HOLLY NADLER
508-274-9239
A very long time ago I played Cassandra the Mad Prophetess in Troilus and Cressida. Cassandra, a princess of Troy, had teed off the gods for some minor travesty (those were the early days before the gods realized that each and every human being possessed annoying traits, so you couldn’t be angry at all of them), and they punished her with the following curse: no one would listen to anything she said, even stuff like “Women weep while Troy burns!” which turned out to be absolutely, one hundred per cent accurate!
Well, I don’t have any dire predictions to make, but I’ve always had this dandy little idea for Oak Bluffs, yet I can totally relate to Cassandra the M.P. in that, when I bring it up, no one ever goes proactive on it, although I have any number of fellow pipe-dreamers. So here it is: During the summertime, let’s turn Circuit avenue into a pedestrian mall, just as we do on Tivoli Day and, in the past couple of years, for the Summer Solstice Festival.
We could set aside some empty lots for parking on the periphery of town, and hire cute trolleys to take folks to and fro. Some creative entrepreneurs could get in the act, renting pedalinas, you know, those family-of-four-sized cycles that resemble the “shiny little surrey with the fringe on the top” from Oklahoma? (Actually, something like this part of my plan is to happen this summer.) Maybe some horse-drawn wagons could get into the act: come on, people, this is a stimulus package right here in our own backyard!
Once in town, people would be likely to linger longer, enjoying what the Italians call the passagiata — the pleasure of the stroll in a piazza where dodging cars is not an issue, so the continuous glances to the left and the right, normally a life-saving measure to avoid being crushed under heavy tires, are instead conferred on window displays, outdoor cafes and, alora va bene, attractive men and women.
I’m telling you (just as Cassandra kept telling the Trojans), people from all over the globe will flock to Oak Bluffs — even more than they’re flocking now. Travelers adore car-free places — Zermatt, Switzerland, Venice and Sienna, Italy, and a bunch of islands in the USA: Catalina, Mackinac, Monhegan, and Fire Island, to name a few.
Our shops and restaurants can enjoy the freedoms of Tivoli Day every day — to whit, they can spread their wares on outdoor counters, and chefs can roll out intimate little tables for dining al fresco. Musicians can play right in the middle of the street and watch their guitar cases fill up with bills.
Now, I know from sitting in on Oak Bluffs Association meetings and listening to the arguments that fired up over the Summer Solstice street closing that some retailers and restaurateurs believe customers will stay away if they can’t park their precious vehicles near their intended destinations. Hello! On an August evening in Oak Bluffs, anyone arriving by car will be lucky to park within a mile of Circuit avenue.
Okay, that’s all I’m going to comment on the subject. In Troilus and Cressida I got to climb up a high tower and shout, “Lend me ten thousand ears!” I’m not going to do that here, though Zeus knows we’ve got a whole bunch of towers in Oak Bluffs. All I want to quietly suggest — I’m whispering now — is that you think about the idea every so often. Just give it an itty bitty “hmmm” moment now and then.
And don’t accept a big wooden horse from any of the other Island towns.
Women Empowered is pleased to announce that Vineyarder Cindy Doyle has been selected as Empowered Woman of the Year. A celebratory brunch will be held in her honor on May 30 from noon to 2 p.m. at Mediterranean (formerly Lola’s) in Oak Bluffs. To learn more, call 508-696-8880.
The annual Alzheimer’s Miles of Memories Walk/Paddle happens on Sunday, May 17 at State Beach. Participants will walk the bike path from Little Bridge to Big Bridge and back or kayak through Sengekontacket. The walk/paddle (if you run those words together, you get waddle, which is something a lot of us are doing as we emerge from a sedentary winter) sets off at noon from Little Bridge on State Beach in Oak Bluffs. Contact Alzheimer’s Services of Cape Cod & the Islands at 508-775-5656 or visit online alzcapecod.org for more information.
Thomas Dresser has a new book out, In My Life, a fictional account of young lovers coming of age in the 1960s, published by Red Lead Press. On Monday, May 18, at the Slice of Life from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Tom will be signing his book and furnishing his fans with coffee and cookies. (What kind of cookies, Tom? Will there be nuts in the chocolate chip?)
The O.B. Historical Commission continues its programs for 2009, and is currently sponsoring an evening of remembrances of the Oak Bluffs School from 1880-1960, with photos, documents and stories. The event will take place on Thursday, May 14, at 6 p.m. in the Oak Bluffs Public Library meeting room. For more info call 508-693-9433.
The All Island String Concert will take place tonight, Friday, May 8, at 6:30 at the MVRHS Performing Center. Musicians should arrive at 6:10 for tuning.
And at the library next Friday, May 15, from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. the after school kids’ movie is City of Ember, recommended for ages six and up), based on the book by Jeanne Duprau, is a suspenseful adventure about two courageous kids living in an underground world of glittering lights, yet when the city’s massive power generator begins to fail, their world is in peril. Don’t you hate when that happens?!
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