MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
The warm and sunny days at the beginning of this past week are payback for our long cold spring. This time of year we can thank the ocean for keeping us consistently warmer than a lot of New England. When I went down to the beach at Quammox on Monday morning, it seemed almost warm enough to go swimming. It was a perfect beach day, for November. The air was still, and the loud crash of the waves in the shallows between the two ends of Norton Point carried across Katama Bay, sounding as if the waves were breaking at my feet.
Norton Point continues to change rapidly. The island off the Edgartown side point, that formed about a month ago as the result of another breach, has disappeared from above the water line. At this low tide, there were two long narrow islands, more like sand bars, on the Katama Bay side of both points. The opening itself looked very shallow, and the second opening on the Chappy side was just a carved-out channel, although not much water was coming through at that time.
Katama Bay was full of flocks of seabirds, basking in the pleasant weather. In the little marsh pond at Quammox, many Canada geese and two white swans were floating serenely. The neck of one of the swans had a five-inch black band at the bottom, and at first I thought it was the swan’s skin without feathers. After a longer look, I figured out that it was some manmade material constricting the swan’s feathers. The swan seemed to be able to bend its neck to eat, so I figured it will survive.
Dale Carter was driving up from the ferry last week and encountered a large white swan sitting in the middle of the road near the beach club. It didn’t seem intimidated by her car approaching and in fact, kept right on sitting there as she and another passerby attempted to let the swan know it wasn’t sitting in the most propitious location. They weren’t keen on inciting the ire of such a fierce bird so they proceeded with caution. Finally, with the help of some gentle stick action, they herded the swan off the road.
Plum Hill School will hold a benefit concert, featuring performances by Chris Velan, Phil daRosa, Matty Ro and Pinto on Saturday at Nectar’s. Doors will open at 7:30; all ages are welcome; $20 minimum donation at the door. There will also be a raffle, which you can win even if you are not there. Call Melissa Kagan if you want to buy tickets. They are $10, or three for $25. First prize is a new Ipod Touch MP3 player, second prize is a new Peek, third prize is $50. (I had to Google what a “Peek” is. It’s one of those gadgets made for people with Lilliputian fingers that lets you check your e-mail wherever you can get cell service.)
The next potluck at the community center will be Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. Judy Buss and Paul Cardello will be the hosts. All are welcome!
Chappy fire captain Peter Wells wants to let people know about a practice burn on Saturday. Edgartown fire trucks, ambulance, rescue vehicle and a tanker truck from West Tisbury will join the two Chappy trucks at a live burn practice inside the former Knight house on Jeffers Lane. Peter says to expect traffic at the ferry when the trucks come over in the morning and about 3 p.m. when they leave in the afternoon. On Sunday, the Chappy and Edgartown firefighters will burn the building to the ground.
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, which owns the property, has been preparing for the burn in recent weeks by removing old linoleum and wallboard containing asbestos. The house was emptied in January but bits and pieces of the structure have been steadily disappearing since then and, if they didn’t burn it soon, there probably wouldn’t be much more than a modest bonfire’s worth left to burn.
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