BETTYE FOSTER BAKER

508-696-9983

(bdrbaker@comcast.net)

“Summer for thee, grant I may be/When Summer days are flown!/Thy music still, when Whipporwill/And Oriole — are done!” Emily Dickinson captures that instant when we realize summer is gone, yet we still want to hold on to the majesty of its moments.

What a summer this has been! We will take many memories with us. The first African American President in U.S. history came to our Island; some of us actually saw him. For many, this summer was as noteworthy as the summer of 1967, when over 100,000 youth converged on Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, forging a cultural and political rebellion in what became known as the summer of love. It was as surprising as the summer of 1969, when Woodstock, the legendary three-day nonstop music festival attracted 500,000 young people to a dairy farm in Bethel, N.Y. Both summers, 1967 and 1969, forged monumental changes — one as a rebellion against existing cultural and sexual mores, the other a monumental shift in musical taste.

The summer of 2009 also ushered in a revolution — a political one, though it may be too early to characterize. For some, it was the summer of vitriol, a political revolution mounted against the first black President, who was caught in the eye of the storm, but chose to hang out here in the wildness of lavender and butterfly weed, swooping gulls and lapping sea to seek sanctuary and relief. For days Islanders chased every hot tip to his location to no avail. Only the lucky ones in the right place at the right time got a chance to see him and we’re still waiting to see Michelle and the girls (maybe next year). That family poster created by DaRosa’s, affixed to store windows and refrigerators in our town, and scenes in the media, were our only assurance that the First Family was here someplace, and knowing that was perhaps sufficient.

I continue to wonder if those more than 300 activities posted in weekly newspapers were real or make-believe. Only here could one find so many things to do in one day. There was something for everyone, including quiet time at the beach, on the porch or under a tree to read a good book, a past-time that never gets old. There were many books to purchase at book signings, lectures and at the finally rebuilt Bunch of Grapes bookstore. Our world class Oak Bluffs Public Library presented outstanding summer programs for children and adults. Then there was Derrick Z. Jackson, op-ed columnist from the Boston Globe, who brought his photos to Cousen Rose Gallery, permitting us to relive the excitement of the presidential campaign trail. In spite of a cloudy sky, the annual fireworks exploded the wonder of the Island, and Illumination Night in the Camp Ground kept us grounded in the faith and awe of tradition.

Speaking of tradition, the 148th annual Agricultural Fair was a no-miss event — the skillet toss, rides, games and food again were sensational, not to mention Julian Robinson’s photographs in the society’s celebratory calendar. Then there was award-winning sculptor Ed Hamilton standing in the center of the Amistad schooner vessel as we sailed Nantucket and Vineyard Sound, telling the story of how he created the Amistad sculpture, now standing in front of City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn.

To witness the Polar Bears having their Monday potlucks, the Cottagers mounting those four fundraisers, continuing their commitment to charitable giving on the Island after more than 50 years, was notable. To know that Kenny DeBettencourt endured one more year to plant and harvest his beautiful flowers to grace our tables was wonderful. To watch the happy faces of children reach for the brass ring at the carousel as their grandparents and parents had done so many decades before them, attests to the wonder of this special place. There was so much to tell, so much to hold close, so much to remember.

Following the President’s health care speech last week, I happened upon an interesting program on Martha’s Vineyard Television, a gold mine of good programming. It was a cooking show. Two of the cooks are servers at Linda Jean’s restaurant in Oak Bluffs whom I recognized. They were cooking Bulgarian dishes and appeared quite professional as did their host, Pete Tucker, who allowed them to cook with little direction, intervening only when there was a question. The next day I spoke with one of the women in the show at Linda Jean’s and she arranged for Pete to call. The show alone was fun to watch, but what he is doing with his cooking show and books is remarkable. When Peter Tucker e-mailed me, I realized he was no ordinary cooking host; the man is a dynamo!

“Where do I start?” he asked. “It was about a year ago that this all started; when I turned 50 years old. My wife Tania asked when I was going to finish my children’s book. That was the impetus that ‘woke me up,’ so I sat down and finished the book, Pumpkin Bunch.” Pumpkin Bunch is a story about a girl who saves her daddy’s pumpkin farm. Completion of this project led to his writing a cookbook, Cooking with Papa Tuck. He said the reason he decided to write the cookbook was because his brother, for the past 17 years, has called two weeks before Christmas to ask for his lasagna recipe. “It is a family favorite Christmas Day,” Pete said and “They love it.” So he wrote the cookbook for his brother; it contains six generations of family recipes.

With all of this newfound enthusiasm and good fortune, Pete decided, why not do a cooking show? Several Martha’s Vineyard Television training sessions later, Pete produced his own show, Cooking with Papa Tuck. Guests cook in his kitchen and he also travels to the homes of guests to cook with them. His goal is two-fold: to teach cooking and to use a portion of the proceeds from his book sales to support food pantries across the USA. He has started a cooking revolution on the Internet to support food pantries. According to Pete, they have approximately 18 episodes running on television now in 32 states with just under 11 million viewers. Pete is planning to do 42 more shows for next season. “We have a ball,” he said.

The show I saw featured a student from Bulgaria, Desi Petrova, who works at Linda Jean’s, as a host. She is visiting Martha’s Vineyard and Pete invited her to cook with him as a guest. Amy Heflin, who also works at Linda Jean’s, just happened to stop by while Pete and Desi were filming and he invited her to join in. They cooked a three-course Bulgarian meal including Chicken Kavarna, which Pete is posting on his Website, papabooks.net 

  Dr. Valdemar Rollins, brother of noted jazz musician Sonny Rollins and longtime Island resident, has written a new song, Ode to Martha’s Vineyard. I can recall riding with Val and his wife, pianist Doris Rollins, in their car several years ago to a Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society concert and we sang the lyrics he had just written. The song has a lovely tune with original melody and lyrics: “Everyone wants to come to Martha’s Vineyard/Everyone likes to take the ferry ride/Why do they come to Martha’s Vineyard/ The beaches; the carousel is fun to ride/Everyone wants to come to Martha’s Vineyard/Why do they like to bring their children here/ Ice cream is . . .”

I visited my friend Lois Remmer last week who is recuperating at Windemere. An avid writer, editor, mentor, friend and confidant, I wish her continued strength and peace. Mycki Webb is out of the hospital and recuperatingat home. I wish her too a speedy recovery.

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m., Matt Bose invites all to come to Oak Bluffs library for a book discussion. Copies of the book, Five Quarters of the Orange, by Joanne Harris, are available to borrow from the library. Please read the book and join the discussion.

As I close out another summer with you, I cherish that rare moment in time, fleeting as it was. One can hardly ask for more than the gifts of this Island and those whom I have been privileged to meet, to know and to write about. I thank you and look forward to 2010.