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
March 4, 2011
Mink Meadows Property Owner Cited for Filling Wetland, Dredging Pond
In what conservation commission leaders are calling the worst violation they have seen in decades, a West Chop homeowner has been cited for dredging a pond and filling a wetland without permission.
The property is owned by Mary Howell of Arlingon, Va., and Vineyard Haven.
University Graduate
University Graduate
Allison Brown of Vineyard Haven received a master’s of science in accounting degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst on Feb. 1. Allison is the daughter of Jeffrey and Karen Brown of Vineyard Haven.
Town Wants More Than One Seat at School Table
On Wednesday West Tisbury selectmen learned that they would have representation during the $1 million-plus project to repair the West Tisbury School in the coming years, but it wasn’t enough for some.
In a letter to the selectmen Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss asked the selectmen to appoint a town representative…
Selectmen Mull Mandatory Trash Pickup at the Cliffs
Citing increased summer rental activity, the Aquinnah board of health decided this week to open the landfill an additional day during the summer season. The selectmen requested the landfill be open on Saturdays to accommodate the weekly turnover day for renters.
Up-Island Cell Service Upgrade Set
A project to improve cell phone coverage in the up-Island towns is moving forward after a meeting between service providers and NStar this week took place to measure poles for the distributive antenna system (DAS).
If all goes as planned, up-Island residents could see improved cell coverage by July 1. Chilmark executive secretary…
Police in Chilmark Probe Solar Panel Heist at Farm
Chilmark police are investigating the theft of 21 solar panels from the Grey Barn on South Road stolen sometime over Presidents Day weekend.
According to the police report, the crate containing the panels weighed over 1,000 pounds. The 270-watt panels are valued at $14,000. Farm owners Eric and Molly Glasgow are currently outfitting…
Hospital to Upgrade Anesthesia Services
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital announced this week that it will soon begin to provide anesthesia services as a collaborative venture with its affiliate Massachusetts General Hospital. Beginning in June, anesthesia coverage for both the surgical and maternity departments at the Island hospital will be provided by the Mass General department of anesthesia, critical care and…
Tri-Town Ambulance Budget Grows to Meet Growing Need
The Tri-town Ambulance Service is requesting a 41 per cent increase for its operating budget next year due to a new state mandate that requires full-time paramedics for the service.
The budget, now pegged at $641,735, up from $453,000 last year, allows for two new full-time positions. It has been trimmed from an…
Footprints in the Sand at Squibnocket, Where Great Dunes Hug Endless Shore
Passing through the second electronic security-armed gate on the way to Squibnocket it begins to dawn on you: This place is important.
Reader Feedback from the Web
What follows is an edited selection of reader comments from the Gazette Web site last week.
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Court Rules No Price Fixing on Gas
Letters to the Editor
PURE JOY
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
Life seldom makes sense, especially when those we love are taken from us in ways that are as terrible as they are inexplicable, and such was Joy Flanders’s untimely passing as the end result of a 15-month battle with melanoma which she waged so bravely.
Enduring Legacy of a True Island Hero
Editor’s Note: The following was sent by e-mail to Vineyard Conservation Society members on Wednesday morning this week.
Seismic Shifts, Trustees Too Silent
Seismic Shifts, Trustees Too Silent
The announcement last week by The Trustees of Reservations of major staffing and organizational changes on the Island operation is unsettling less for what it said than for what it did not say. Ordinarily personnel changes may be taken as matters of ordinary business — a new manager…
Edgartown Drug Arrest
Edgartown Drug Arrest
Edgartown police arrested David Hermann last Friday for possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute prescription pills.
First Time Owner, Longtime Chef Nemo Bolin Makes Big Splash
The other night, six men of a certain age walked into the restaurant Cook and Brown Public House at 959 Hope street in Providence, R.I. They all looked to be in their 50s, an assortment of working professionals, artists and academics. They had gathered for some drinks, a meal and to be together.
At the…
Quiet Island
Quiet Island
The Island in winter is often a calm affair. But during this first week of March it has downshifted to a gear slower than walking, slower even than sitting on a stump and breathing in the landscape. It is as if the Island has been emptied of the last remnant of…
Boys’ Basketball Posts Off-Season Win
Attention fans of the Martha’s Vineyard boys’ varsity basketball team: Watching the team’s state tournament run can cause hypertension, hoarseness of voice and excessive nail-biting; please consult your cardiologist before attending another Vineyarders game.
Vineyard Peace Corps Alumnae Reflect During 50th Anniversary
“I was the kid who always wanted to join the Peace Corps and live in a mud hut. Always.”
Little did Suzan Bellincampi know that at the age of 23, that’s exactly where she’d end up.
“Termites like to eat the straw off thatched roofs, so basically the whole roof of the…
AP Senior Executive is Tapped to Be Next Gazette Publisher
Jane R. Seagrave has been named publisher of the Vineyard Gazette, the newspaper’s owners, Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg, announced today.
Can’t Pay for Heat, Cupboard is Bare
Troubles in the Middle East and a sour national economy are not far from the minds of Vineyarders trying to make it through this cold winter. Home heating oil and propane prices went through the roof this week.
Yesterday the retail price for home heating oil was $4.199 a gallon, up 23 cents…
Chappaquiddick Homeowners Cited for Wetlands Violation
The Edgartown conservation commission has cited a pair of Chappaquiddick homeowners for improving their view of Katama Bay in violation of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and at the expense of the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, who owns the property where trees and other vegetation were cleared.
National Medal of Arts Goes to Mr. Taylor
Although no longer a frequent sight on the Vineyard, James Taylor is still a frequent visitor in the hearts (and ears) of many Islanders. Over the past five decades he has been a staple of popular music winning two Grammy awards and being inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2000.
And…
No More Bullies
No More Bullies
Jennifer Reekie Engaged
Jennifer Reekie Engaged
Alan and Chele Reekie of West Tisbury announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer, to Johnathon Goeckel, the son of Hans Peter Goeckel and Judith Pfeiffer of Katama. Ms. Reekie, who is the granddaughter of the late John and Bonnie Meras of East Chop, is a graduate of the Martha’s…
Late March Tack Sale
Late March Tack Sale
The Martha’s Vineyard Horse Council will host a tack sale on Sunday, March 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury. Tables are $20 for members and $30 for nonmembers. The council will provide the tables, with up to two people per table.…
Dean’s List
Dean’s List
Conor Boland, who was recently enrolled in the honors college at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has been named to the college dean’s list for the fall semester. Conor is the son of Tim Boland and Laura Coit of West Tisbury.
Staying Alive: Cold Water Survival Skills Subject of Lecture
By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL
When a person accidentally falls into frigid water, the first minute after entry is the most critical in the struggle to survive.
Dr. Michael Jacobs, one of the Island’s highly regarded sailing doctors, gave a talk on Tuesday evening about ways to survive after an accidental plunge.…
Gazette Chronicle: Heeding the Call
Heeding the Call
From Gazette editions of March, 1936:
After five weeks’ delay, the schooner Alice Wentworth, Cap’n Zeb Tilton, sailed for Nantucket with two large tanks for the Island Service Co. Ice that blockaded Nantucket and made the passage between the Islands hazardous for sailing craft, was responsible for the…
Olive, Won’t You Please Come Home
She’s the talk of the Island. They’re musing about her in the coffee line at Alley’s and she is the subject of after-class rumblings at the Yoga Barn. Passengers discuss her on the ferry. Your sister heard about her at a bar — in Brooklyn. Lately it is hard to find someone who is not…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
Many scenic towns in America have at least one whacky local who is the self-appointed official greeter. Here in Oak Bluffs we have two: Mulligan, who is so happy to see you, he flaps around as if he’s about to launch himself over the rooftop,…
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA
508-693-3308
(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
I have gotten some wonderful feedback on my list of horrible commercials. How did one escape my attention? Now I see this strongman saying: “First I lift things up, then I put them down.” It is so obnoxious, I think he should marry the Progressive…
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
The Martha’s Vineyard Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists will present a workshop titled Family Search on Sunday, March 6 at 1 p.m. at the Family History Center at Merchant Mart on State Road in Tisbury. Members and guests are welcome to attend…
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT
508 627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
March has arrived but can’t make up its mind whether it’s coming in as a lamb or a lion. Either way, this is the best time of year to go away — the weather is usually a disappointment. Some people might like March because…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
The no-snow claim is still valid for Chilmark. The snows of midweek are gone and we are clear underfoot. A brief trip off-Island this week showed me all the snow I need to see this winter.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
Well, March sort of came in like a lion. The wind has been blowing very hard for the last few days but the sun has been shining which keeps the spirits up.
Welcome Matheus
Welcome Matheus
Joelma and Isaias Lage of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Matheus Oliveira Lage, born on Feb. 24 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Matheus weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces at birth.
Ethan Arrives
Ethan Arrives
Anastasia Carter and Christopher Haley of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Ethan John Haley, born on Feb. 28 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Ethan weighed 9 pounds, 6 ounces at birth, and joins sisters Angelina and Nicole.
Corrections
Corrections
A story about a federal court case over alleged gasoline price fixing on the Vineyard reported inaccurately on the circumstances surrounding a large loan made by wholesaler Drake Oil to gas station owner Fran Paciello. The court decision did not say that Mr. Paciello had been unable to obtain a loan through…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Feb. 25 44 37 .51
Feb. 26 49 26 .83*
Feb. 27 40 31 .13*
Feb. 28 38 28 .00
March 1 50 32 .12
March 2 42 23 .00
March 3 47 16 .00
…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has taken in one new animal this week: a beautiful, young, brown and white guinea pig, a stray who was picked up by the Edgartown animal control officer at the Boneyard (across the street from the Stop and Shop). If you have lost this…
Crescent Moon
A thin crescent moon appears low in the southwestern sky this weekend. The moon will be visible on Sunday night when it appears next to the bright planet Jupiter. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Pisces.
Greenhouse Relief
Greenhouse Relief
Daylight saving is just a week away. Spring arrives in two weeks. Hmm, what to do with all of that additional light available other than simply soaking it up and restoring your levels of Vitamin D?
How about building a solar greenhouse. No excuses, either, about not knowing how.…
Not Just Fiddling Around, Musical Family Keeps Traditional Music Alive
Just after lunchtime on Saturday, Gregg Harcourt and his wife Mary Wolverton will begin poking around the Katharine Cornell Theatre, managing the tangle of wires and soundboards that come with producing a major concert. For well over a decade the duo — both professional woodworkers by day — have been not only managing the A/V…
Lifeguard Class
Lifeguard Class
The YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard is offering a lifeguard certification course beginning March 14.
The course will run over two weeks on Monday through Thursday evenings. Participants must attend all classes in order to receive the certification. Anyone interested must also be experienced swimmers and able to swim 500…
Limerick Challenge
Limerick Challenge
A public library by definition is free. However, on Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m. the West Tisbury Library will be asking those willing to dig deep, not into their wallets but rather into their resources of wordplay.
It is the second annual limerick challenge. The rules are quite…
Irish Alpacas
Irish Alpacas
Skip the beer and go for the yarn.
Island Alpaca is having a St. Patrick’s Day open house on two consecutive weekends: March 12 and 13 and March 19 and 20.
Check out the alpacas on a self-guided walking tour, enjoy some hot cider and shop for…
Unitarian Universalists Host Visiting Orchestral Quintet
Next Sunday, March 13, at 11 a.m. the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard is going vocal with guest preacher, Reverend Bill Clark and special musical guests, the Pleasant Street Quintet.
The quintet is on holiday from the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Mass. They are composed of flautist Mies Boet-Whitaker,…
Winter Walk
Winter Walk
The hint of spring is upon us. Although the cold weather has not completely given up, the light lingers longer these days and there are moments when the cold wind gives way to a breath of warm air while out on an afternoon walk.
But these glimpses of what…
Book Group Assembles
Book Group Assembles
The Edgartown Library’s book group’s next meeting will be on March 29 at 4 p.m. The book under scrutiny will be The Fiddler in the Subway by Gene Weingarten.
Provincetown Writers’ Retreat Heads to Vineyard for Readings
Poet Rebecca Gayle Howell is a reader first and foremost. When she started to read in a serious way at the age of 11, Ms. Howell would sneak away with her older sister’s high school English textbook. That’s how she discovered T.S. Eliot.
“I read the Four Quartets, and for the first time…
Island Theatre Workshop Opens One-Act Play Series
Spring must be on its way; the Island Theatre Workshop’s spring play festival, now in its fifth year, is about to begin.
This year’s festival runs Thursday, March 10 through Sunday, March 13 and then again from Thursday, March 17 through Sunday, March 20. Evening shows begin at 7:30 p.m. with additional Sunday…
Student Art Exhibit at Featherstone Gallery
March Madness is not confined to college basketball. Featherstone Gallery in Oak Bluffs is dedicating its month of madness to the arts. In particular, the art of Island students.
The series kicks off on Sunday, March 6 with a reception for Tova Katzman, a senior at the high school. The reception is from…
Party in the Pews
Party in the Pews
Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, most likely conjures up images of celebrating decadence. From the beads and nearly-bare ladies on the balconies of New Orleans to the even more scantily clad bodies at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival parties, folks seem lit by a fire paralleling religious ecstasy.…
Great Horned Owls
On Thursday, Feb. 17, I led the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation’s winter walk at the Phillips Preserve hoping to hear the great horned owls that nest nearby.
Canning Communities
I have been happily emptying my pantry and freezer of last season’s produce. The pepper and eggplant mixture has been a great addition to the winter’s tomato sauces.
Signed and Sealed
Maybe it is something that we should harp about. We wouldn’t be alone in our complaint.
Come early March, many people are up in arms because winter marks the seal hunting season. Norway, Russia, Canada andGreenland are countries that allow the hunting of gray, hooded and harp seals. There are those few that hunt for…
