Dylan Thomas
The birds of the winged trees flying my name Above the farms and the white horses I rose in rainy autumn And walked abroad in a shower of all my days. – Dylan Thomas
January 29, 2010
News Update: Tuesday, February 2 – Interior Secretary Visits Cape Wind Site
Secretary Ken Salazar said he was “very bullish” about the future of offshore wind energy, but refused to give any hint of whether or not he would approve the controversial Cape Wind project, during a media conference aboard the Coast Guard vessel Ida Lewis on Tuesday afternoon. Speaking on board the buoy tender at the…
Edgartown Woman Dies in Car Crash
An Island woman died in a single-car accident Monday afternoon on Eastville avenue, across from the entrance to the emergency room at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Rachel Dow, 37, of Pennywise Path in Edgartown, was driving out of the hospital parking lot around 5:45 p.m. when she drove through the T-shaped intersection into…
Christiantown Fire Claims Life of Islander
The close-knit West Tisbury firefighting community was flooded with sadness this weekend when one of its own — former West Tisbury fire lieutenant Daniel Prowten — was found dead in his Christiantown home after it was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning in bitterly cold weather.
Author Speaks on Narrative Nonfiction
West Tisbury-based author Paul Schneider is giving a talk, Finding the Narrative Voice in a World of Facts, this Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. Mr. Schneider is the author of several popular nonfiction titles, including the best-selling The Enduring Shore: A History of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. His…
Threads of History Tether Edgartown Tailor to Victims
With tape measure draped around his neck and a thimble on his thumb, Francois Delphin sits behind a faded Singer machine, tending to the cuffs of a pair of khakis. “A good tailor is very hard to find,” he says, removing his glasses. “It’s not a trade people learn anymore.” Mr. Delphin owns Francois’ Fine…
Sophomores Speak Out
This week the sophomores are proud to present their Man in India, Kunal Datta, who recently returned from a lengthy trip where he visited Gandhi’s memorial and left India to travel to Dubai for a visit to the world’s highest building. Kunal reflects on his trip and shares with our readers his most memorable experiences.…
A Salute to Valor and Virtue
It was my good fortune to have known Steve Crampton for many years — to have had a chance to see him up close with his family, as a leader in his profession and in the community and as someone who loved and excelled in many sports. He was a true friend; I greatly enjoyed…
Beauty Abounds in Any Season
Call me erratic, but my new year always begins in February with the first signs of spring. As Adam Moore, director of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, pointed out in his article in last Friday’s Gazette on this subject, it is the challenge of the erratic boulder, the excitement of the ocean, that draws his children out…
Letters to the Editor
TOWERING TURBINES
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
My partner, Jay, and I purchased a home on the Vineyard nearly six years ago. I don’t think we’ll ever forget the words of the listing agent, Rob Kendall, when he first showed us our house. He stood on our deck in the yard and looking…
Affordable Housing Report Card
Affordable Housing Report Card
Affordable housing continues to be a pressing issue on the Island, and the past few weeks have seen developments on more than one front.
Bradley Square
Abandoned Hatchery Speaks in Silence
It is a cold January morning and inside the Massachusetts State Lobster Hatchery on Lagoon Pond in Oak Bluffs, all is quiet. It has been 14 years since lobsters swam in bubbling tanks and thousands of summer visitors were treated to tours of this place overlooking the Lagoon.
In Haiti, Islanders Find Tragedy, Hope
Victoria Campbell is, as she said yesterday, not a real nurse. A week ago she had not seen a human skull in surgery, assisted in amputations or dressed jagged gouges the size of her fist at the base of a man’s spinal cord. “I’d have been queasy just at the thought,” she said in a…
Step-by-Step Guide to Scoring A Job With the 2010 Census
Interested in a two-month position this winter that pays $16 an hour, where you can schedule your own hours, get some fresh air plus exercise, and meet fun new people?
Many Vineyarders at this time of year could use all of the above.
That’s the basic job description for a census…
Island Students on Academy Honors List
David C. Faus, headmaster of Falmouth Academy, announced that 10 students from Martha’s Vineyard were named to the Headmaster’s List for the first trimester of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Twelfth grade: Clea Baumhofer, daughter of Mark and Kim Baumhofer of Vineyard Haven; Lily Cronig, daughter of Jo Weinberg of West Tisbury and Donald…
Altruism Sends Early Graduate To East Africa
Phoebe Kelleher woke Christmas morning to find sunscreen in her stocking this year. Judging from her light hair, fair complexion and Irish heritage, she needs it — but certainly not against the gray winter skies on the Vineyard.
Utopian Vision for Oak Bluffs Waterfront Carries High-End Price Tag of $7 Million
A long-awaited master plan for the Oak Bluffs waterfront was unveiled Tuesday at the Oak Bluffs selectmen’s meeting, with a vision that includes rebuilding the crumbling seawall along the North Bluff and bringing in massive amounts of sand to replenish town beaches along Sea View avenue that have been ravaged by erosion.
The…
Federal Offshore Energy Plans Dwarf Cape Wind
Federal authorities plan to open up almost 4,000 square nautical miles of ocean near the Vineyard for potential wind power generation.
A draft Request for Interest (RFI) map presented to a renewable energy task force meeting of state, local and federal representatives on Wednesday identifies a vast arc of ocean, extending from the…
Grants Help YMCA, School Resolve Sewer Snag by April
Nearly $2 million in federal clean water funding awarded this week to Oak Bluffs and Edgartown is expected to bring several long-awaited wastewater projects to fruition, including a sewer tie-in for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and for the YMCA now nearing completion.
U.S. Census Arrives, Bringing Paid Work And Taking Numbers
A battered and idling Island workforce may get some relief in the coming weeks: the 2010 U.S. Census has begun aggressively recruiting census workers for the decennial inventory of the American people. Census officials expect to hire hundreds of Islanders for the house-by-house head count here.
Court Backs Public Right to Ancient Way
In a decision that helps cement the ongoing efforts of Island towns and conservation groups to protect the ancient ways that crisscross the Vineyard like so many strands of history, a superior court judge ruled yesterday that Rogers Path in West Tisbury is open for public use.
“The public has the right to…
Rival Bishop Feehan Ends Streak For Vineyard Boys’ Basketball
The Vineyard boys’ basketball team lost 75-62 to conference rival Bishop Feehan on Tuesday, ending an 11-game winning streak.
Earlier this month, the Vineyarders hit a three-point shot to beat Bishop Feehan in the closing seconds. But this week it was the Shamrocks turn for dramatics; they overcame a 10-point deficit in the…
Town Shellfish Rules Set for an Overhaul
After hearing an appeal from an oysterman who had his license suspended for fishing after hours, West Tisbury selectmen decided this week that an overhaul of town shellfish regulations is in order.
Devin Greene’s appeal of a three-day suspension came before selectmen at their meeting Wednesday afternoon. The suspension was ordered by the…
In Sympathy
In Sympathy
The Oak Bluffs selectmen called for a moment of silence at their meeting Tuesday night for Steve Myrick, whose teenage daughter was murdered at Fitchburg State College last weekend.
Allison Myrick, 19, was a student at the college. The incident, which took place on Saturday in Shirley, was apparently…
New Home Construction Qualifies for Energy Rating
Squash Meadow Construction recently completed an Energy Star Level II qualified home. The home, owned by Peter and Andrea Brennan in Vineyard Haven, underwent rigorous inspections in order to qualify as an Energy Star Level II home.
Charter School Students Win Writing, Art Awards
Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School students brought home numerous Alliance of Young Artists and Writers Awards sponsored by Scholastic.
Iris Grace, Rose Maidoff and Chelsea Phaneuf all received Gold Keys, the highest level of regional achievement for their General Writing Portfolio submissions. The award core criteria are originality, technical skill and the emergence…
Edgartown Liquor License Swap Inches Ahead; Hearing Monday
For the second time in two months this week the Edgartown selectmen approved a liquor license swap between two downtown liquors stores, one seasonal, the other year-round.
The owners of Great Harbor Gourmet and Provisions on Main street and Town Provision Inc. on Mayhew Lane want to trade licenses. Still subject to approval…
Commission Approves 2011 Budget
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday unanimously approved a $1.67 million budget for fiscal year 2011 that will see a decrease in total assessments to the six Island towns, with small increases in Edgartown and Aquinnah.
A slight increase in MVC spending will be offset by an increase in revenue. Slight increases in…
Historic Committee Questions Need for Copeland Plan DCPC
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday heard testimony both for and against a proposal to radically reduce the size of the Copeland Plan district, an architectural district of critical planning concern (DCPC) that includes several historic areas of town, including Ocean Park, the North Bluff and Waban Park.
Members of the Cottage City…
Fair Poster
Fair Poster
Submissions for the 149th Agricultural Fair poster are now being accepted. Send your 18 by 24 inch entry to MVAS, Box 73, West Tisbury MA 02557 by April 15.
Aquinnah’s New Wind Bylaw Will Require Minor Retooling
A divided Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday clashed over whether the technical language in a recently adopted Aquinnah wind bylaw is in synch with a townwide district of critical planning concern (DCPC) approved over 10 years ago.
In the end the commission voted 7-6 that the new bylaw — drafted by the planning…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Hopefully there are more black cat lovers out there because the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has two very special, beautiful all-black cats, both spayed females. Debbie is the younger of the two; she is about eight or nine months old and as sweet as can be. Misty is older…
Gazette Chronicle: For the Love of Gold
For the Love of Gold
From Gazette editions of 1850:
From letters received in town from a member of the “Vineyard Mining Company,” who proceeded to California in the bark Sarah:
Corrections
Corrections
A story last Friday’s Gazette about the centennial of the grounding of the schooner Mertie B. Crowley misspelled Levi Jackson’s first name.
•
An interview in last Friday’s Gazette with the Rev. Vincent G. (Chip) Seadale, the new rector at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, reported incorrectly on where his wife…
Kid Critic Dishes on a New You!
While other critics flocked to Utah for Sundance screenings, 10-year-old Olivia Knight took a few hours off her Chilmark School homework and play to give you the lowdown on the high-quality short film collection playing in her town this weekend courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival.
The festival organizers have teamed up…
Island Grown Dinner
Island Grown Dinner
L’étoile restaurant chef Michael Brisson will work with Jack O’Malley from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School culinary arts program and his students to present dinner on Monday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. The Island Grown Initiative event will be held at the culinary arts dining room at the high…
Island Radio, Holy Ghost Fill Red Stocking Fund With Flavor
With a sold-out venue and nearly 1,600 people set to descend on the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs tomorrow, the Big Chili Contest 2010 is bigger than ever. And the event sponsored by Vineyard radio station WMVY is sure to produce more smiles than ever for all parties concerned, from the chili chompers to…
Kids’ Improv Classes
Kids’ Improv Classes
A new session of after-school improv classes for all ages with IMP theatre company will begin Feb. 5. Classes take place at the Edgartown School and are open to students from across the Island.
Tennis, Anyone? Seal Pup Visits Yacht Club
A wayward juvenile gray seal made its way into Edgartown last Friday, spotted in a number of places on or near Fuller street. At one point the seal was in front of the Edgartown Yacht Club tennis courts off Pease’s Point Way. Traffic was diverted by volunteers. With assistance, the seal made its way back…
High School Dramatists Perform Urban Musical
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Drama Department will present Rent: School Edition, Feb. 11 to 13, at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center.
Show times are Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., with two shows on Saturday, 1 and 7 p.m.
Tickets are $7 for students and seniors and $10…
Yoga Barn Hosts Benefit Class for Haitian Relief
There will be a yoga class for Haiti this Friday evening at the Yoga Barn, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. All levels are welcome and wanted in the class led by Mollie Doyle.
Class is free, but every dollar donated, up to $1,500 will be matched by the Yoga Barn for the people…
Great Horned Owls History
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary invites the public to join them at Felix Neck for a Full Moon Walk between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 and then gather inside to meet the wildlife photographers who contributed to the 2010 Felix Neck Wildlife Calendar.
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
I have had it with the produce aisle at the local market. Now granted, the food is arranged in a pleasing fashion and there is certainly a large variety of choices. I can’t stand the fact that it is all shipped here from across the country or around the world.…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Jan. 22 39 25 .00
Jan. 23 39 31 .00
Jan. 24 38 20 .00
Jan. 25 46 26 .00
Jan. 26 54 36 .63
Jan. 27 45 26 .00
Jan. 28 41 23 .00
…
What Lurks Beneath Teeth
The tooth fairy is really in for a surprise. I hope that she knows what she is getting into. It might be more than she bargained for.
No matter how good your dental hygiene is, you may be harboring fugitives.
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
We have not had a tough January like last year; the average daily temperature has been about normal when you factor in the near spring-like temperature, though we did have stormy weather on Monday, when wind gusts topped 60 mph. The line at the…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark has enjoyed a few days of the annual and always most welcome January thaw, just slight but ever so pleasant … days of bright sun and some warmth. However, the winter temperatures are coming back this weekend.
Chilmark has many connections…
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
Aquinnah Public Library will sponsor games on Thursday evenings through March. Gather around the round table and enjoy a game of Scrabble, Monopoly or other board games on a cold night, with a warm lively discussion with family and friends. Refreshments will be served…
Moon and Mars
Tonight the gibbous moon appears next to the red planet Mars. The two rise together in the east, as the sun sets in the west. Mars is brilliant, brighter than at any time in the past two years. The moon and Mars are in the zodiacal constellation Cancer, a sign we associate with spring.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
This column is being sent from Heaven. No, I haven’t died although, as the Island’s ghost hunter, if anybody is going to file a story from the Other Side, I guess I’m the woman for the job. In fact, let me make this promise to…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
I heard the expression “Welcome to New England” after almost every forecast this week because it was beautiful today, and tomorrow will snow, then freezing cold. I know we complain about it a lot, but we always find ourselves back here in New England.
…
