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
September 19, 2008
Tougher For Shore Fishermen?
Steve Amaral came in this morning to weigh in his own 18.15-pound striper as well as Michael Alwardt’s striper, a 17-pound fish. The two men have fished together for 17 years.
Mr. Amaral, of Oak Bluffs, 72, has fished 62 of the 63 derbies. One of the most respected shore striped bass fishermen…
Kids Derby: First Many, Then Few Fish
This morning, you could have seen the smallest wavelet left by a fish at the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority wharf. The water was a flat calm, and mirrored the overhead deep blue sky. The sun cast long shadows across the wharf and more than 200 youngsters stood along the rails trying to catch fish.
Bluefish Ate the Sluggo
Saturday night, an hour before sundown. The ferocious northeast wind from the day before has died, the only reminder a thick blanket of seaweed covering the rocky north shore. My friend and I are fishing. He has entered the derby; I have not. We trade off using two rods, one big, one small. The small…
Lucky line for Janet Messineo on Bluefish Saturday
Today is bluefish Saturday. Participating fishermen have an opportunity to win $500 if they catch the biggest fish today in a boat, and there is another $500 for the angler who catches the biggest bluefish from the shore.
Developers of Bradley Square Threaten to Abandon the Project
Assailing their critics, backers of the Bradley Square project in Oak Bluffs announced abruptly this week that they were putting the property up for sale. Patrick Manning, executive director of the Island Affordable Housing Fund, sent an e-mail to fellow project backers Tuesday morning stating that continued opposition to the project coupled with the possibility…
Home Port Decision Due Monday
More Explanation Needed Editors, Vineyard Gazette: The following letter was sent to the Chilmark selectmen:
Mixed Heritage Helped Preserve Cuttyhunk
Cuttyhunk island, lying seven miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and 14 off New Bedford, is connected to the coast by one ferry line and the services of charter fisherman. Since the 19th century, well after its initial discovery by Bartholomew Gosnold in the 1600s, the island has been a bastion of traditional Yankee…
Survivor of Holocaust Inspires Young Students of History
Ries Vanderpol was 17 when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, his home country, in 1940. Before the invasion, he had seen Jewish students who arrived in his school fleeing from Nazi Germany, but had avoided contact with them regarding their troubles as somehow contagious. At 17, he had not spent much time pondering Nazi Germany…
Vineyard Bookshelf
SIDE EFFECTS: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial. By Alison Bass. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. 260 pages. $24.95.
Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil — all antidepressants frequently prescribed for adolescents — have their downsides as well as their upsides. In this book, Alison Bass, formerly the Boston Globe’s mental health…
Letters to the Editor
SAVING THE STRIPERS Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
Rainy Days, and Busy
Rainy Days, and Busy Mid-September is when Islanders heave a collective sigh of relief. We hear it in the reclaiming of beaches closed to the public all summer long, in the restaking of favorite restaurants and in the discovery of not just one, but many open parking spots just where we need them. Yet in…
Drilling Offshore, That Old Song Again
Drilling Offshore, That Old Song Again Richard Nixon seems an unlikely hero of conservationists, but he was the President who signed into law what Georgetown law professor Richard J. Lazarus calls the Magna Carta of environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act. It was critical bipartisan action to regulate the impact of human activity on…
A Textbook Derby Leader? No, Just Professor Ogletree
Harvard law professor Charles J. Ogletree is a celebrated black writer, teacher and speaker and director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice. But on Sunday, he accomplished something truly special: he was in the leader’s spot in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby on Sunday, weighing in a 26.68-pound…
Independent Candidate To Meet Vineyard Voters
Melissa Freitag, candidate for state representative, will meet with Vineyard residents from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Waterside Market on Main street in Vineyard Haven. Ms. Freitag, who is on the government and history faculty at Cape Cod Community College and active town government volunteer, is arranging public sessions at…
Horseman Applies Techniques to Kids With Special Needs Too
From Pegasus and unicorns to Mr. Ed and My Little Pony, magical, communicative horses abound in our mythologies. Tapping into this latent suspicion that our maned mounts are more than mere beasts of burden is Gary Douglas, a new age educator who calls himself the Horse Medium.
Vineyard Football Team Kicks Off With Solid Win
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School football team got off to a solid start of the season Friday with a convincing, no-nonsense 14-0 win over familiar rival Old Rochester on a rainy night in Mattapoisett. The Vineyarders ran the option play to perfection all night, and senior Mike McCarthy scored both touchdowns on short runs…
Pat West Gaff-Rigged Schooner Race Sets Sails Saturday
The 21st annual Pat West gaff-rig and schooner race will take place tomorrow. The first gun is at 10:30 a.m. The start is right off Eastville Beach and East Chop. Sailors will race their craft to West Chop and then go to a buoy off Edgartown and then race back. The total length of the…
Fairway to Heaven for This Big Brother
Jim Gordon recalled the day 16 years ago when he took a leap and volunteered to be a Big Brother. “His eyes got me. They showed me four or five pictures of kids and wanted me to take the kid who’d been waiting the longest, but he was the one. It was like looking at…
Women’s Panel Discusses How to Go Green for Profit
Greening your company can contribute to the environment, but as the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network will show on Sept. 23, it also can boost your bottom line. A roundtable discussion called Living Green! Saving Green! is set for 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Baylies Room in the Old Whaling Church. The panel will discuss…
Elderly Driver Smashes Into Coffee Shop
An 86-year-old Pennsylvania man parking his car along Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs drove into the front of Mocha Mott’s coffee shop just before 3 p.m. on Monday. Although no one was seriously injured, the crash shattered the coffee shop’s plate glass window and clogged traffic for approximately 30 minutes.
Town Leaders in Tisbury Plead Case for Emergency Facility
In 2010, Tisbury is due to get a new ambulance. But there is nowhere to put it. Nor is there anywhere to put a new fire engine in 2012, when the old one will have completed 25 years of service. One fire truck and a second ambulance already must be parked away from the main…
Advertising at Airport? Selectmen Say No
The West Tisbury selectmen on Wednesday gave an emphatic thumbs-down to a plan now under consideration by the Martha’s Vineyard Airport commission to allow an advertising company to sell space in the airport terminal and along the tarmac that would be visible to arriving passengers.
Eric Turkington Rides Through Old Battlegrounds on Wistful Day
On Tuesday at noon it was quiet at the polls in Edgartown. The midmorning rush was over and the lunch rush (the town clerk wondered if there would be one) had yet to begin. Gray clouds scudded across a September sky. A small crowd of elderly tourists spilled out of a bus onto Church street.…
Community Supported Agriculture Runs Out of Money Before Fall Harvest Is In
Community Supported Agriculture, the popular organic Island vegetable cooperative at Whippoorwill Farm, is on the rocks again, this time because of a business plan that has failed.
Historical Commission Moves To Halt Cottage Reconstruction
The Oak Bluffs historical commission on Wednesday responded to allegations that a cottage in the federally protected Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association may have been torn down and partially expanded earlier this summer, possibly in violation of a town bylaw strictly regulating the demolition of historical structures.
Chilmark Vote Set for Monday
The future of the Home Port is in the hands of Chilmark voters who will decide whether to approve town purchase of the 70-year-old restaurant and surrounding property at a special town meeting Monday. Voters face at least two choices: according to the first article on the warrant if the town buys the Home Port…
Daniel Larkosh Wins Democratic Primary
Daniel Larkosh, a trial lawyer and West Tisbury resident, clinched the Democratic nomination for Cape and Islands state representative Tuesday, becoming the first Vineyarder to secure the position since the district was created in 1988. Should he win in November, it will be the first time the Vineyard has had its own representative in the…
Temperature
Temperature: Precip. Day Max. Min. Inches. Fº Fº Sept. 12 70 52 .00 Sept. 13 69 60 .48 Sept. 14 72 65 .03 Sept. 15 73 65 .20 Sept. 16 82 61 .00 Sept. 17 73 56 .00 Sept. 18 74 51 .00
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 70º F.
Autumn
Autumn arrives on Monday at 11:44 a.m. Though the temperatures this past week are more like summer than fall, there is plenty of evidence of a change. The day is split almost equally between daytime and night time.
Vineyard Dance Classes
Vineyard Dance Classes Vineyard Dance will begin fall classes on Monday, Sept. 29, at the Nathan Mayhew Seminars campus on North William street in Vineyard Haven. Classes for adults and teens are offered in ballet, modern dance/modern jazz, and floor barre. Children may enroll in creative movement, modern dance, and ballet. For details, call instructor…
Museum Winter Hours
Museum Winter Hours
Aquinnah
JUNE MANNING 508-645-2574 (lthslnks@gis.net) Aquinnah Public Library will be presenting the final session for September Edible Vineyard: Series About Cooking and Eating on the Vineyard. Carol McManus of Espresso Love in Edgartown will present her new book Table Talk. Not only will she present and discuss her book but will also have a demonstration of…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER 508-645-3378 (slaterjn@comcast.net) It is fun to have the bass derby — as the locals still call it — up and running. The fishermen are everywhere and, as usual, they are not daunted by wind or rain. We hope they all catch winning fish! Primary day went off without a hitch at the…
Oak Bluffs
BETTYE FOSTER BAKER 508-696-9983 (bdrbaker@comcast.net)
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT 508-627-8894 (margaret02539@yahoo.com)
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY 508-693-2950 (alleys@vineyard.net)
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA 508-693-3308 (vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
August Arrives
August Arrives Dawn Warner and William Warner of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, August William Warner, born on Sept. 13, 2008, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. August weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces at birth.
Welcome, Wyatt
Welcome, Wyatt Erin M.R. Tilton and Zeb A. Tilton of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Wyatt John Tilton, born on August 31 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Wyatt weighed 6 pounds, 1 1/2 ounces at birth.
Announcing Julia
Announcing Julia Lillian Cardoso and Gleidson da Silva of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Julia Cardoso da Silva, born on Sept. 10 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Julia weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces at birth.
Gazette Chronicle: One More Slice
One More Slice From the Vineyard Gazette editions of September, 1933:
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE 508-627-5349 (kathleencase@comcast.net) I love the fall skies; the bright blue and the soft clouds. I still try to make figures out of the clouds. Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Special wishes to my sister in law Linda Noble who celebrated Sept. 16, and great-niece Amanda Brown who…
Realtor Elected to Board
Realtor Elected to Board Bill LeRoyer, co-owner and principal broker of Harborside Realty, Inc. of Edgartown has been elected to the board of directors of the Cape Cod & Islands’s Association of Realtors.
Winning Photo of Alpaca Appears on State Calendar
Heather Welch of Island Alpaca Co. appeared in person to receive her award for winning the photo contest to be published in the 2009 Massachusetts agriculture calendar. Two of her photographs will appear in the 2009 calendar. The ceremonies took place yesterday, Sept. 18, at the Big E Fairgrounds in West Springfield.
Worm-Eating Warbler
Wow, it is always exciting to break a record and Dianne Powers did so recently. Dianne and I were both at Davis Solon and Gina Lombardi’s wedding reception when Dianne whipped out a photograph of a bird. Dianne continued by saying she thought the bird was a worm-eating warbler, was she right? Right as rain,…
Summer’s End Bazaar
Summer’s End Bazaar The Friends of the Tisbury Council on Aging will host a Summers’s End Bazaar on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tisbury Senior Center, located at 34 Pine Tree Road in Vineyard Haven. The sale will offer jewelry, vintage linens, books, antique framed, tinted prints, unique seashore…
Autumn Colors
Jennifer is a gentle soul; a massacre just isn’t in her nature. So I was surprised when she asked if she must kill them all. I can’t blame her for having post traumatic caterpillar stress disorder after the last few years of winter moth madness. She was worried about her trees and called to ask…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
Sept. 12: Mostly Sunny in the Morning
Friday, Sept. 12: Mostly sunny in the morning. Clouds increase in the afternoon. Foggy evening. Saturday, Sept. 13: Heavy rain in Vineyard Haven at dawn. Rain in Oak Bluffs. A small gathering at the Edgartown Lighthouse at 1 p.m. under overcast skies. Light damp breeze. Poor visibility across Nantucket Sound. Fishing boats come in and…
Filmmakers Who Shoot Locally, Screen Locally
The standout project in Saturday’s Think Globally, Shot Locally — a mixed bag of a forum at the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival — was Sara Nesson’s work-in-progress Iraq Paper Scissors, a documentary about Iraq War veterans participating in the Combat Paper Project.
The Fishermen
As the farmer brings in the last vegetables, in autumn the lobsterman’s season is starting to slow down. Capt. Paul MacDonald of the lobsterboat Shearwater was putting some of his yellow-wire pots away at the dock at Menemsha Tuesday afternoon. “It was a good season, though I had to work hard to make the same…
Documentary of the Civil Rights Movement
Over the next several weeks, the Vineyard Haven Public Library will be showing and discussing Eyes on the Prize, the seven-part PBS documentary series that tells the story of the civil rights movement through news clips and interviews from the time it took place. There will be several guest speakers. On the first evening Sheldon…
No Disney Required: Animators Go to the Dark Side at Festival
When most people think of animation, they think of Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Shrek, but the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival’s Saturday evening Animation Lollapalooza aimed to dispel that misconception, showing a surprisingly adult selection including a meth-fueled teen sexuality, the systematic massacre of bubble-wrap bubbles, and a funny, amusing series about a girl…
Jabberwocky Becomes Cuttyhunk In Sci-Fi Thriller Filming Soon
“You know, there are over a hundred ways you can die from pigeons,” volunteers 10-year-old Vineyarder Zale Narkiewicz. “Sometimes when they poop it has toxins that can kill you, sometimes you just have to breathe it in.” “Well, that’s really great,” replies California-based filmmaker Gabriel Cowan, “because this movie is all about parasites.”
Chapter 18: Mutiny on the Dinghy
In this serialized novel set on the Vineyard in real time, a native Islander (“Call me Becca”) returns home after many years to help her eccentric Uncle Abe keep his landscaping business, Pequot, afloat. Abe has a paranoid hatred of Richard Moby, the CEO of an off-Island wholesale nursery. Convinced that Moby wants to destroy…
So You Think You Can Dance, Islanders?
Whether consuming or creating, Vineyarders are known for their enjoyment of the arts. On one side, the Island has a lot of galleries, artisans’ festivals and professional performances; on the other, there are classes and quality amateur opportunities for theatre, dance, music and fine arts. But it’s not common for the vocational and avocational processes…
The Sting Is On
The Sting Is On On Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., the Vineyard Haven library will present The Sting. This move features two of our favorite actors: Robert Redford and Paul Newman. When a mutual friend is killed by a mob boss, two con men, one experienced and one young try to get even by…
Motorcycle Rally
Motorcycle Rally The second annual Antique Motorcycle Rally will take place at noon on Sunday in the Menemsha parking lot. Collectors of all makes and models of antique motorcycles are invited. Last year, 200 people attended to view 22 motorcycles. Rain date is Sunday, Sept. 28.
