Mary Oliver
The wind wags its many tails. And in the evening the piled firewood shifts a little, longing to be on its way. —Mary Oliver
May 30, 2008
Vineyarder Returns from Tour of Duty
Real leaders are not identified by their uniforms. Ron MacLaren’s command bearing was clear in a polo shirt and slacks as he strode across the hallway at the tribal building of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah (Gay Head) earlier this week. The U.S. Naval Reserve captain was in shape and squared away, his eye contact…
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY 508-693-2950 (alleys@vineyard.net)
Singing Rabbi Shneyer Wears Many Hats
Folksinger, storyteller and all-around funny guy Rabbi David Shneyer gave a coffeehouse performance Monday evening at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. Fingerpicking his Guild guitar, accompanying his tunes on harmonica too, donning different hats — literally a cowboy hat or yarmulke or Greek sailor’s cap as the song demanded — the rabbi demonstrated for Islanders…
Chapter Two: Enter Quincas
This serialized, real-time Vineyard novel, Moby Rich, began in last Friday’s Gazette and will continue every Friday, here on page two-A, for a year. For those of you who, in the happy hubbub of Memorial Day weekend, missed chapter one of Moby Rich, here is a synopsis: Our narrator (“Call me Becca”), a 40-something Vineyard…
Island Girls’ Lacrosse Team Advances
The game of lacrosse was the clear focus of the sporting world on the Vineyard this past week as both the boys’ and girls’ high school varsity teams hosted games in the opening round of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament.
Hello, Evan
Hello, Evan Adam and Ashley Kurth are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Evan Robert Kurth, on May 21 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Evan weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces at birth. His grandparents are Conrad and Sara Kurth of Edgartown and Philip and Virginia Fantasia of Sudbury.
Gallery Gets New Abode
Gallery Gets New Abode ABoDE has moved. The new West Tisbury gallery — one mile down Oak Lane — sells paintings, photography, and sculpture. Please visit online VineyardAbode.com to view the gallery’s functional art. For details, call 914-830-9288.
Drawing from Life: Intimate Group Enfolds Artists Casual or Professional
A healthy breeze blew through the trees on a recent Tuesday morning at Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs. The various buildings strewn about the green glens and pasture land of the 6.5-acre campus were empty excepting the art studio, wherein a small group of friends were quietly assembling for what has become,…
Student Raises Money to Help Victims of Chinese Earthquake
On Monday, May 12, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated southwestern China. By that Saturday, Laura Kimball was mobilized. The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School senior set out to raise money around the Island for children affected by the disaster. She went to Main streets in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. She went to Stop & Shop.…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER 508-645-3378 (slaterjn@comcast.net)
Barbecue Joint Smokes Out Space at Outerland
Music will not be the only thing sizzling this summer at Outerland, the nightclub and live music venue at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport: Smoke’n’Bones Restaurant, opposite Tony’s Market in Oak Bluffs, is coming to Outerland for the summer season starting tonight. This will be Smoke’n’Bones’s third location on Martha’s Vineyard. Their new locale at Outerland…
See You Tuesday!
The Gazette begins its twice-weekly publication cycle on Tuesday, June 3. Look for the return of the award-winning interview series, Two of Us.
School Seeks Carbon-Neutral Footprint
They recycle paper, plastic and metal and use local potatoes, carrots and lettuce in their cafeteria. Plans are in the works for a school garden and compost pile. And now, the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School hopes to become the first net zero, carbon neutral school in the nation.
Aquinnah
JUNE MANNING 508-645-2574 (lthslnks@gis.net)
Samba Through Summer at Che’s Tuesday Grooves
Summer may still be weeks away, but the music is already hot and spicy at Che’s Lounge in Vineyard Haven. Singer-songwriter Bella and her musical partner Daniel Waters have created a show of bossa nova and samba that opens Tuesday night, June 3, at 7 p.m., and will return (with musical friends and variations of…
Drawbridge Fails to Close, Snarling Traffic
State highway engineers have begun a new monitoring regime on the Lagoon Pond drawbridge after it apparently shifted on its pilings and would not close, blocking traffic for several hours over the busy Memorial Day weekend. The bridge was stuck in the open position for about three and a half hours from 5 p.m. on…
Extreme Spring Tides
The tides will be extreme this coming weekend, as the moon is both in the new moon phase and also close to the Earth.
Vineyard Swimmer Places in National Masters Meet
Les Cutler of West Tisbury, a member of the Mansion House Masters Swim Team of Vineyard Haven, competed at the U.S. Masters Swimming National Championship meet held at the University of Texas Swim Center in Austin, Tex., in early May.
March to Sea Tradition Triumphs with Heartfelt One, Two, Three
“One.” Parents leaned close and readied their cameras. “Two.” Seventh-graders looked at each other in excited anticipation. They had waited all day for this, waited for years, watching as older students took their turns. They had led the procession from Edgartown School down Main street to Memorial Wharf, and now stood at the water’s edge,…
Oak Bluffs Voters Approve Override for School Funds
Reflecting the hard financial times being felt across the nation, Oak Bluffs voters at a special town election on Wednesday defeated three funding measures for Proposition 2 1/2 overrides and debt exclusions for next year’s operating budget, while narrowly approving three others.
As Debate Continues to Swirl Around Bradley Square, MVC Closes Hearing
After three hours of emotionally-charged testimony last Thursday both for and against the Bradley Memorial Church renovation project in Oak Bluffs, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission closed a public hearing on the project. The commission is expected to begin deliberations at a June 19 meeting. The project — which includes affordable housing, artist work spaces and…
More Spectacle Than Sport
More Spectacle Than Sport The Boston Big Game Fishing Club Monster Shark Tournament has worn out its welcome, not only in the host town of Oak Bluffs, but on the Vineyard altogether. It is hard to know precisely when the tournament changed from a sport fishing event to a spectacle on the Oak Bluffs harborfront…
Chocolate Tasting Sunday: Beans, Bars, Beverages
Eat chocolate and be happy? Eat dark chocolate and be healthy? If the science is right, Islanders will have a chance to get happy and healthy by tasting some very special chocolates on Sunday, June 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. There will be Vosges chocolates, Mirabelle hot chocolate…
High School Changes Class Rank System Without Toppling Valedictorian Tradition
Ten smiling students will appear in the Gazette next week as the top-ranking academic performers in the 2008 graduating class of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, following a decision by high school principal Margaret (Peg) Regan to continue a longstanding tradition.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER 508 687-9239 (hollynadler@gmail.com) Now that the season is upon us, it’s time we armed ourselves with superior answers to the three standard tourist questions. This is manifesto time: We’re tired of providing the same responses. It’s getting old. We’re getting old. Here are some suggestions for new directions to take with these persistent…
Beachcombing Interrupted
Beachcombing Interrupted The recent discovery old buried ordnance at Cape Pogue serves as a vivid reminder of the past and the active role the Vineyard played during World War II. It may be hard to picture it today, but the Vineyard was a key military installation and training ground for the war.
Book by Radio Host Celebrates Vibrant Life of Island Gardens
What makes the Vineyard a special place for growing plants? C.L. Fornari, writer of garden information and radio host of the Saturday morning program Garden Line on WXTK (95.1 FM) is “happy to say that gardening and agriculture on the Island is thriving.” Speaking to a packed audience at the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club April…
Sengekontacket Testing Program Needs Money
It is hoped a costly new regime of water quality tests for Sengekontacket Pond, which began this week, will identify the source of its water quality problems and may allow the pond to be open more often for shellfishing. Following a string of poor water quality test results last year, the state Division of Marine…
Islander Joins Company
Islander Joins Company Debra Dolliver of Vineyard Haven has joined Jockey Person to Person as a comfort specialist consultant. Jockey Person to Person is the direct sales division of Jockey International Inc., featuring a line of women’s intimate apparel, sleepwear and activewear.
Letters to the Editor
KATIE’S WORLD Editors, Vineyard Gazette: A lot of Vineyard organizations have been hurt over the past decade or so by the clash between two types of leadership: the rigid, fear-based, fundamentalist thinking and the flexible, creative, servant leadership which regards its clients as individuals with individual needs.
May 23: Partly Sunny Morning
Friday, May 23: Partly sunny morning. Edgartown School students march to the sea in the afternoon under bright sunshine. Warm and breezy. Lilacs are in full bloom. Children toss flowers into the harbor as part of annual observance of Memorial Day weekend. Clouds increase. Light rain in the afternoon. Clearing late.
Island Minister Heads for Post in Holy Land
Tomorrow the Rev. Mr. Robert D. Edmunds and his wife Deborah leave the Island after 15 and a half years of ministering to the community. The rector at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Edgartown and his wife have new jobs and they’ll need their passports. They’re heading for Jerusalem. While in Edgartown, Reverend Edmunds oversaw…
Neighborhood Convention
Neighborhood Convention Neighborhood Convention will meet on Tuesday, June 3, at 10:45 a.m. at The Yard in Chilmark for a special program, Behind the Scenes at The Yard: Choreographers Share Their Vision. The program will be followed by the worship service and lunch at the Chilmark Community Church at Menemsha Crossroads. The Rev. Susan Heafield…
Words to Live by, Before and After Google
Of all the quirks that define the Gazette — the seven-column broadsheet, black and white photography, house style that bows to no one — the skyline may be the most often overlooked. Prominent of placement and yet remarkably easy to pass over, it sails above the banner where most papers these days put reefers —…
Fishing Licenses
Recreational saltwater fishermen in Massachusetts likely will be required to have a fishing license beginning next year. That word came from Paul Diodati, the director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries, who came to the Island last week and spoke at the Chilmark Public Library. Mr. Diodati was joined by John Pappalardo, chairman of…
Islanders Choose to Take the Bus
With gas prices on the Vineyard hovering above $4.50 a gallon for regular and almost $5 a gallon for premium — some of the highest fuel costs in the nation — more Islanders are leaving their cars at home and taking the Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority busses.
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT 508-627-8894 (margaret02539@yahoo.com) Chappaquiddick leapt into summer last weekend, along with the rest of the Island. Houses that had sat empty and waiting all winter were full of people again. Now comes the lull that — when the weather cooperates — brings a sense of summer but without all the crowds.
Gazette Chronicle: Visitors Return
Vis i tors Return From the Vineyard Gazette editions of May, 1908:
Return Appearance
They’re back, we hope. Within a week or two, the nymphs may emerge from the ground where they have hibernated for 17 years, occasionally sipping on water and other nutrients from the roots of trees and shrubs which they pierce with their beaks. The nymphs emerge from the ground, hatch into adults and start their…
West Tisbury to Mull Whether Tax-Exempt Should Pay in Lieu
West Tisbury should receive payments in lieu of taxes from tax-exempt property owners such as land trust organizations, finance committee chairman Al DeVito told selectmen this week. “West Tisbury only receives money from the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority. I understand they do this in other towns as well because they feel it’s the right…
Jalicia Arrives
Jalicia Arrives Shannon Reed and Craig Rozario of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Jalicia Emmanuel Marie Reed-Rozario, born on May 23 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital, weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Jalicia is also welcomed by big brothers Elizah Reed of Edgartown and Craig Rozario of New Bedford.
Plumb Worn Out: Too Many Months of Following Presidential Campaign
What began last August, when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton came here as the leading Democratic presidential candidate to raise money and woo Vineyard voters, has since deteriorated into an unseemly and tedious slugfest that does no credit to her party’s selection process. Indeed, her rejection by every one of the Island’s six towns, and the…
Critter Control
The time has come to write my annual piece on what to do with young critters, either feathered or furry, that you come across. Last weekend Prudy Whiting and I were walking on Hancock Beach and came across a young gray seal. At first we thought it was dead, but as we approached the youngster…
Chilmark Selectmen Make Changes
At their regular meeting last week, the Chilmark selectmen took up the ordinarily routine business of making annual appointments and used the opportunity to make some changes. Selectmen considered 48 staff appointments and the makeup of some 26 committees. In the end they eliminated one staff position and postponed reappointing the town clerk, the assistant…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE 508-627-5349 (kathleencase@comcast.net) We could not have asked for a better Memorial Day weekend. The weather was spectacular and the town was gorgeous. Everything was so green: the trees had burst their leaves, the lawns were mowed to perfection, and all the flower boxes, planters and beds were filled with beautiful flowers.
Sheriff’s Meadow Story Stirs Reaction
SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS Editors, Vineyard Gazette: While I appreciate restoration ecologist Dick Johnson’s forthright manner in stepping up to accept responsibility, I find that I am not at all reassured by the comments made by Sheriff’s Meadow board members in the Gazette May 23 edition in response to recent incidents of large-scale plant removal…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS Since I write this column a week ahead, I am always a week behind. Now there is a statement describing my life. Nevertheless, I have a few offerings concerning Memorial Day. I guess memory might be the key word.
Planners Give Thumbs-Down to Vineyard Golf Housing Plan
A key subcommittee of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has recommended that the commission deny a proposal from the Vineyard Golf Club to build nine luxury houses for club members plus a new employee dormitory and bathroom on the course along the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road. The commission land use planning committee on May 12 voted 5-1…
With Edgartown Buffs
By KATE J. CONDE Although deputy chief Larry Thomas officially retired from the department in August 2007 after 47 years with the Edgartown Fire Department, he was honored last month. After President Andrew Kelly spoke about his own memories growing up in the fire station for much of Chief Thomas’s career, he presented Chief Thomas…
Artist Who Invited Others Into Her Life
Love at first sight it definitely wasn’t in the case of Dawn Greeley. Nor was it at second or third. She was an artist, you see, and I, well, I’m good at putting things in order. She saw the big picture, and I, the pesky details. She was larger than life, and I prefer near…
Wastewater Management Study Begins on Island
Wastewater Management Study Begins on Island A comprehensive wastewater management study for the Vineyard started Monday with a meeting at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission with the consultants and members of the study advisory committee. The purpose of the study is to identify and evaluate ways to address state requirements for on-site septic waste disposal, as…
Vineyard Cultural Groups Collaborate for Kids Camp
Following on the great response to the April vacation adventure, the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Collaborative looks forward to another week of fun, creative learning experiences for children in the Island’s loveliest natural settings: the FARM Institute, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Polly Hill Arboretum and The Yard. Camp…
Disaster Planning
Disaster Planning The Cape Cod Foundation recently awarded the Cape Cod and Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross an $8,000 grant to support Cape and Islands disaster planning. The funding will support the prepositioning of shelter equipment, supplies, food, water and communication systems to meet the emergency standards for an additional 3,600 potential evacuees…
Interim Assistant High School Principal Named
Carlin Hart has been appointed interim assistant principal at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, according to Dr. James Weiss, the Vineyard superintendent of schools. In a release yesterday afternoon, Mr. Weiss stated the selected candidate for assistant high school principal had withdrawn at the last minute. He said the appointment of Mr. Hart will allow…
Herring Creek Speeding Crash Leads to Hospital
A Maine resident was seriously injured Saturday after he drove his vehicle off Herring Creek Road at high speed and flipped twice before coming to rest in a field near South Beach. Dustin Gilbert, 22, of Lewiston, Me., was transported by ambulance to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital to be treated for head and neck injuries.…
Edgartown School Awards Honors for Third Quarter
The following Edgartown school students received honors for the third quarter: Eighth Grade High Honors: Korrine Altieri, Eva Faber, Meghan McHugh and Conor Smith. Eighth Grade Honors: Kyle Altieri, Jessie Chandler, Diana DeOliveira, Oliver Filley, William Fligor, Caroline Fournier, Elizabeth Francis, Caitlin Grezsiuk, April Hargy, Elizabeth Kelleher, Celia Mercier, Hanna Persson, Chris Pitt, Jessica Santana,…
‘Spectacularful’ Clementine Creator Coming
Even if you don’t call your brother by the name of a different vegetable every day (Broccoli, Turnip, or, whenever he’s being nice, Pea Pod), many readers know what the quirky, crazy-lovable third grader Clementine means when she says, “Spectacularful ideas are always sproinging up in my brain.”
Island High School Will Offer Program in Maritime Studies
When students show up at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School next September, some will go to sea. For the first time, the school is offering maritime courses. Students will be able to enroll in elective classes that teach boat handling, navigation and even knot-tying. The newly created maritime studies program at the high school…
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA 508-693-3308 (vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
Jemima James Goes from Pop to Fiction
The lines sprang into Jemima James’ head, complete with melody, sometime in the 1970s: “Raised in a home, his back got no bone.” The rest of the song, Billy Baloo, soon followed. “I just liked the way it sounded,” she said, sitting in the wind outside the Scottish Bakehouse in Vineyard Haven this week. Though…
