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
December 21, 2007
MVC Approves Aquinnah Energy District
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission on Monday voted without dissent to designate an energy district critical of planning concern in the town of Aquinnah, the first such district of its kind on the Island. The town and the commission will now begin the process of drafting special townwide regulations for Aquinnah to promote alternative energy in…
Winter Moon
The moon moves up close to the bright planet Mars this weekend. The two are closest on Sunday night and both are in the zodiacal constellation Taurus. The full moon on Sunday is called the Cold Moon by the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Christmas in Stockholm 1963: Peace Prize for Linus Paulin
In 1963 Pat, my husband was sent to Paris on business and I went along too. Our daughter Christine was with us. Pat was scheduled to go to Stockholm and since Chris and I had Eurail passes we thought it would be interesting to accompany him. It was Christmastime and as it turned out at…
Some Propane Customers Must Endure Credit Check
An Island gas company drew some darts this week for asking a number of its customers who have had credit problems to pay a deposit this winter or face being shut off from future deliveries of gas and propane. A letter sent by Vineyard Propane & Oil in recent weeks to certain customers states that…
Chief Credit Officer
Chief Credit Officer Edgartown National Bank has appointed Richard Labrecque as chief credit officer at the bank. Mr. Labrecque brings with him nearly 25 years of experience as a commercial loan and credit officer, most recently at Mayflower Bank in Plymouth. He holds an master’s of business adminstration in finance. Among his civic activities, he…
Gazette Chronicle: Infected With Greed
Infected With Greed By Louise Aldrich Bugbee, former longtime Gazette columnist, with 1,500 columns to her credit, and author of the book, Confessions of a Difficult Dame, in which many of these columns rest, now resides in Florida. From the Vineyard Gazette editions of December, 1992:
Keeping Bay Scallops in the Crib Longer Is Easy on Budget, Good for Town Fishery
For Edgartown shellfishermen, it would be unconscionable to have an autumn and winter without fishing for and harvesting bay scallops. On Cape Cod and Long Island, however, the scallops have all but disappeared. Warren Gaines, deputy shellfish constable for Edgartown, has spent the past two summers making sure the bay scallop fishery in town remains…
Thieves Strike Christmas Store in Vineyard Haven
The holiday spirit was not in the air last weekend at the Eden Garden Center. Tisbury police responded to a call Sunday morning from the Tea Lane Christmas Shoppe reporting a robbery. The store is located at the garden center at 259 State Road. The call came at 10:40 a.m from an employee who arrived…
Weary but Still Smiling, Angels Of Red Stocking Call It a Wrap
The miracle that is Red Stocking has happened again. Through a tremendous effort on the part of hundreds of donors, volunteers, vendors and Red Stocking committee members, we distributed food, clothing, books and toys to 334 Vineyard children from 230 families. The piles and piles of wrapped presents that filled Grace Church last Thursday were…
Casino Hearing Draws Crowd
BOSTON — A daylong hearing on casino gambling at the Massachusetts State House this week drew a huge crowd of red-shirted union workers and some of the world’s wealthiest casino executives who flew in for the occasion. But missing from the scene were the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and its sister tribe in…
Commissioners Will Seek to Balance County’s Budget
The Dukes County Commission will hold a special meeting at 9:30 this morning in an ongoing attempt to draft a balanced budget for the 2009 fiscal year. On the table is a proposal to slash funding by 60 per cent to three county programs: the health care access program, the rodent control officer and the…
Artists Draw a Fine Line In Shaw Cramer Exhibit
The Shaw Cramer Gallery of contemporary fine crafts and paintings is presenting a Drawing Invitational: A Sense of Line through Dec. 31. More than 20 Island artists plus off-Island artists will show their drawings, a genre that is close to their hearts but seldom exhibited.
Two Towns Train Their Attention On Troubles at Sengekontacket
In a 1952 aerial photograph of Sengekontacket Pond that hangs behind the door to Augustus Ben David’s World of Reptiles And Birds in Edgartown, you can count two properties — the one you’re standing in and the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. Today Mr. Ben David estimates that the homes clustered along the shoreline number in…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER 508-693-3880 (sunporch@vineyard.net) You know where you can’t find a cop in Oak Bluffs after dark? At the police station, that’s where.
Searching for Silverstein’s Missing Piece
Shel Silverstein was not an easy man, but he was a passionate and spectacular man and artist. Now, eight years after his death, Mr. Silverstein’s intense, very private life and creative genius is chronicled in the biography A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak, recently released by St. Martin’s Press. The book is drawing intense…
SSA Governors Allow Cutbacks In New Bedford Ferry Service
Starting Jan. 1, the Vineyard will be a little less connected to the mainland, the result of a decision by the operators of the New Bedford fast ferry to sharply cut their off-season service. Not that many people are likely to mind; the reason the service is being reduced is that hardly anybody rides it.…
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT 508-627-8894 (margaret02539@yahoo.com) Last winter was so late in arriving it seemed as if we might skip it completely — but you can’t say that about this year. So far, we’ve escaped the early deep snows of the rest of New England, but we certainly have had our share of cold and stormy weather.
Iconoclast Stuck to Rules for Living
Shel Silverstein was an iconoclast but he was disciplined, particularly about his work, which always came first. He developed some interesting rules for living his life: “Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life.” “To me, freedom entitles you to do something, not to not do something.” “I’m…
Hello, Hunter
Hello, Hunter Stephen P. and Stacia P. Broderick of Kamuela, Hawaii, announce the birth of a son, Hunter H. Broderick, on Dec. 4 in Hawaii. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Hunter is the grandson of Steve and Emily Broderick of Chilmark.
Parsonage Construction
Parsonage Construction The Vineyard Assembly of God Church on 1048 State Road in Vineyard Haven across from the Scottish Bake House is building a parsonage and rectory for the pastors. Most of the labor is volunteer. Work times are Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. People needing a tax write-off for labor can receive…
The World According to Shel
Shel Silverstein’s thoughts on . . . Fashion: “Who is this ‘they’ and what difference does it make what they’re wearing? I’ll wear what I want to wear.” Explaining his work: “You should never explain the philosophy behind anything you do, it’s not important. If your work is weak and needs to be explained, it’s…
Peace on Earth — Message of Christmas Spans Faiths, Underscores Need for Community
The themes and variations we celebrate during these days of the year seem to point in the same direction — let our light shine in the darkness. The words of Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” characterize these moments we celebrate at…
Doubles, Anyone? Adult Tourney for Youth Tennis
The Vineyard Youth Tennis Center will host an Adult Round Robin Extravaganza on Feb. 8 to 10. Morton Financial Ltd. is sponsoring the event, a fundraiser to benefit the Vineyard Youth Tennis scholarship program. The program will raise funds to help send selected children to the Nick Bollettierri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Pro, A,…
Stop & Shop Customers Give Thousands to Needy
Customers at Stop & Shop supermarkets in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven and the chain’s corporate office raised $6,907 in October and November to help feed the hungry through the Food for Friends program. Shoppers at the Edgartown store donated $3,354, while those at the Vineyard Haven store gave $2,253. At each store, Stop & Shop’s…
Chilmark Expands Guidelines For Affordable Housing Sites
As of this week, Chilmark has taken a step to make its affordable housing more accessible. In their regular meeting Tuesday night, Chilmark selectmen unanimously voted to adopt new implementation guidelines created by the Chilmark housing committee for homesite and rental properties in the town.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE 508-627-5349 (kcase1@verizon.net) If I don’t hurry, I will be running up and down Main street with all the husbands and boyfriends on Christmas Eve. I don’t know what it is — I am usually shaking gifts under the tree by now. Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big…
Evening of Music for Hospice Brings Peace of a Silent Night
What would Christmas be without the annual hospice concert? If we are lucky, we never will have to find out. Once again Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Oak Bluffs was decked out profusely in candles and greens, setting the stage for a varied and moving concert on Dec. 19. Judy Williamson…
Gifts for All, Good Tidings for Island
M enemsha was all hunkered down ’Twas quiet like all Chilmark town In winter when it’s cold — and snow Is falling as all folk do know And Dutcher Dock is still — except For Scott McDowell who’s so deft At making copper fish to sell For he must pound and tap as well To…
Welcome Danielle
Welcome Danielle Patricia Maeda Meyer and Marcello Meyer of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Danielle Maeda Meyer, born on Dec. 7 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Danielle weighed 7 pounds, 4 and a half ounces at birth.
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA 508-693-3308 (vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com) My favorite seven-letter word: amnesty! All Island libraries are offering their annual amnesty on books, tapes, and DVDs now through Dec. 31. Librarians always like a fresh start for the new year.
FARM Institute Launches Winter Programs for 2008
FARM Institute Launches Winter Programs for 2008 Winter 2008 youth programs are scheduled to begin at the FARM Insitute in Katama starting Jan. 4.
’Tis the Season for Roast Duck
Vineyard home cook Charlie Cameron enjoys a laissez-faire approach to cooking. He grew up with parents who went to France on their honeymoon in the 1950s, and stayed for two years. They were “serious foodies,” he explained, who passed their love for cooking on to him. While at Vassar College in the 80s, Mr. Cameron…
Pastures Disappear, Animal Species Come and Go
In an era when large swaths of pitch pines and scrub oak are routinely cleared to make way for new homes, it would be easy to think of the Vineyard as rapidly losing its woodland character. In fact forest acreage on the Island has grown over the past 100 years as the Vineyard has shifted…
Program for Girls
Program for Girls Adolescent Balance Living Experience (ABLE), offered through the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard for girls ages 11 to 14, is seeking referrals for the winter session which begins Monday, Jan. 14. This group is free of charge and meets twice a week for eight weeks. ABLE focuses on healthy nutrition and exercise, as…
St. Catherine’s Island
We climbed off the plane wearing turtlenecks, fleece jackets and hats and were hit by blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. We were in Savannah, Ga., on our way to participate in St. Catherine’s Island’s 21st Christmas Bird Count. “It’s time again to visit with old friends, make some new ones, and count…
The Christmas Flower
Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but Americans overwhelmingly (69 per cent) prefer red. Pink comes in a distant second with 14 per cent, and white last with only 7 per cent. Don’t call up your hairdresser to make an appointment: these color choices have little to do with locks and everything to do with holiday custom.
Corrections
Corrections A story in the Dec. 14 edition of the Gazette misprinted the telephone number for community radio station 93.7 WVVY. The correct telephone number is 508-693-9379. The Gazette regrets the error. • A photo caption accompanying last Friday’s Gazette feature on The Homecoming, currently on stage at the Vineyard Playhouse, identified the actor pictured…
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY 508-693-2950 (alleys@vineyard.net) Winter officially begins tomorrow, but you wouldn’t know judging from the ice, rain and downright cold weather we’ve already had. Sunday’s temperature jumped from 31 in the morning to 50 in the afternoon, back to 33 degrees at nightfall. Also, Steamship Authority service was interrupted on Sunday and on the…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS Due to the subject matter, reader discretion is advised. This column is written solely for non-vegetarians. I have not eaten a store-bought chicken in over thirty years. In 1975, my friend Sharlee had a one-eyed, rather deformed rooster. We were just beginning to grow our own food in earnest — that is,…
Welcome Kauâ
Welcome Kauâ Celia and Jacson Cardoso of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a daughter, Kauâ Cardoso, on Dec. 17 at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Kauâ weighed 7 pounds, 7.4 ounces at birth.
Tabernacle Cupola Restoration Mixes History, New Technology
The Tabernacle cupola is undergoing the most significant restoration in more than a century. The $635,000 project will not only preserve the cupola for the years ahead, but restore its key purposes of ventilation and visual distinction. For Russell E. Dagnall, president of the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, the work, called Topping off the…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER 508-645-3378 (slaterjn@comcast.net) Chilmark continues to enjoy Christmas-like weather with snow still on the ground and a nip in the air. The post office has become the meet-and-greet spot in town. Chilmark School will close today, Friday, Dec. 21, and reconvene on Jan. 2. Cheers to all. We all send best wishes to…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip. Day Max. Min. Inches. Fº Fº Dec. 14 37 29 1.04* Dec. 15 42 26 .00 Dec. 16 35 25 .71* Dec. 17 50 24 .68 Dec. 18 30 21 .00 Dec. 19 33 21 .00 Dec. 20 46 30 .18 *Melted Precipitation Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 43º F.
Aquinnah Town Column: Dec. 21
The family and friends of Rose B. Anthony gathered this week to reflect on her life and to say a final farewell to a wonderful woman who has touched the lives of so many people over the more than half a century she was in our midst. Sincerest condolences to her family and friends. Rose…
Reward for a Shellfish Man: Bagnall Restoration Is Inspiring
Edgartown shellfish constable Paul Bagnall has been named officer of the year by the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association. While he had known of the news for months, he was presented with the award at a meeting of the Edgartown selectmen on Monday. The award was given for the year 2006. A group of shellfish constables…
Track Athlete
Track Athlete Genevieve Flanders, daughter of Joyanne and Steven Flanders of Chilmark, has been selected to compete for the Hamilton College women’s indoor track and field team for the 2007-08 season. A junior majoring in neuroscience at Hamilton, Ms. Flanders is a graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Association Director Resigns
Association Director Resigns Robert Glover, executive director of the Oak Bluffs Association for more than two years, has resigned. Dennis daRosa, president of the association, said Mr. Glover has decided to dedicate more time to his consulting business, which requires off-Island travel. With insight, grace and humor, Mr. daRosa said, Mr. Glover has helped the…
Announcing Isabella
Announcing Isabella Kara Zajicek and Shawn Webster of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Isabella Rose Webster, born on Dec. 17 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Isabella weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces at birth.
Island Therapists Attend Educational Conferences
Island Therapists Attend Educational Conferences Larry Greenberg and Deborah Shipkin of Greenberg Physical and Hand Therapy Associates in West Tisbury recently attended The Boston Shoulder Symposium, which presented the most recent surgical and rehabilitation techniques for the treatment of shoulder injuries.
Christmas 2007
Christmas 2007 The sound of December has been the scrape and rumble of the snowplow along Island roads, accompanied by the howl of the Montreal Express. The winter solstice is tomorrow and cold weather has arrived with a vengeance. Island homes are hung with wreaths and white lights abound, warding off the darkest season with…
Correction
In a story last week on Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, incoming tribal chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), the first name of Dan Maltais, Ms. Andrews-Maltais’s husband, was written incorrectly. The Gazette regrets the error.
Farm Neck Foundation Announces Island Gifts
Farm Neck Foundation Announces Island Gifts The board of directors of the Farm Neck Foundation has announced $51,800 in annual charitable grants for 2007 to 13 Vineyard organizations and agencies. The largest gift, $25,000, is a pledge toward the new YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard building.
Letters to the Editor
HELPFUL ISLAND Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
