BETTYE FOSTER BAKER
508-696-9983
We all gave a collective sigh of relief as the rains ceased and the weather mildly cooperated for the 18th Harbor fest and Summer Solstice last weekend — our town’s traditional hail to summer. Great food, entertainment, excellent buys from vendors set up along the harbor, boardwalk and on Circuit avenue proved to be just the right combination of activities for another fun-filled and exciting day and evening where there was something to entice every member of the family. Customers who were fortunate enough to venture into Mary’s Linen Store were treated to a sheet cake, wonderful homemade Italian cookies and lemonade. Only in our old-fashioned town could you find someone baking Italian cookies in June.
Speaking of old-fashioned, nostalgia was in full swing on New York avenue at the Wesley Hotel, across from the harbor and we can thank the Boston Area Roadsters’ Auto Club for rekindling those car memories of the past, a time when we knew the name of every car on the road and the precise model we wanted to own. Roadsters and other hotel guests sat proudly on the hotel’s porch and lawn admiring and comparing cars, parked in front of the hotel and all the way down the avenue on both sides. Hardly a few inches could be found between the chrome bumpers on those vintage cars, some so highly polished that you could see your reflection in the fenders. The club perhaps unknowingly gave us a welcome blast from the past to a time when a car really meant something and celebrated its own importance. All those “car moments” from the “fabulous fifties” came to mind. Remember the drive-in theatre, known in those days as the “passion pit?” In Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana there were Frisch’s Big Boys drive-in restaurants, where servers delivered sizzling double-decker cheeseburgers, luscious milkshakes, and hot, golden French fries with a smile. Some servers in other drive-in restaurants delivered food wearing roller skates! Then there was the infamous “lover’s lane” where couples parked in the dark that were off limits to “nice girls.” Remember?
Those cars were everywhere on the Island conjuring up memories. In their heyday they were surely the envy of the world. Today they induce mixed feelings – nostalgia for the past and maybe a little remorse from those who at one time owned one of those “sweethearts” and sold it. No recriminations — right? Folks weren’t thinking about what their cars might be worth in the future. That was a luxury few could afford.
The Thunderbird got my attention when it was introduced in 1955. I was standing on the porch and the memory is still stuck in my head. It was a solid, aqua-blue two-seater, coupe-convertible cruising down the Parkway past my house. Those rear port hole windows were the sharpest thing I’d ever seen. When I met my future husband, he owned a 1957, four-door, black Chevrolet with red interior. At the time in my naivete it didn’t seem equal to my family’s ’98 Oldsmobile. Much later I came to appreciate one of the hottest cars on the vintage market today. And to think we sold it for $75 in Izmir, Turkey! Those roadsters didn’t make me feel any better about that decision, though we can all thank them again for keeping our historical memories alive. General Motors would probably say yes to that.
Fly, the play now on at the Vineyard Playhouse, offers a special opportunity to see an innovative account of the Tuskegee airmen, the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military, known as the 97th Pursuit Squadron, part of the U.S. Army, the Army Air Corps. Their World War II exploits are legendary. Without hesitation they became America’s first black pilots in the U.S. armed forces at a time when the nation expressed little confidence that they possessed the intelligence, physical endurance, or ability to fly. Many were college graduates in engineering, medicine, others undergraduates.
These men first became cadets, then officers or enlisted men in the Army Air Corps. Each passed required tests, just as their white counterparts did, and served with distinction. Under the most hostile circumstances of segregation, they demonstrated competence, courage and valor in battle as they escorted bombers in Europe. They did not lose one pilot or one bomber during the war. Their performance in World War II was unmatched. There are those on the Island today who are related to or have known some Tuskegee Airmen personally, though few are still living. The late Dr. Charles Hunter, a physician and long-time summer resident was a Tuskegee airman. I recall on several occasions conversations on my front porch about his unit. Crawford B. Dowdell, who passed recently, was well known on the Island and in Oak Bluffs. He always wore his Tuskegee Airman’s cap, a symbol of pride for those American heroes. Now retired to the Island, Tuskegee Airman James McLaurin attended opening night and declared himself moved.
It is impossible to talk about the Tuskegee Airmen and not mention first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a champion of civil rights and great supporter of Tuskegee Institute where the program for training the all-black flying unit took place. After flying with the program director, Charles Alfred Anderson, the nation’s first African American to earn a pilot’s license, Eleanor Roosevelt was convinced blacks could fly airplanes. Through her urging and influence President Franklin D. Roosevelt utilized the 99th Squadron in combat missions. She is one of my heroines. Today, I treasure her autograph signed on my program, April 27, 1954, when The American Baptist brought her to Louisville, Ky., and our Central High School chorus sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Congratulations to Zita Cousens, owner of Cousen Rose Gallery. Zita celebrates the gallery’s 30th year in Oak Bluffs this summer. Zita is truly a gift to the Island in every sense of the word. Her gallery has nurtured both seasoned and emerging artists and writers in an eclectic mix of artistic mediums, textiles, jewelry and literature. She has hosted book signings for many established as well as new authors, and receptions for several organizations, including the Cottagers, Inc. Her commitment to children’s art is well established through her children’s art classes. Zita Cousens will offer many exciting exhibits this summer as well as book signings. Stephen Carter, law professor at Yale, and author of The Emperor of Ocean Park will sign his latest book, Jericho’s Fall, his fourth novel, at the gallery. When you’re in the area, stop by and let Zita know how much she is appreciated. Her commitment to art and excellence on the Island clearly makes her one of the Oak Bluffs jewels as well as in the larger art community.
Interesting and creative people are never in short supply on Island. That includes Natalie Dickerson, a woman who has terrific entrepreneurial instincts combined with a sense of civic awareness. She has been vacationing on the Island for 60 years and is now a year-round resident. Natalie grew up in a home where civic mindedness was as important as saying your prayers at night. She is past president of the Island NAACP. Her mother, Ellen Dickerson, had many leadership roles in the Urban League and the Girl Friends Inc. Her father, Nat Dickerson, was a member of the Mariners, the first integrated group on national television. His group became regulars on the prime time variety show, Arthur Godfrey. After Dickerson’s retirement, he continued to sing for local organizations to help with their fund-raising efforts.
Natalie wears many hats, but her latest venture on Restaurant Week is consulting with the Oyster Bar and Grill to create the best Southern Sunday Brunch on the island, along with the owners and Chef Barry Richardson to fulfill this goal. Interesting dishes being offered are cornbread cobbler, eggs Benedict traditional and southern style, grits, pulled pork, roast turkey, and other traditional mouth-watering dishes punctuated by a mint julep aperitif.
The featured Sunday southern brunch will be on June 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (The cost is $17.99; children are half price).
Call Natalie for additional information at 508-693-6600.
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