HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
Last Friday night, friends of Linda Marinelli, town politico and crusader in the Joan of Arc tradition, gathered at the P.A. Club to wish her bon voyage. Bon voyage used to mean someone was about to climb the gangplank of a posh ocean liner and tour great places of the world, but in Linda’s case she’s moving to Mashpee to live with her daughter. Another of her daughters remains here on the Island so it’s safe to assume we’ll still see Mrs. Marinelli, one of Oak Bluffs most charismatic movers and shakers, strolling up Circuit avenue, or sitting on one of the Ocean Park benches. Or even, if she’s still feeling up to it, rallying the troops for a rousing selectmen’s meeting.
Linda M. was herself a selectwoman for several terms and, like most feisty, shoot-from-the-hip women, she attracted controversy the way living room tchotkes pick up dust. But you could never stop admiring her passion; right or wrong (measured against one’s own highly subjective ideologies), she believed in her causes, and on many occasions she got things done. Important things.
My favorite of Linda’s triumphs occurred some years ago when, looking through various land deeds, she discovered that the East Chop Beach Club, with its chain link fence and padlocked gates along East Chop Drive, did not in fact own the entire beach all the way to the western banks of the Oak Bluffs harbor. The Marinelli gal raised a hue and cry, the beach club assumed a droit de seigneur kind of legal battle, Linda and the town took the matter into court and the town won back the land. It’s a marvelous spot for summer swims and watching the ships roll in. In the fall and spring, dogs love to romp with their owners along the pathways and in the winter it doesn’t matter who lays claim to the beach when bitter winds sweep across this northeast-facing shore.
As Linda held court at her table at the P.A. Club party, she said her reason for leaving the Vineyard was that she could no longer afford to live here. Her husband Charlie died two years ago, and memories of their many years together on the Island caused tears to cascade down her cheeks. It was an exquisitely sad moment to see an Island legend forced into self-exile after serving her town for so many years. This fate could befall any one of us, tomorrow, next year or, like Linda, after many decades of raising a family, watching with awe the changing seasons, suffering and celebrating, and never ceasing to thank our lucky stars for planting us in this place in our lifetime. All we can do is carpe diem, seize the day, and urge Linda Marinelli to come back often to seize it with us.
Featherstone Center for the Arts will hold its seventh annual holiday gift show this weekend. There will be a preview party tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. From Nov. 21 to Dec. 20, the gift show will carry on daily from noon to 4 p.m. in the Virginia Weston Bessie Gallery at Featherstone off Barnes Road. The phone number is 508-693-1850. The show will feature artwork from dozens of Vineyard artists priced from $5 to $250, including notecards, paintings, pottery, jewelry, porcelain ornaments, walking sticks, fleece wear, scarves, accessories, soaps, placemats, calendars and chocolate.
The Oak Bluffs Library will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, for Thanksgiving, and will reopen on Saturday, Nov. 28. A movie night is planned for Thursday, Dec. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a flick starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds about a book editor trying to avoid deportation. I’m scratching my head on the title of the movie but if you call the library at 508-693-9433, a kindly librarian will fill in the blanks.
The Oak Bluffs School will hold its holiday bazaar on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interested vendors still have a chance to reserve either a six-foot table for $30 or an eight-foot table for $35; call organizer Tiffany Belain at 508-693-4947. Your town columnist will be conducting Tarot readings at this event, so if you’re wondering if a tall, dark and handsome dentist is about to enter your life, or if any of your lottery tickets are going to pan out, stop in and see me.
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