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
September 11, 2015
Town Hall Meeting About Health Care for Veterans
There will be a town hall meeting on Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. at the American Legion in Vineyard Haven about health care for veterans.
Human Chain Started on Vineyard Puts Spotlight on Refugee Crisis
Bill Shipsey, founder of Art for Amnesty, a program of Amnesty International, organized a human chain around the Edgartown Lighthouse last week in advance of a major human chain project in Italy this weekend.
Season Recap
The Islands have long felt ambivalent about summer visitors, happy for the dollars they bring to a highly seasonal market, less so about the attendant traffic and congestion.
Rods Ready, Albies Biting; 70th Derby Begins on Sunday
By many accounts, the 70th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby is shaping up for a strong start on Sunday morning. Committee member Amy Coffey said Wednesday that all four derby species — false albacore, bonito, bluefish and striped bass — are biting.
Airport Faces Strict New Deadline from FAA on Lagging Rescue Building
The Federal Aviation Administration has given the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission a deadline of Dec. 31 to finish designing an aircraft rescue and firefighting facility that is already years behind schedule.
Lure Fish Derby Pop-Up Gallery
Vineyard artist Abe Pieciak is opening a pop-up gallery for his art business, Lure Fish, at Nevin Square in downtown Edgartown.
Land Bank Revenues: Sept. 4
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $237,505 for the business week ending on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.
Health Fair at Tisbury Senior Center
The Tisbury Council on Aging will be holding its third annual health fair on Monday, Sept. 28 at the Tisbury Senior Center. The fair will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. and is free and open to all ages.
Please Adopt Us
On August 28 our column included a story about multiple dogs in a residence on the Oak Bluffs/Vineyard Haven town line.
Mediation President Elected to National Organization
Martha’s Vineyard Mediation Program president Richard Barbieri has been elected to the board of directors for the Association for Conflict Resolution.
Polly Hill Plant Sale
Polly Hill Arboretum is hosting an end of the season fall plant sale this Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Real Estate Transactions: August 31 to Sept. 6
Lucy Dahl purchased 80 South Water street in Edgartown from Ophelia Dahl TRS, 80 South Water Street Nominee Trust, for $2,900,000 on August 31.
Crescent Moon
A thin crescent moon will be visible low in the southwestern sky after sunset in the coming week. There is a slight chance you’ll see the moon as early as Tuesday night, right after sunset. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Virgo and not far from the bright star Spica. Spica is below the…
Tisbury High School Class of 1959 Gathers for Reunion
A recent, late August gathering at the home of George and Maria Churchill in West Tisbury saw 14 classmates plus seven spouses and friends gather for their 56th high school reunion. Good eats and good stories enlivened the reunion. This was the Tisbury High School Class of 1959.
Women Empowered Honors Women of the Year
Women Empowered will honor four Island women and host a keynote speaker at the 2015 women of the year champagne brunch on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Perfect Cast for a Vineyard State of Mind
I’m back at my desk in Manhattan now, wiggling my left index finger in my ear, hunting and pecking on my keyboard with my right. Overall, very little “work” is going on.
Like Their Students, Teachers Must Constantly Learn
Summer days are over and another school year begins. There’s a spirit of hopefulness.
Plying the Craggy Coastlines of Autumn
Life after Labor Day; it’s the best sailing time in New England. Harbors are emptying, waters are reasonably warm and light northerly winds give us crisp, clear horizons.
A Rooster a Barnyard Could Not Contain
This is a sad day for a lot of people that got to meet the most beautiful Rhode Island Red rooster known. I rescued him four and a half years ago.
Tracing a 14-Year Journey Through Grief
On Sept. 11, 2001, in the early morning hours I could hear the stirring of my fiancée, Bobbi, a flight attendant for American Airlines, standing at the dresser in our bedroom.
Reading, Writing…
School opens. We have with us again the smiling morning faces and the reluctant feet.
Praise for Uber
The following was sent to the Edgartown selectmen. Taking your lead that you feel Uber requires all kinds of regulations to protect our citizens, I hopped into a regular cab.
Job Change
I recently found out that a very special person with the DPW is soon to be leaving for a position working at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Chappy Cell Dilemma
Almost everyone on Chappy would like cell service to be better, though some already have good cell service in their Chappy homes.
MVY Radio to Go
My summer Vineyard vacation is over, but one thing I am taking home with me this year is MVY Radio (or at least the app that lets me listen to it at home).
Alpaca Love
We at Island Alpaca Co. would like to extend our sincere gratitude for the warm and compassionate response we have received regarding the vandalism visited upon our farm last month.
Case of the Missing Bunnies
I live on State Road near the Chilmark town center. All summer my yard has been a haven for bunnies.
One Time
One time we went to the Vineyard/We rented a car and got a late start./When we got to the ferry, it was dark/and storming.
Sounds of Nashville on the Vineyard
When Matt Casey decided to start writing country music, the Boston native found himself in a genre where the ruling scene in Nashville, Tenn. didn’t exactly intersect with New England traditions.
With Parade and Music, Best Fest Delivers
The best time ever is to be had on Saturday, Sept. 12 in Oak Bluffs. That’s when the sixth annual Best Fest extravaganza touches down once again from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Late Summer Hours at Gay Head Gallery
The Gay Head Gallery is staying open through September and will feature new artists.
International Film Festival Continues This Weekend
The movies and parties for the MV International Film Festival continue all weekend long, with a closing night party on Sunday.
Katama Bay Oyster Farms Reopen
Katama Bay oyster farms reopened for business Thursday morning after a two-week closure because of Vibrio illness traced to consumption of raw oysters harvested from the water. The 12 aquaculture farms operating on the bay were back up and running early Thursday.
Film Fundraiser for Noepe
The Noepe Center for Literary Arts in Edgartown is hosting a fundraiser on Sept. 19 with a showing of The End of the Tour at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center.
At the Bridge Table: Sept. 11
Editor’s note: Paul Laliberte is writing this week’s bridge column.
Top-Notch Bike Bell Has Edgartown Ring
Clint Slone and Nick Slone are the founders of Spurcycle, a high-end bicycle accessory company in San Francisco. An Edgartown School and regional high school graduate, Clint began working at Edgartown Bicycles, owned by his stepfather, at the age of seven.
Sun Sets on Holmes Hole Sailing Season
The last three 2015 races of the Holmes Hole Sailing Association were held on Thursday, Sept. 3 and Sunday, Sept. 6.
After Delays, New Edgartown Library on Track to Open Next Year
The new Edgartown Library, scheduled to open in June, will most likely welcome its first patrons sometime next spring because of construction delays and a struggle to stay within the original $11 million budget.
Summer Business Report: Like the Weather, Good
Traffic was up on SSA ferries in July and August and most Island businesses in the tourism sector said spending was up this summer. An improving national economy, lower gas prices and an unbroken stretch of hot, sunny beach days were all factors.
Toothy Tautaug: This Fish Has Chops
The tautaug, a fish native to the western Atlantic Ocean, lives with its teeth both in and out!
Creepy Crawlers and Clematis
There aren’t too many times in my life that I do not have the philosophy “more is better.” I am referring to the number of branches on a forsythia.
Songbirds Head South
Songbirds are on the wing moving south for the season. Their migration will pick up in intensity over the next few weeks, and the sightings will be reported in this column.
Adriana Arrives
Laura and Dan Martino of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Adriana Marie Martino, born on Sept. 8 at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Aquinnah Town Column: Sept. 11
For June Manning there is no replacement. Grandma Purple, as grandson Noah referred to her when he was a wee little boy, is a wealth of information when it comes to genealogy, tribal happenings, the comings and goings of friends and neighbors and, yes, everything else that you could possibly imagine is somehow perfected by…
West Tisbury Town Column: Sept. 11
The weather could not have been better over the Labor Day weekend. School opened on Tuesday, so be aware of students by the side of the road and watch for school buses; do not pass them when they are stopped and the lights are flashing red.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Sept. 11
Lagoon Heights, developed in 1873 with 500 lots for sale between County Road and Pennsylvania avenue, was the home of the Prospect House Hotel which, like most of the rest of Oak Bluffs’ famed tourist accommodations, burned down in 1898. Real estate super salesman Eben Davis Bodfish (“Lots for Little”) no doubt sold a lot…
Edgartown Town Column: Sept. 11
The weather has been bearable. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing to keep it nice to be outside. I know that made a lot of people happy.
Chilmark Town Column: Sept. 11
Chilmark has survived another summer. Things look pretty much as always; the wear shows more on the faces of those who made it a great summer for others than on the roadsides. The word survival seems to be in the local people’s vocabulary this week. It was a wonderful summer and, many residents, visitors and…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Sept. 11
Was that not the fastest summer that ever went by? Are you dragging your feet to slow the circles down? Roving bands of children with backpacks, I can’t believe how early schools open these days. Good luck to all students and student athletes for this new school year.
From the Erie Canal to Menemsha, a Magical Wooden Boat Trip
After a 440-mile journey that began in upstate New York in July, an old wooden boat named Majic has found a new home on the Vineyard. The fully restored 1957 Richardson sedan cruiser came to port at Menemsha Harbor on August 6.
Chilmark Reaffirms Decision Not to Join Federal Flood Program
Chilmark selectmen last week reaffirmed the town’s decision not to join the Federal Flood Insurance Program, which would require adopting state and community floodplain management regulations.
Edgartown Selectmen Approve Brief Closure of Roberts Way
Roberts Way in Edgartown will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Sept. 15, to accommodate construction crews working on the new library. The closure will allow work crews to replace some concrete on the site. The sidewalk along Roberts Way will be closed around the clock from…
Dean’s List at Northeastern University
Jack Heimann of West Tisbury, a physics major, Alice Keenan of Edgartown, a physical therapy major, and Gabriella L. Dasilva of Vineyard Haven, a communication studies major, were named to the spring 2015 dean’s list at Northeastern University.
Dean’s Award at Colgate University
Julia Cooper of Edgartown and Dana Jacobs of Vineyard Haven have earned spring 2015 Dean’s Awards for academic excellence at Colgate University.
Off the Beach, Into the Classroom: Students Head Back to School
Tears were wiped away, encouraging words spoken and Tisbury School kids of all grades joined their counterparts across the Island on the first day of school.
Generous Donor on Hand, Charter School Celebrates Science Wing
A new science center is on the horizon for the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, thanks to a large gift from a longtime Edgartown summer resident. Robert Day will donate a total of $500,000, including $400,000 for the science center.
Rare Find on Offshore Birding Trip Is One for Vineyard Record Books
A small group of veteran Island birders saw and photographed a white-faced storm petrel about 17 miles off the Vineyard over the weekend. The sighting is a record for the Vineyard and cause for great excitement in the birding community.
California Man Arraigned in Edgartown District Court on Rape Charges
Adam M. Smith, a 27-year-old Berkeley, Calif. man visiting Martha’s Vineyard as part of a bachelor party weekend, was arraigned Tuesday in Edgartown district court on three counts of rape, threatening to commit a crime, and intimidating a victim.
Suspect in Alley’s Break-In Turns Himself In
A 21-year-old man turned himself in to police Tuesday after allegedly breaking into Alley’s General Store over the weekend, police said. Police said Geoffrey B. McCullough of Hingham will be charged with breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property and larceny.
Nostalgia, Admiration, and Lots of Wheels at Tisbury Car Show
Classic cars filled the high school parking lot Sunday afternoon for the ninth annual Tisbury Firefighters car show. Despite a change of venue, event organizer Ken Maciel said 95 cars participated in the show, which beat last year’s record of 88.
If It’s Taps, It Must be Edson Rodgers
The professional trumpet player, Edgartown resident and 30-year career U.S. Navy band member (now retired) is a ubiquitous presence at parades, weddings and every military funeral on the Vineyard.
Tisbury Farm Market Changes Ownership; Commercial Kitchen Planned
Daniele Dominick, owner of the Scottish Bakehouse, and farmer Jefferson Munroe, who operates the Good Farm, have announced plans to turn the Tisbury Farm Market into a commercial kitchen.
Land Bank Expands Ice House Pond Property
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank will expand its holdings around Ice House Pond in West Tisbury with the purchase of 22 acres off Lambert’s Cove Road. The seller is FOCUS, a Christian fellowship group with a campus nearby. The land bank paid $2.3 million.
