The Staff

Lars Trodson, Editor, is a former reporter for the Woonsocket Call and Pawtucket Times, and was also the Managing Editor at Seacoast Media Group, the publisher of The Portsmouth (NH) Herald, a daily newspaper and weekly publications that included The York (ME) Weekly, The Exeter News-Letter, and the Hampton Union. He has also been an editor for the Manchester Union Leader and Foster’s Daily Democrat.

Lars most recently wrote for the Lawrence (MA) Eagle Tribune, and the magazines The Andovers, Merrimack Valley News and Cape Ann Magazine. His first novel, "Eagles Fly Alone," was published in 2011 and his second, “Tide Turning,” in March 2014. His work in journalism has been honored by the New Hampshire Press Association and the New England Press Association. He is co-founder of Roundtable Pictures, an independent film company and is contributing editor to its popular blog, www.roundtablepictures.com.

Lars was born in Providence and grew up in East Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Providence Country Day School and Muhlenberg College.

Kari Curtis, Associate Editor/Special Publications and Staff Photographer, has lived on Block Island since 1994, and joined the Times in 2007. Kari has developed an expertise in photography and was named Staff Photographer in 2011. Her work is a prominent part of The Times family of publications and the web sites, Kari manages social media for The Times and also writes for the newspaper. She is the recipient of two awards for her photography from the New England Newspaper and Publishers Association.

Kari manages the special publications including: The Block Island Summer Times. Block Island magazine, Block Island Weddings magazine and House and Garden.

Her two sons attend the Block Island School.

Cassius (Cash) Shuman, Staff Reporter and Web Editor covered his first town council meetings in Westerly and Hopkinton as a reporter for WERI radio. He was an intern with WJAR TV in Providence and later in his first jobs as a sports reporter for radio stations in Westerly, Warwick and across the state border in Connecticut. He also hosted a radio talk show called Morning Coffee for several years.

He attended Marietta College in Ohio and graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth. He has worked in New York City and Los Angeles, CA reading scripts, and writing, producing and acting in plays. He produced an independent film, “Running from the Shadows” and wrote and published a book, “The Dead Boy’s Legacy,” a psychological thriller.

Cash spent a year working as a communications director for Congressman Howard Berman, Democrat of California and head of the Foreign Relations Committee.

John Barry, Production Manager and Director of Electronic Media Publishing. He oversees all advertising design and layout for the weekly newspaper and related publications.  He has managed the design and implementation of blockislandtimes.com and completed the launch of the RI Monthly award winning blockisland.com website. He has been with the Times organization since 2006, where he lived for nearly 10 years. He now works form an office in Portsmouth, RI, with weekly trips to Block Island.

John is also owner and creative director of Small House Advertising and Creative Design.  Since 2008, he has also owned and operated Macsperts, providing support to users of apple computers and devices.  John holds a journalism degree from Hofstra University and has won multiple awards for his advertising design for The Block Island Times.

Shane Howrigan, Advertising Sales Representative and Office Manager and Director of Electronic Media Advertising, has been a full time resident of Block Island since 2000 and has been with The Block Island Times since 2003.  She is a native of Sheldon, Vermont and a graduate of Champlain College. She has worked in a number of hospitality establishments on the island. Shane works closely with advertisers in the development and placement of advertising campaigns. She has recently taken responsibility for electronic media advertising promoting advertising on blockislandtimes.com and blockisland.com.

Shane is a volunteer member of the Block Island Housing Board charged with developing affordable housing for the community.

Jonmathew Swienton , Advertising Design, is an island native, graduate of the Block Island School and a graduate of Towson (MD) University with a degree in graphic design. He was previously a graphic designer for the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Sabra Glen, Office Assistant. Glen is a native islander and a graduate of the Block Island School. She is a graduate of Cape Cod Community College and attended the University of Rhode Island.

She has extensive experience in business both on and off Block Island. She is the former owner of S and T Lawn Service.

Glen and her husband, Joseph Pokraka and son Tyler Mack, a student at the Block Island School, have been year-round residents since 2012.