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 20, 2012
Victoria Trumbull Visits the Library
Mystery writer Cynthia Riggs and photographer Lynn Christoffers have teamed up to create a guidebook of Martha’s Vineyard from the viewpoint of Victoria Trumbull, Ms. Riggs’ 92-year-old, fictional super sleuth.
The duo will celebrate and discuss their new book at the West Tisbury Library on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 4:30 p.m.
News Update: Wednesday, Jan. 25 – Sultans of Swing Singer Heads to American Idol
Admit it, you’re an American Idol fanatic. Well, even if you’re not, have never heard of the show perhaps, there is reason for Vineyarders to tune in to the current season.
Last week, at the Pittsburgh auditions for the show, Erika Van Pelt scored a yellow ticket to Hollywood with her rendition of…
News Update: Wednesday, Jan. 25 – Vandals Target Vineyard Haven Scalloping Boats
The Vineyard Haven waterfront is on edge after a string of incidents that have seen commercial scalloping boats and equipment deliberately disabled.
Fire Chief John Schilling brought the matter to the attention of the board of selectmen on Tuesday.
West Tisbury Poet Laureate Nominations Nearing End
Just one week left for West Tisbury poet laureate nominations. On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the ballot box closes and then the waiting begins. Final appointment is made in April.
Nominations forms are available at the West Tisbury Library. All forms require the nominator’s name and contact information along with the nominee’s name and…
Schedule Change for Serving Hands
The Serving Hands Food Distribution originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Jan. 25 has been moved to Friday, Jan. 27. Food pickup will be at the First Baptist Church Parish House in Vineyard Haven, its usual location, from 2 to 4 p.m.
News Update: Monday, Jan. 23 – Edgartown Attorney Offers To Resign Amid Controversy
Edward W. (Peter) Vincent Jr. of Edgartown has offered to resign from the practice of law, according to an affidavit he has filed with the board that recommends lawyer discipline in Massachusetts.
The resignation request was filed Friday with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers and if accepted would mean Mr. Vincent would…
News Update: Monday, Jan. 23 – Too Costly and Unlikely to Yield Results, Roundabout Lawsuit is Dropped
The towns of Edgartown and West Tisbury voted Monday afternoon to suspend the lawsuit against the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s approval of the roundabout.
Following an executive session conference call with attorney Richard Renehan, special counsel for both towns, West Tisbury and Edgartown voted to stop the lawsuit, because, selectmen said, the agency responsible…
First Snowfall of the Year by the Numbers
The first snowfall of the season sped over the Vineyard last Saturday. The National Weather Service cooperative station in Edgartown recorded close to 8 inches of snow. Melted precipitation was .45 inches.
The origins of the storm came from the west, but its center storm passed to the south of the Vineyard. Martha’s…
New ACE MV Session Underway
It’s not too late to register for Adult and Community Education of Martha’s Vineyard’s winter/spring session, now underway. Sign-ups are available the day of the class for a $10 late fee.
For course information and schedules, or more information on how to register, visit acemv.org, email Lynn Ditchfield at lynn@acemv.org or call 508-693-1033,…
News Update: Monday, Jan. 23 – Aquinnah Woman Dead After Weekend Snowstorm
The Aquinnah woman who left home during a snowstorm Saturday night to check on a property she caretakes for and never returned likely died on her way back home, state police Sgt. Tom Medeiros said Monday morning.
Authorities believe the victim, Amanda Hutchinson, stopped to do some sewing at a detached garage apartment…
Israel Talk at the Vineyard Haven Library
In 2010, Rabbi Caryn B. Broitman spent a five-month sabbatical living in Israel with her family. On Sunday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. she shares her experiences during a talk at the Vineyard Haven Public Library.
Rabbi Broitman has served the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center since 2003. She is a graduate of Harvard…
Snow Blankets Island, Up to 9 Inches Possible
Martha’s Vineyard may receive up to 9 inches of snow before nightfall, the National Weather Service reports. Snowfall is likely to continue through 9 p.m., with accumulation decreasing after 6 p.m.
Several Island businesses are closed due to the weather, including State Road restaurant and Vineyard Haven Library.
Mill Pond Talk Rescheduled
A presentation about the future of Mill Pond, scheduled to take place at the West Tisbury Library on Saturday, Jan. 21, has been postponed to Jan. 28 due to illness. The time of the talk remains the same: 3:30 p.m.
President of the Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition Michael Hopper will visit the…
Memorial Service for Buddy Sylvia
A memorial service for Adelbert (Buddy) L. Sylvia of Edgartown will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven, officiated by the Rev. Ellen Tatreau. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery. The above information has been updated from the notice that appeared in the print…
News Update: Friday, Jan. 20 – Edgartown Books Will Close
Bookstore owner David LeBreton confirmed Friday that he and his wife Ann will close the Main street Edgartown store this winter after 10 years in business.
“We want to move away from the bookselling business. It’s been a wonderful experience, and this just seemed like the right time,” Mr. LeBreton told the Gazette…
Mill Pond Talk Rescheduled
A presentation about the future of Mill Pond, scheduled to take place at the West Tisbury Library on Saturday, Jan. 21, has been postponed to Jan. 28 due to illness. The time of the talk remains the same: 3:30 p.m.
President of the Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition Michael Hopper will visit the…
News Update: Friday, Jan. 20 – Occupy Protestors Gather at Courthouse
Members of the Occupy Martha’s Vineyard movement gathered outside the Edgartown District Courthouse Friday, protesting the anniversary of the controversial Citizens United Supreme Court decision.
News Update: Friday, Jan. 20 – West Tisbury Will Vote on Roundabout Issue at Town Election
West Tisbury voters will get their chance to weigh in on the Oak Bluffs roundabout this spring. On Wednesday the board of selectmen voted to place a non-binding resolution about the issue on the town’s April election ballot.
“Should a roundabout be built at the blinker intersection?” the referendum asks.
Sculptures á la Dr. Seuss at Featherstone
The kids at the Garden Gate Child Development Center, ages two to five, are having an art exhibit at Featherstone Center for the Arts. The reception is today, Jan. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Okay, perhaps a bit late for the little tykes but the rules are off when it comes to…
South Water Street Building Approved for Demolition
The Edgartown historic district commission Tuesday approved the demolition of a South Water street building, making way for plans for a new mixed-use building on the site.
By SARA BROWN
The Edgartown historic district commission Tuesday approved the demolition of a South Water street building, making way for plans for a new…
Hunting Season Bags Record Deer Tally
It was a record year for hunting deer on the Vineyard. A preliminary total of 855 deer were harvested this past year by hunters from October through December, which is considerably larger than the 570 that were harvested last year in the county and the highest total in at least several years.
Breach Narrows At Norton Point, May Close This Year
The Norton Point Beach breach may close as early as this year, an event that would bring to an end a dramatic, five-year phenomenon that has eaten away large chunks of the southeastern corner of Chappaquiddick, according to a top regional expert in coastal erosion.
From Ragamuffin to Power Broker, Bob Carroll Is Still Carrying on at the Top
The Harbor View Hotel closes down during the last two weeks of the year. But notice the lights blazing in the penthouse apartment. This is the home of Bob Carroll and has been ever since he sold the hotel in 1986. It was part of the contract that Mr. Carroll could build this penthouse and…
Girls’ Hockey Is Sam Sherman’s Legacy
In 1996, there was one high school girls’ hockey program on the Cape and Islands. It started as a club team, composed of former figure skaters, enthusiastic pond skaters, and several field hockey players learning to translate their skills to ice.
Shot or Frozen, Ring-Necked Pheasants Find Island a Tough Go
Meet the Island’s most reluctant tourist, the ring-necked pheasant. Plucked from a bucolic life on a MassWildlife-sanctioned game farm in New England, in the fall they’re packed in cardboard boxes and given a one-way ferry ticket to the Vineyard. After a brief respite at one of the Island’s most picturesque properties half will be shot,…
To Dredge or Not to Dredge? West Tisbury Mulls Options for Scenic Mill Pond
Mill Pond, the placid 17th century swan-dotted pond that graces the entrance to the village of West Tisbury, is the scene of a quietly growing conundrum in this rural town. Amid fears that the manmade pond — which averages a depth of a foot and a half — will soon fill in, West Tisbury is…
Oak Bluffs Delivers Tax Bills; News is Mixed for Homeowners
Tax bills are out in Oak Bluffs, the only town on the Island that has set its tax rate yet this year, and the result is a mixed bag. Some property owners report seeing only a slight change in their tax bill from last year, while others are experiencing mild sticker shock as they see…
Island Rallies Round the Occupy Movement
On Jan. 15 more than 90 people gathered at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center for an afternoon of videos, music and discussions about the Occupy Wall Street movement. As participants gathered, pictures of “occupiers” from all over the world as well as many taken right here on the Vineyard, were shown on the large screen…
New Musical Hotspot Harkens Back to Old-Time Hootenannys
By TODD FOLLANSBEE
Phone Scams Often Target the Elderly
He was calling from the police station and he was crying. We had a bad connection, but it sounded as if he were in some awful trouble up in Canada. He didn’t want me to tell his parents, just wire the bail money right away so he could get out of those handcuffs. I don’t…
Poem: Ode to a Politician
I love to work a crowd from top to bottom
and as wide as they make em
as long as you’ve got ’em.
I love to work a crowd
that I can swim across—hand
over hand —
an ocean of hands . . .…
Old Wounds
From Gazette editions of January, 1937:
News dispatches say that Hitler ordered all the German people to eat more fish. The implication is that Germans do not want to eat fish, but
Hail to the Chief
He was a man of few words, but when he was honored with a surprise party in 1991 after half a century in the Oak Bluffs fire department, more than thirty of them as fire chief, Nelson Amaral told the gathering of some two hundred well-wishers at Anthony’s Restaurant: “You sure know how to get…
On the Right Scale
As a winter-long discussion begins in Chilmark about the impacts from overly large houses on the landscape and character of the town, it is ironic to see the Coast Guard refusing to budge much on its plan to build an overly large replacement to the historic boathouse that burned in the July 2010 Menemsha fire.
Israel Sabbatical Talk
Israel Sabbatical Talk
In 2010, Rabbi Caryn B. Broitman spent a five-month sabbatical living in Israel with her family. On Sunday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. she shares her experiences during a talk at the Vineyard Haven Public Library.
Rabbi Broitman has served the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center since 2003. She…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Dean’s List
Dean’s List
Zachary Waller of Edgartown, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 semester. He is the son of Steven and Pat Waller of Edgartown.
Youth Hockey
Youth Hockey
The Ryan Mone Memorial Tournament, hosted by Martha’s Vineyard Youth Hockey, will be played at the MV Arena this weekend. Games begin this evening at 5 p.m. and continue Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m..
Last Saturday, the MV Peewees played Hetland to a 2-2…
Winter Sports Wrap, Teams Start Strong
The boys’ basketball and hockey teams extended their win streaks this week as league play continued for the Vineyarders. Though the girls’ teams split their games, all of the varsity squads hold winning records at the season midpoint.
Tail Whispering on a Winter Night, Business Savvy Mermaids Gather
Island artist Margot Datz and mermaids go hand-in-hand, or fin-in-fin, as it were.
Island artist Margot Datz and mermaids go hand-in-hand, or fin-in-fin, as it were.
Speaking before a gathering of 25 Vineyard women, most of them business owners or managers, at the Old Whaling Church on Tuesday night, the author…
Barn House Added to Historic Register
The historic 17th century Barn House in Chilmark, home to an avant-garde communal colony of Vineyard artists, writers and intellectuals, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the Massachusetts Historical Commission has announced. The compound is the first location in Chilmark to be named to the national historic register, and joins other…
Two Pilots Lost in Plane Crash Remembered for Good Deeds
A training flight that departed from the Vineyard ended in tragedy Sunday when the single-engine plane crashed into the icy waters of Cape Cod Bay, killing flight instructor Oulton Hues of Norwood and Edgartown and his student, Robert Walker of East Falmouth.
Island Students Hold Anti-Bullying Workshop
As Dukes County ambassadors to Gov. Deval Patrick’s statewide youth council, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School seniors Delmont Araujo and Emma Hallbilsback have had an inside look at politics and public service in the year since they were sworn in at the state house. Now, like seasoned politicians, they are sharing their anti-bullying platform with…
Tri-Town Agreement Sees Board Changes
A new Tri-Town Ambulance service agreement is now in effect, after Aquinnah selectmen signed off on the agreement this week.
The revised agreement is similar to the original one created in 1976 when the ambulance service was formed to serve the three up-Island towns of Aquinnah, West Tisbury and Chilmark.
Time to Take Out the Trash, Says West Tisbury
By PETER BRANNEN
Unsightly trash along the West Tisbury-Edgartown Road has become a problem and West Tisbury police chief Dan Rossi intends to stop it.
“I have to go down that road to go home and it’s irritating,” he said at Wednesday’s meeting of the West Tisbury selectmen.
The…
Increase in Fuel Assistance Aims to Help Senior Citizens
People receiving fuel assistance will get an additional $350 in federal funds this winter, according to the South Shore Community Action Council (SSAC), which administers the funds out of Plymouth.
So far this winter, recipients — many of them elderly — have been getting anywhere from $725 to $1,025 for the heating season.…
Town Administrator Candidates Pitch Their Finance Strategies
As the Oak Bluffs selectmen grilled candidates for permanent town administrator Tuesday, one of the three hopefuls was not quite as apprehensive as the other two.
“Maybe I’m mellowing out in my old age,” said Robert Whritenour, “I seem to be leaving my stress behind on the boat.”
Mr. Whritenour has served…
Jim Dandy to the Rescue
There has been a collection of 1960s songs going through my head, so when Wendy Weldon called to say she and James Langlois had found a stranded bird, could I come and tell them what it was and what to do with it, my mind snapped and starting playing Jim Dandy to the Rescue.
Before the Freeze
Last weekend’s cold snap finally brought home the reality that winter is really here. I turned into such a sissy, and did some serious whining about the cold. Honestly, how quickly we forget. It has been nothing short of fabulous for the month of December. My quince is blooming as well as both my pink…
Asteroid Amour
Love is in the air — way up in the air.
Beyond the atmosphere, and somewhere between the Earth and Mars, Eros circles the sun. 433 Eros is an asteroid named for the Greek god of love.
The genesis of Eros the god is disputed. Some believe that he was the…
Shellfish Recovery Lecture Features Maryland Specialist
The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group is hosting a community workshop to explore the ideas and challenges of shell recycling on the Vineyard. The event takes place on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wakeman Center on Lambert’s Cove Road in Vineyard Haven.
As part of the discussion, Jessica…
Bee Prepared, Bee Cause Your Bees Need Beefing Up
Do you know what’s happening with your hive, what with the queen up to her stinger in drones, just droning about, when they should be doing something about colony collapse disorder (CCD).
Well, this Sunday, Jan. 22, from noon to 3 p.m. there is no longer any excuse for ignorance where your bees…
Sock Hop on Saturday
Sock Hop on Saturday
The Chilmark PTO is holding a 50s-night fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 7 to 11 p.m. In addition to music and dancing, the evening will feature a silent auction, desserts and beverages. Auction items include a Grey Barn certificate, massages, sailing lessons, tennis lessons, Morning Glory Farm hayride,…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark appears to be enjoying these short days of midwinterwithout much winter. We have had some cold days but most have been sunny and without ice. The great blue heron still visits the Menemsha marsh; a flock of robins was feeding on juniper berries…
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
Well, it is clearly evident that the winter blahs have set in. Last weekend’s weather was the coldest so far this winter, but with an absence of snow. By this time in years past the town had exhausted its entire snow removal budget, so…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Jan. 13 52 40 .73
Jan. 14 55 32 Trace
Jan. 15 36 14 .00
Jan. 16 21 13 .00
Jan. 17 44 20 .23
Jan. 18 53 42 .20
…
Garden Gate Art Show
Garden Gate Art Show
The kids at the Garden Gate Child Development Center, ages two to five, are having an art exhibit at Featherstone Center for the Arts. The reception is today, Jan. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Okay, perhaps a bit late for the little tykes but the rules…
Alice Arrives
Alice Arrives
Megan Diane Avery-Zellner and Nathan Zellner of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Alice Caroline Avery-Zellner, born on Nov. 14, 2011, in Austin, Tex. Alice weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces at birth and measured 17.5 inches.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
I don’t know, quite frankly, why summer people don’t genuinely value us year-rounders more. How would they like it if no one remained, and if they returned to the Island every May or June, only to find aged oaks fallen like dead Brobdingnagians across the…
Moon and Venus
In the coming week, the moon will appear beside the brightest planet. Venus is high in the southwest in the early evening. There is no mistaking this lovely bright planet against a backdrop of the colors of twilight.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
Well, I saw about six snowflakes the other day so it must be winter. Though the weather has been cold lately — even downright freezing — we have been lucky to have so much warm weather this year, and they say it is coming back.
Juno Boat Subject of Fireside Dinner
Juno Boat Subject of Fireside Dinner
Imagine, if you will, a tasty repast, by fireside with the waters of Vineyard Haven harbor just a few yards aft from the window. And while you tuck into your victuals, pictures of boats and black dogs spotting the walls, a bearded man with glasses and an…
Aboveground Records Rocks the Underground
During its 16-year history, Aboveground Records has been a haven for finding all manner of music, new and old, popular and obscure. The store has also been one of the best places on the Island to hear live music.
“The concept around [our concerts] was to bring the bands that didn’t have a…
