev. Nate Walker; and Bruce Knotts, Executive Director of the UU United Nations Office will be presenting during the conference.

With the new 30% discount, three days including all meals, program fee, and boat fare is $360 per adult sharing a double room.

We are accepting new registrations and encourage anyone with questions to please email hidden; JavaScript is required. Visit the LGBTQ conference page for more information.

“Creativity Is…” was produced for a multigenerational worship service at the July 2011 Star Island Lifespan Religious Education week conference.

Each day the Rev Chris Buice, Kim Mason and team led a multigenerational Unitarian Universalist worship service for the conference.

For the “Creativity” themed Thursday morning worship, Peter Bowden worked with conference participants to produce this short video.