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
October 10, 2008
Sox Down, So Head Out to Fish
With the Red Sox doing so poorly, participants in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby have plenty more reasons to go out fishing at night, rather than stay at home watching the Sox lose on television.
Last night the weather was ideal for shore fishermen, with the full Hunter’s Moon making…
Master Painter Will Teach Techniques for Portraits
Greg Watson is teaching a weekly portrait painting class at Featherstone. The class will study reproductions of master paintings. Mr. Watson will give demonstrations of different methods, and the students will have at least two hours per class to paint from a live model.
During the six-week class, students will explore drawing directly…
Police Can Help Parents Get Child Safety Seats
The Oak Bluffs police department recently received a $5,000 grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to expand its child passenger safety efforts. The office of public safety awarded 67 grants totaling just over $660,000 to communities across the state with the aim of reducing motor vehicle fatalities and injuries involving children.…
Billions Lost, But Pension Funds, In for Long Haul, Not Worried
Although the assets of the Dukes County pension fund have seen losses in recent months due to the turmoil on Wall Street and the national economy, spokesmen for the Dukes County retirement board this week said their losses are manageable. They said the pension system is solvent and will stay that way.
Breaking News: Friday, October 10 – Telephone Bankfraud Targets Island Residents
Martha’s Vineyard’s three local banks have warned customers to beware of phone scammers, who targeted large numbers of Island residents on Thursday night, seeking their account details. The automated calls attempt to trick people by saying their accounts have been “suspended,” then transferring them to a “security center” where they are asked to provide their…
Energy Project Names New Director
The Vineyard Energy Project announced this week that it has named David McGlinchey as its new executive director. He takes the helm from Kate Warner, who founded the nonprofit energy project in 2003 with a broad mission of outreach, education and energy development.
World Wide Engine for Creativity
Human beings evolved to be the complex creatures we are by communicating. As our languages became ever more complex so did we. Bands of humans, joined together by common stories (what anthropologists call culture) and armed with tools they invented and shared with each other, spread all over the world at the expense of larger…
Baseball Crosses the Generation Gap
His coach says, “he has an arm,” and calls him the team’s star pitcher. He plays Little League in his hometown of Pelham, N.Y. His father says, and I quote: “Yesterday he threw 60 pitches in three innings. He had five strikeouts, caught a line drive back at the mound and fielded a ground ball…
Gazette Chronicle: Noman’s Maneuvers
Noman’s Maneuvers
From the Vineyard Gazette editions of October, 1983:
The weather wasn’t ideal for war games this weekend but nothing ever stops the United States Marines. From their command center high on the Gay Head cliffs they at least had a good Vineyard view of bad Island weather. The military…
Letters to the Editor
GOOD DEAL
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
To help quell the groans and moans about the “excessive” fares to and from Chappaquiddick, I wish to provide the following:
• In 1929 it cost a $1 for a round trip.
• Today, it costs $12.
Taking the $1…
Autumn
Autumn
Dear Crickets, doomed to die,
Bless you, for so am I.
How bravely your song of Autumn
Accepts without remorse
The ordaining of Winter.
Hidden in the hearth,
faith of future generations
Beyond the snow, beyond death:
…
Dog at the Funeral
Dog at the Funeral
For Dave Willey (1947-2008)
I didn’t see him when two planes did a fly-by,
one on the right peeling off in missing-man formation.
Not until I saw his picture with Dave and Dave’s family —
a big lug of a dog, a…
Jose, Gentle Ox, Needs a New Home
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
Jose is a brown and white nine-year-old ox who is looking for a new pet-friendly home. He would be a great companion for other farm animals.
I wrote about him in this newspaper nine years ago, when he was rescued from the fate of being turned into veal.…
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
One hundred and fifty years is a long time, but like a beautiful woman who ages gracefully, Alley’s General Store is hardly showing her age. She’s still the same venerable institution in the heart of West Tisbury, the one that deals in almost everything, from sheetrock screws to plastic sand pails,…
Economies of Scale
Economies of Scale
The clock that ticks off the United States’ national debt ran out of digits yesterday. It could not register ten trillion dollars without dropping the dollar sign. Far as we are from Times Square, Vineyarders are well aware of our share of the burden (officially estimated to be about thirty-four…
Film Focuses on Aquinnah Luthier
Talking Guitars, an intimate portrait on film of master guitar craftsman and now Island resident Flip Scipio, will screen tonight, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre.
This behind-the-scenes music documentary illustrates the fascinating juxtaposition of the quiet artist and the world of musicians who seek his expertise. His clients…
Road Race
Road Race
The 19th annual Columbus Day 5K Road Race will benefit the Island Affordable Housing Fund for the second year in a row. The event will be held Sunday, Oct. 12, starting at the Wesley Hotel in Oak Bluffs.
Vineyard Haven Library Series Shows Many Ways to Save Energy
Going green has become a passion for Betty Burton, the adult programming coordinator at the Vineyard Haven Library. When asked where her interest came from Ms. Burton laughed, saying, “I was a child of the 70s, first of all.” She started composting when her children were growing up. Now she and her family have given…
Announcing Roan
Announcing Roan
Rebecca Cournoyer and Mark Bettencourt of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Roan Davis Bettencourt, born on Sept. 26, 2008 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Roan weighed 7 pounds, 9.8 ounces at birth. Big brothers Connor and Evan Bettancourt also welcome Roan.
Hello, Connor
Hello, Connor
Becky Minnich Beeson and Paul Beeson of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Connor Richard, born on Sept. 29, 2008 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Connor weighed 9 pounds, 15 ounces at birth.
Accident Prevention
Accident Prevention
Honor Society
Honor Society
Gouzalo Corts of Vineyard Haven was welcomed as a new member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international academic honor society of Associate Degree granting colleges, in formal ceremonies Sept. 22 at Cape Cod Community College. College president Kathleen Schatzberg and other faculty joined to pay tribute to the outstanding academic performances…
Welcome, Jed
Welcome, Jed
Jessica Campbell and Peter Campbell of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Jed Morgan Campbell, born on Oct. 4, 2008 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Jed weighed 8.1 pounds at birth.
Autism Experts Join Community Services Conference
Registration closes Wednesday, Oct. 15 for the third annual Martha’s Vineyard Community Services fall training conference entitled Different Like Me: Learning from the Experts.
The two-day conference begins on Friday, Oct. 24. It is an opportunity for Island professionals to enhance connections between services that support individuals and families.
Farm Share Members Confront Shortfall
Generous contributions from shareholders have provided a temporary fix for the financial woes plaguing the popular Whippoorwill Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Farm operations will continue as usual in October, members are guaranteed their weekly produce and flowers through the end of the month, but plans for November are up in the air and…
Let Them Eat Cake at Long Point as Trustees Celebrate 100th Site
On Sept. 30 The Trustees of Reservations announced a significant milestone: the opening of its 100th reservation, Cormier Woods in Uxbridge. The opening celebration at the new reservation will take place on Oct. 18.
As well as a special celebration planned at Cormier Woods, including a ribbon cutting, ranger-led walks and live folk…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark has had some beautiful fall days this week. Let’s hope the weekend weather is as good for the continuing weekend weddings in town.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
The weather has been cold at night and in the early morning. There was light frost on Wednesday morning. But the days are warm and the sun is shining brightly, and the moon has been beautiful at night. On Thursday night there were meteor showers.
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Oct. 3 67 45 Trace
Oct. 4 69 41 Trace
Oct. 5 64 42 Trace
Oct. 6 57 48 .02
Oct. 7 60 44 Trace
Oct. 8 63 39 .00
Oct. 9 69 42 .29
…
Oak Bluffs Police Respond To Domestic Incidents
Oak Bluffs police had a busy weekend and made several arrests.
Around 7:30 p.m. on Friday police responded to a domestic incident at 6 Sachem Way and arrested 48-year-old Cesar Marquez of Aquinnah for assault and battery. Just before 11:30 p.m. on the same evening, police arrested Justin Denniston, 27, of Pembroke for…
Selectmen Bite on Issue of Dog in West Tisbury
West Tisbury selectmen on Wednesday said they supported a zero tolerance policy for a Siberian husky who got loose earlier this year and killed chickens on two occasions in Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven.
The husky, whose name is Mussa, now lives in West Tisbury with her owner Rebecca Garde. And while there…
Moon and Planets
Tonight’s gibbous moon hovers in the southeastern sky early in the evening. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Capricornus. Farther south and slightly to the west there is the bright planet Jupiter.
Angels Practice the Art of Organic Gardening
Gardening is a combination of art, science and love. Jennifer Slossberg, founder of Garden Angels, has blended the three into an organic landscaping company that turns gardens into aesthetic marvels with a delicate ecological footprint.
Yoga Studio Workshops Focus on Food, Back Pain
Sacred Circle of Yoga founder M.J. Bindu Delekta is offering fall wellness workshops at her studio in Vineyard Haven, beginning this weekend.
Partner Yoga, in which couples do yoga poses and learn to breathe and move more consciously together, will run from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Oct. 12. This fun-filled workshop…
Corrections
Corrections
A story in Friday’s paper about live music on the Vineyard misspelled the name of Outerland talent advance manager Whitney Dailey. The Gazette regrets the error.
•
A birth announcement in the Friday Gazette contained the incorrect weight for Wenonah Madison-Sauer. Wenonah weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces at birth. The…
Quarterback Scores Three Times for Win; Runners Sweep Meets
In what is fast becoming a recurring theme of the season, senior quarterback Mike McCarthy on Friday again led the Vineyard football team past Holbrook/Avon 28-14 in a non-league match on the road.
McCarthy scored three touchdowns on the ground to help improve the Vineyarders to 3-1 on the season.
For…
Cathlin Baker Steps Into Church With 400-Year-Old Path to Follow
The Rev. Cathlin Baker was busy. It was something of a day off from activities at West Tisbury’s First Congregational Church, of which she is the new minister. It wasn’t her sermon-writing day. But there was still unpacking to be done at the parsonage in Island Farms. Then Eirene (who was born on St. Patrick’s…
Plan to Replace Garage Mahal Progresses
A plan to demolish Joseph Moujabber’s illegal garage took another step forward recently when the Cottage City Historic District commission unanimously approved a plan to replace the controversial structure with an addition to the existing home off Sea View avenue extension. The historic district commission held a public hearing on the revised plan on Oct.…
Voter Registration
Voter Registration
Commission Approves Hospital Exterior
With little fanfare, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission on Thursday approved the color of the brick for the exterior of the new $42 million Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Prior to the vote, chairman Douglas Sederholm took aim at the coverage of the so-called brick issue in the Martha’s Vineyard Times, a weekly newspaper published in…
Police Team Up to Arrest Two Suspects in Capawock Robbery
Tisbury police this week arrested two young men and charged them with the robbery of a 79-year-old Capawock theatre employee who was dropping off receipts for the evening in a nearby overnight bank deposit box.
Michael Ellis, 20, of Edgartown was taken into custody on Tuesday and Brett Geddis, 18, of Vineyard Haven…
Oceans Act Seeks to Regulate Development in State Waters
Vineyard residents with an interest in how the waters which surround the Island are used will get their chance to shape state regulation under a major new piece of legislation, at a public meeting this Tuesday.
The Oceans Act, signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick in May of this year, is billed…
School Committee Checks Balances
The national hot button issues of financial security and high fuel prices as they relate to one of the Island’s largest institutions occupied members of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee at a meeting Monday night.
The question of whether the high school’s money is safely secured was brought up by committee…
State Representative Race Begins to Take Shape: Crowded Field of Four
With a scant four weeks left until the November election, the race for Cape and Islands state representative is heating up quietly as four candidates — one Democrat and three independents — begin to work their campaigns in earnest.
Second Hand Business Booming; Thrifty Islanders Go Shopping
Retail sales may be slumping around the country and on the Island, but the thrift stores and consignment shops of the Vineyard are thriving hubs of business these days.
“We have been incredibly busy,” said Sandy Pratt, comanager of the Vineyard Haven Thrift Shop.
“I could literally stay open 24 hours…
Real Estate Downturn Continues, With Brokers in the Trenches
The real estate market on the Vineyard had already begun to see a sharp downturn this year, and the recent collapse in global financial markets and turmoil on Wall Street certainly has not made things better.
Statistical evidence gathered from Banker and Tradesman online, which compiles real estate figures from sale documents, shows…
Challenges of Home Heating: Energy Experts Offer Tips
Here on the Vineyard, the fun is over. This week saw the first light frost of the fall. Those who spent their summers in shacks are scuttling inside and sliding down the storm windows. Ocean bathers have become a scarce breed.
And while few have yet reached for the thermostat, there can be…
Construction Industry Falls Off; Long-Term Forecast Uncertain
As the national economy continues to sputter dangerously, the outlook for the Vineyard remains uncertain, especially when it comes to the main economic engines of construction and real estate, which by most accounts have fallen off dramatically in recent weeks.
And while there are few statistical measures, the anecdotes suggest that what was…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNN IRONS
Recently, my six-year-old granddaughter, Violet, took her turn saying grace. She said, “Dear God, thank you for a yummy supper. I love my life and I like myself. Amen.” Guess it could never get any better than that. I started thinking about loving my life. What could be better than…
Peregrine Falcon
Hooked-shaped wanderer is the exact translation of the Latin name for falco peregrinus, the peregrine falcon. The hook shape refers to the falcon’s claws which are formidable weapons. Also known as duck hawk or bullet hawk, this handsome falcon has quite a reputation. Many of us know this hawk because of its hunting prowess. The…
Invasive But Tasty
When you get lemons, make lemonade, says the old adage.
All-Star Baseball
All-Star Baseball
The Satchel Paige All-Stars traveling baseball team is accepting registration for players ages 13 to 18 who would like to participate in the team’s Christmas baseball clinic and tournament in Bradenton, Fla., and/or be part of the 2009 summer travel team.
The Christmas clinic and tournament will be held…
Americana Extravaganza: Roots Band to Perform
Playing Americana and country roots music, the Shannon Whitworth Band comes to the Katharine Cornell Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m. The band features original song-writing, banjo, pedal steel, dobro, fiddle and mandolin, all forming a creative foundation for sweet, sultry female vocals.
Feel Done Like a Dinner When Throwing A Party? Jessica Harris Shows You How
“Putting together a dinner party is easier than people think,” explains Jessica Harris, foodie, author and professor, whose multiple cookbooks, including The Martha’s Vineyard Table (Chronicle Books 2007), put an invitation to dine with her on a par with dinner chez Julia (as in Childs).
The Fishermen
The state reopened coastal ponds to shellfishing on Saturday, following a closure due to heavy rains which ended early last week. The state Division of Marine Fisheries had issued the closure to more than 30 Massachusetts towns on Sept. 29, based on the expectation that water quality in coastal ponds would diminish after three days…
Better Than a Box of Chocolates, Delectable Festival Turns Five
This Columbus Day weekend is bound to be a sweet one as the Art of Chocolate Festival celebrates its fifth year at Featherstone Center for the Arts.
Thrift, Thrift Horatio! It’s Free Bard
If the word Hamlet makes you think, Mel Gibson; if you’ve heard of Othello but never seen it; if you know there are witches in Macbeth but aren’t sure what they do … then the gang at The Vineyard Playhouse has a tempting offer for you: give them an evening and they’ll give you the…
Up-Island Pottery Studio Opens to All on Sunday
Up-Island potter Candy Shweder is opening her studio on Sunday, Oct. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be pottery demonstrations, wine, cheese and huge reductions on discontinued patterns and items. Candy Shweder studied ceramics in Chicago and California. She has been selling since 1986. She sold her work at the Chilmark Flea Market…
Candidates Forum
Candidates Forum
The Cape Cod League of Women Voters, the Martha’s Vineyard League of Women Voters and the Cape Cod Times are sponsoring a forum debate featuring candidates for the seat being vacated by state Rep. Eric Turkington. The forum will be Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church…
Chicken Lady Lives, at Treehouse Studios
Viva Nancy Luce! is the theme of a new show opening Sunday, Oct. 12, at Treehouse Studios in West Tisbury, with a reception from 1 to 4 p.m. The exhibit will feature works of art related to the life of Martha’s Vineyard’s eccentric folk hero who became known in the 1800s as the chicken lady.
Celtic Concert Celebrates Fall: Harpist Aine Minogue
Irish harpist and singer Aine Minogue (pronounced Anya) — famous for her celebrations of Celtic culture and sacred seasons, including the transition from summer to fall — will perform a Harvest Eve concert at the Katharine Cornell Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 12.
She will focus on that time between the veils, as the…
Oct. 3: Cool and Fall-like with Variable Clouds and Sun
Friday, Oct. 3: Cool and fall-like with variable clouds and sun. A few passing sprinkles in the afternoon as dark clouds hang over West Tisbury. Gusty winds buffet the north shore, dying down in the evening. Evening sunset casts beautiful long colors across Edgartown harbor. Sweater weather.
Tee Up for Diamond
Tee Up for Diamond
Birdies for Baseball, the fourth annual golf tournament to support the new baseball field at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, is set for Sunday, Oct. 12, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. at Mink Meadows.
For registration, call Mink Meadows at 508-693-0600. To help with…
Fifty Artists Say Yes We Can With Presidential Fundraiser
Yes we can.
It is a campaign slogan which has caught fire ever since Presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama uttered the words after the New Hampshire primary. Celebrities from Scarlett Johansson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar to Herbie Hancock are saying it in English and in Spanish.
Hail the Horseshoe Crab: Marine Paleobiologist Talk
Marine paleobiologist Fred Hotchkiss will discuss horseshoe crabs at the Chilmark Public Library on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
A Martha’s Vineyard resident, the horseshoe crab plays an important role in our coastal ecosystem. The eggs of the horseshoe crab are a vital food source to migrating shorebirds. The adults…
Chapter 21: Yankee Skulduggery
In this year-long serialized novel set on the Vineyard in real time, a native Islander (“Call me Becca”) returns home after two decades 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, Broadway. Convinced that Moby wants…
Alley’s General Store: 150 Years Dealing in Almost Anything
Three dollars can buy one hologram postcard, 12 atomic fireballs, or three peacock feathers at Alley’s General Store.
For those willing to shell out a bit more, the dealers in almost anything can provide nearly everything: organic pet shampoo, a clam rake, a Nunchuck (used for lassoing nuns up to 15 feet), pickled…
