Beaver Island Michigan

K.A. Pike,

I wish it were possible to "LIKE" posts on this forum.

Mr Thomas seems to lack even a basic understanding of tact and decorum. I hope he takes it as well as he dishes it out, and I'm hoping we find out soon.

Pitiful elitist response.

Impressive contingent of islanders that made the trip to Grand Rapids today for Barry's funeral. For us mainlanders that get to spend way too little time on the island, it's another example of the intangible allure that makes Beaver so special. Good on y'all.

"Little 1000sf oceanfront shacks on tiny lots nearby sell for over $1 million dollars and pay over 9K in property taxes. Yikes!"

pmagz, while the cost of the shack is not comparable, I can assure you the they have nothing on BI when it comes to property taxes.

By CHARLES PASSY
Aug. 26, 2015 8:46 p.m. ET
6 COMMENTS
BLOCK ISLAND, R.I.â??By his estimate, Bill Bendokas has flown at least a half-million passengers during his time at New England Airlines, the small, regional carrier he founded in 1970 to connect this pear-shaped island with points along the East Coast. And that isnâ??t factoring in the countless prescriptions he has transported (the island lacks a pharmacy) or boxes of auto parts or even the occasional farm animal.

These days, it sometimes seems that Mr. Bendokas is in an altogether different business, one that involves the careful shipping of steaming, pint-sized containers of General Tsoâ??s chicken, moo shu pork and shrimp lo mein.



And sushi delivery guy. And pizza delivery guy. You name the category of food and thereâ??s a good chance the jovial pilot has brought it aboard one of his seven planes, which range in size from six to 10 seats. The food, of course, is kept in cargo.

Mr. Bendokas is hardly a restaurateur or chef himself: The eateries on the mainland, including at least two Chinese restaurants, take the orders directly from customers, do the cooking and then deliver the food to New England Airlinesâ?? location in Westerly, R.I., in time for the next scheduled flight to Block Island.

The veteran airman recognizes the odd culinary role he plays in the life of this bucolic 10-square-mile island that has become an increasingly popular summer tourist destination. There is also ferry service to the island, but the boat operators generally donâ??t deliver food.


While Block Island supports at least 50 restaurantsâ??from fine-dining establishments to seafood shacks and a couple of Mexican placesâ??it has long lacked a Chinese restaurant. And when summer turns to fall and then winter and the islandâ??s population drops from 20,000 to a mere 1,000, nearly every restaurant closes. In all instances, Mr. Bendokas fills the gap, typically charging an $8 â??freightâ?￾ fee for his food-delivery service (and he wonâ??t accept tips above that).

â??Weâ??re just the mainland connection,â?￾ says the pilot. As for the craving that islanders have for dumplings, fried rice and suchâ??one Chinese restaurant on the mainland says it does as many as five weekly â??airâ?￾ ordersâ??Mr. Bendokas says the Rhode Island community is no different from others in that respect: â??This is America. People are used to Chinese food.â?￾

There are 46,700 Chinese restaurants in the U.S., according to Chinese Restaurant News, a trade publication. (By contrast, there are roughly 4,200 sushi restaurants, according to market researcher IBISWorld.) Moreover, eating Chinese food has become a kind of â??benchmark for American-ness,â?￾ says Jennifer 8. Lee, author of â??The Fortune Cookie Chronicles,â?￾ a book about Americaâ??s endless appetite for Asian cuisine, particularly in its more Americanized form. Ms. Lee makes the point that weâ??re far more likely to opt for an order of General Tsoâ??s chicken than many â??signatureâ?￾ American dishes. â??How often do you eat apple pie?â?￾ she asks.

But the popularity of General Tsoâ??s chicken notwithstanding, the economic realities of Block Island life make it difficult for a Chinese restaurant to succeed, say locals and restaurant industry observers alike. (The last Chinese place to make a go of it closed more than a decade ago after a very short run, locals add.). Proprietors of Chinese restaurants are usually looking to establish a thriving, year-round operation. â??Itâ??s about building a steady business,â?￾ says Betty Xie, a spokesperson for Chinese Restaurant Newsâ??and preferably one in a location where affordable housing is readily available for workers, many of whom come from China. In Block Island, the median sales price for a home is slightly above $1 million, according to Trulia, a real-estate website, and low-cost year-round rentals are almost impossible to come by because of the summer surge in visitors.

Mr. Bendokas isnâ??t exactly alone in the food delivery-by-air business.

In Beaver Island, Mich., the largest island in Lake Michigan, the Chinese food comes via Fresh Air Aviation, a nine-year-old carrier that serves the community. And in Marthaâ??s Vineyard and Nantucket, Mass., mainland restaurant orders are handled by Cape Air (and its sister carrier, Nantucket Airlines), a New England-based outfit. The latter company says it was once responsible for bringing an entire pig roast over to Nantucket. â??We also get requests for wedding cakes,â?￾ says Trish Lorino, a Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines vice president.

Not that having food delivered by plane is necessarily the ideal way to go, especially in Block Island. Despite the short flight timesâ??Westerly is just 12 minutes awayâ??the actual door-to-door timing on an order is more like 90 minutes, given the logistics of getting the food to and from the airport. (And once the order lands in Block Island, it is up to the customer to pick it up. Mr. Bendokas doesnâ??t continue the journey in his car.)

Most of New England Airlinesâ?? restaurant-ordering regulars concede those â??steamingâ?￾ pints of Chinese food are more likely to arrive closer to room temperature, though theyâ??re grateful in any case. â??To be honest, Chinese food is good even when itâ??s cold,â?￾ says Brad Marthens, an island resident and proprietor of the Atlantic Inn, a popular island hotel.

Write to Charles Passy at cpassy@marketwatch.com

Keeping a good thought for Richie and the entire extended Gillespie family. Like everyone else, I have a couple Robert stories I'll never forget. The island has lost another giant.

Ms. Crandall, I am not an "islander," so you will probably find my opinion invalid, but your message has been lost in your demeaning, hostile and condescending delivery. I mean, "You're" mom is no less an English affront than ending sentences in three to four periods. It's unfort...

That's what I was looking for and why I couldn't find it.

There are no less than 25 books entitled "The Kin's Daughter" on Amazon. I couldn't find it. What is the name of the author?

Uh, I believe Trish already blew your cover, Steve.

John, I'm in Grand Rapids; I'll be fine. However, if the less-than-scintillating 175-plus post yarn being woven by the pirate prevent even ONE divorce, even ONE highway middle finger... Well, then I guess it will all have been worth... No; no it wouldn't. Now, since I don't know who the bip is, and ...

Am I the only one who finds this whole "pirate" thing tiresome and played out?

"Much could be said?" As an extremely interested though uninformed summer visitor, I'd like too hear it Richie. Please; a little history.

Thank you, very much, for sharing this tribute. Too often we wait too long to pay tribute to these island legends.

Congratulations Rich.