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
January 16, 2009
Scottish Society to Hold 12th Burns Nicht Supper
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the poet Robert Burns, the Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard will hold its annual Burns Nicht Supper on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Harbor View Hotel. Burns was a prolific writer of poems and songs, as well as a bon vivant of some repute in…
Message for President Obama: Islanders Speak Their Minds
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States in an inaugural celebration in the nation’s capital, in front of the United States Capitol. The Vineyard Gazette went to the Island’s streets and shops Tuesday, a week before the national event, to ask Vineyarders what they…
Announcing Ian
Announcing Ian
Elizabeth and Sean Kelleher of Parker, Colo. are thrilled to announce the birth of their son Ian Christopher Kelleher on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008. Ian arrived two weeks early on New Year’s Eve, weighing 7 pounds, 14.6 ounces, measuring 20.25 inches, and according to his parents is perfect. Elizabeth is a…
Financial Help for Home Repairs May Double, Add More Towns
Responding to high demand, a grant-writing consultancy business is seeking to double a housing repairs assistance program to $2 million and open the program up to the Island. The program was previously available to just Oak Bluffs and Tisbury home-owners, based on grants written by Bailey Boyd and Associates for the past five years. The…
County Seeks Islanders For Public Service Roles
The Dukes County Commission is looking for dedicated residents interested in filling a wide range of important volunteer positions. Some 30 positions are up for reappointment effective March 1. Terms are being shifted to start on the first of March and end the last day of February to comply with the new requirement adopted by…
Vineyard Teams Bested in Close Contests
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys’ hockey team suffered two of its toughest losses of the season this week, losing 3-2 in the closing minutes Friday to old rival Han-over, and then losing 4-1 to a top Division I team from Framingham at home Saturday. Coach Matt Mincone said his team actually played better…
Local Choreographer Produces Dance
Vineyard resident and choreographer Lucinda Childs was recently in New York to cast her upcoming production Dance. When the director of The Yard, Wendy Taucher, asked if I would be interested in observing, I jumped at the chance. Although Ms. Childs calls the Vineyard home, her work is performed predominately in Europe, where she has…
Class Registration Open
Class Registration Open Adult and Community Education Program registration is now open online at www.acemv.org, or you can find out more and register in person at Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 14 and 15, at 6 p.m. at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. You also can register on the first day of the class with a…
Fishing Fly-Tying Program at the Rod and Gun Club
The Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club fly-tying program will be held every Monday night at The Anchors, Council on Aging, in Edgartown, while the clubhouse on the shore of Sengekontacket Pond is being rebuilt. The Monday night fly-tying session had been on hold this winter because the clubhouse was unusable. It was suggested that…
All About Edgartown
All About Edgartown Edgartown 101, a six-week series of Wednesday evening programs exploring how Edgartown’s town government works, will open on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Edgartown Public Library. Panelists for the opening program are Philip J. (Jeff) Norton Jr., town meeting moderator, and Pamela Dolby, town administrator. The format will be informal,…
Decorated National Guardsman Will Speak at NAACP Brunch
On Monday, Jan. 19, the Martha’s Vineyard NAACP will hold its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. membership and award event at the Oyster Bar Grill in Oak Bluffs. The featured guest speaker will be a distinguished Vineyarder, Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter, former Oak Bluffs chief of police. Major General Carter is currently assigned…
Tax Volunteers Needed
Tax Volunteers Needed Volunteers are needed for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which operates in partnership with the IRS. The program uses volunteer tax counselors to help low-income taxpayers file their tax return. Other volunteer opportunities are also available. No experience necessary; all training is provided.
Chapter 35: Thar He Blows
In this year-long serialized novel set on the Vineyard in real time, a native Islander (“Call me Becca”) returns home to help her eccentric Uncle Abe keep his landscaping business, Pequot, afloat. His staff includes Mott, the general manager, and Quincas, a cute Brazilian. Abe has a monomania about Richard Moby, the CEO of an…
Art Show Helping Seniors Stay Warm This Winter
A Starving Artists Show — offering Vineyarders reasonably-priced art as well as a raffle for a signed, framed Ray Ellis print — is one of two imminent fundraisers for a fuel fund to help Edgartown seniors with winter fuel costs. The art show is Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s sponsored by…
Sophomores Speak Out
Even though winter has just begun, I think we all can’t wait to see the snow melt and finally see a sign of spring again. It has already been a tough autumn and winter, especially for Islanders. A lot of people are feeling the effects of the economic depression this winter. Construction on the Island…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip. Day Max. Min. Inches. Fº Fº Jan. 9 43 23 .74* Jan. 10 30 18 .00 Jan. 11 38 23 .74* Jan. 12 38 27 .02* Jan. 13 31 16 Trace* Jan. 14 41 22 .24 Jan. 15 24 17 Trace* *melted precipitation Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 38º F.
Hello, Kayla
Hello, Kayla Gina Williams, formerly of Edgartown, and Brian Bundza, of Milton, N.H., announce the birth of their daughter, Kayla Belle Bundza on Jan. 3, 2009 at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Me. Kayla weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces at birth. The proud grandparents are the late Frank J. Williams and Dona Lyons of Summerville,…
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT 508-627-8894 (margaret02539@yahoo.com) Three ewes have recently moved in with Debbie Sankey at Shepherd’s Hill Farm, across the road from the Chappy Store. Well, they have their own barn, a renovated horse run-in, but they are the beginnings of her farm family. Two sisters came from Mermaid Farm in Chilmark and are Icelandic crossed…
Island Grown Initiative Connects Farms to Schools
Island Grown Schools, the Island Grown Initiative’s farm-to-school program, is set to bring more local produce into school meals and snacks in 2009, developing a connection between cafeterias and farms that helps create a year-round market for locally-grown foods and a source of off-season income for Island farmers.
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA 508-693-3308 (vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
Aquinnah
JUNE MANNING 508-645-2574 (lthslnks@gis.net)
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY 508-693-2950 (alleys@vineyard.net)
New Arboretum Assessment Made Possible With Grant
The Polly Hill Arboretum recently completed its second conservation assessment through a grant administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Service’s Heritage Preservation Program. The assessment was an opportunity to update an original assessment which was completed in 2001.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER 508-687-9239 (hollynadler@gmail.com) By this time in January we’ve forsaken our personal New Year’s resolutions, am I right? But I’m hoping it’s not too late to propose a few for our town:
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE 508-627-5349 (kathleencase@comcast.net) Mother Nature is really showing her true colors this year. As I am writing this, it is 15 degrees outside, and tomorrow more snow, then Friday below zero. At least the days are getting longer. Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER 508-645-3378 (slaterjn@comcast.net)
Vineyard Graduate Wins Ambassadorial Scholarship
Adam Wilson, president of the Rotary Club of Martha’s Vineyard, announced that Nina E. Ferry, daughter of Michael and Beth Ferry of West Tisbury, has been awarded a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship for the years 2008-2009. Ms. Ferry graduated summa cum laude from Assumption College in 2007 majoring in English literature. During her undergraduate years,…
Gazette Chronicle: January Journal
January Journal From Gazette editions of January, 1934: The reeking of the sea all about the Island is something new in the way of natural phenomena to many of the younger Vineyarders. The word comes to us from the Scotch and the Icelanders, and it seems to describe as no other word the exhalation of…
Letters to the Editor
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY Editors, Vineyard Gazette: As an octogenarian and 20-year resident of the Vineyard, I’m following the debate on the matter of the most desirable emergency medical dispensing site (Jan. 9 Gazette). It seems to me that Oak Bluffs police chief Erik Blake is entirely wise in stating that asking all Vineyarders to…
This Tuesday, Dr. King’s Dream Finally Comes True
In years past we all have looked forward to celebrating and remembering the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as we recalled his leadership and contributions during the civil rights struggles. But today we are thinking about what Dr. King would say if he were with us as we celebrate the inauguration of Barack…
A Season for Calm: Notes on an Island Winter
The picture on my computer screen shows four grandchildren dancing at the edge of the water on South Beach. Madeline stands knee deep in surf, her hands lifted above the froth. Lindy is half turned from the incoming wave, ready to run for higher ground. Her cousin Burns faces bravely forward, feet firmly planted in…
Jupiter and Mercury
Two planets that began the year low in the western sky at sunset are now gone, leaving Venus alone.
January Days
January Days The whole Island, it seems, has got a case of the winter blahs. Of course the weather hasn’t helped — gray, rainy, icy, bitter cold, snowy — pull up the covers and make another pot of tea. Many down-Island storefronts are shuttered, recalling the year when Jaws II was filmed on the Island…
Obama’s Place in History, and Ours
Obama’s Place in History, and Ours A man with a keen sense of history will make history Tuesday when he takes the oath as the 44th president of these United States, a nation now confronting challenges of historic magnitude.
Oak Bluffs Fire Department Wins Grant for New Vents
The Oak Bluffs fire department received a $65,500 grant this week through the Department of Homeland Security to install a new ventilation system at the fire station that will remove toxic diesel exhaust from emergency vehicles inside the station. Oak Bluffs fire chief Gilbert (Peter) Forest said the funding will be used to install the…
Concert Promoter Fails to Pay Town
Festival Network, the national entertainment promoter that has held concerts in Ocean Park featuring the Boston Pops for the past two years, has yet to pay approximately $5,000 owed to the town for use of the park last summer, and questions have surfaced about whether the company will be holding a concert on the Vineyard…
Chappy Community Remains Divided on Bike Path Issue
Should there be a bike path on Chappaquiddick? The island has been mulling over the question on and off for 30 years. And rarely has the bike path been as live as today. There is a committee. There is a Web site. There are scores of letters and over 300 official positions. But no definitive…
Tower Grants
Tower Grants The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation is accepting inquiries for its 2009 Community Mental Health grant cycle. Organizations located on the Vineyard that focus on preventing or alleviating psychological disorders and substance abuse among children and adolescents and that address one or more of the foundation’s funding priorities may be eligible for…
Mr. Madden Enters the House
Snow frosted the Boston Common on Monday and the gold dome of the state house glowed beneath a bright January sun on temporary release from cloud cover. Inside, the newly sworn-in freshman Cape and Islands Rep. Tim Madden began his first full week representing his district. Mr. Madden of Nantucket is the first islander to…
Real Estate Classes
Real Estate Classes Beginning this month January, Dukes Academy, the Vineyard’s only licensed real estate school, will add to its existing continuing education curriculum in response to the current socioeconomic issues confronting the marketplace. New courses include Foreclosures and Commercial Real Estate Basics, Massachusetts Consumer Protection Law, 93A, Commonly Used Real Estate Forms, Massachusetts Real…
Slow Food at Détente
Slow Food at Détente Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard is collaborating with Détente Restaurant in Edgartown. Once a month,Détente will host a dinner salon with Island foods and discussions. Each salon will feature a guest speaker to stir discussion, plus five courses with local ingredients.
Sharky’s Helps Sally
Sharky’s Helps Sally Sharky’s Edgartown cantina is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m. to assist Islander Sally Sylvia with her medical expenses. Located at 266 upper Main street, the restaurant is offering food, a cash bar, entertainment and a silent auction. Tickets cost $20 and are available at the door. For…
Divided, Tisbury Selectmen Will Reprise Alcohol Question
Refusing to take no for an answer, proponents of beer and wine sales in Tisbury and two of the three selectmen have opted to again put the town through the referendum process which split voters literally down the middle last year. The warrant for this year’s annual town meeting will again contain an article seeking…
Failed Septic Grids Are A Factor in Park Flooding
An engineering report for Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs concludes that years of soggy conditions and flooding can be traced to failing septic grids, storm water runoff and a poorly functioning irrigation system. Prepared by the engineering firm of Stearns & Wheler in response to a notice of noncompliance issued by the State Department of…
Bird Count Nets One Decidedly Un-Avian Species: Brain Coral
Jan. 5, the day of the annual Christmas Bird Count, was freezing, snowy and windy. Not the sort of day you would expect to find a vagrant from the tropics. But there on the beach at Squibnocket, Bob Woodruff spotted a species not usually seen north of the tip of Florida. How did it come…
Building Inspector Asks MVC To Revisit FOCUS Conditions
Neighbor complaints about singing and music classes held at the West Tisbury branch of the Fellowship of Christians and Universities and Schools (FOCUS) could lead to a formal review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission of whether the youth ministry violated its conditions of approval from 13 years ago.
Cuts in State Grants Threaten Health Care Access Program
The program that connects Island residents with affordable health insurance has been forced to cut its staff and operations, as of the start of this year. Facing a shortfall of $80,000, Vineyard Health Care Access program director Sarah Kuh this week appealed to add an article to all town warrants asking taxpayers to make up…
What Tie to Choose? Try Classic Obama By Vineyard Vines
Predicitify, an online feature at the inaugurally feverish Washington Post, can’t yet guess what color tie President Obama will be wearing when he drops the hyphen-elect from his job title (bets favor solid blue). But Washington lawyer and longtime seasonal Islander Cara Grayer Johnson can predict exactly what her husband and father will be wearing…
Inauguration On the Island: So Free, So Easy
Tuesday will mark a day in history, the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first black president, elected only 44 years after Lyndon Johnson’s Civil Rights Act of 1964 granted suffrage to African Americans, and sworn in one day after the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday. And while it remains to be seen how…
SSA Gives Hy-Line License Fee Relief
Steamship Authority governors have opted to take a hit of up to $160,000 to boat line revenues this year so high-speed services to Nantucket can be maintained in the face of falling patronage.
Surgery Drop Hits Hospital Bottom Line
Hurt by falling patient volumes, especially in the area of orthopedic surgery, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is on track to end its year in red ink on an operating basis for the first time in nearly a decade. Hospital chief executive officer Tim Walsh said this week that while steps have been taken to beef…
Worried Edgartown Eliminates Cost of Living Salary Increases
Amid deep concern over the town’s economic future Edgartown town administrator Pamela Dolby announced in a letter sent yesterday that no municipal employees will receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to their salaries this year. “We are struggling to fund operating budgets, fixed costs, and articles needed by various departments,” Ms. Dolby wrote in…
Oak Bluffs Already in Red for This Year
In another indication of the struggling economy both here and across the nation, Oak Bluffs town leaders on Tuesday reported a projected budget shortfall of $336,000 for the current fiscal year, due largely to declining revenues tied to the sharp downturn in new construction.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Good Morning! The Gazette office will be closed on Monday in observance of the national holiday. The office will reopen on Tuesday morning, Jan. 20, inauguration day for the 44th President of the United States.
Hypnosis Classes
Hypnosis Classes
Need help with your New Year’s resolutions? There are new group hypnosis classes with Cynthia da Silva, certified hypnotherapist, beginning Jan. 19. A four-session series, the class is designed to help you lose weight and change your eating habits. Classes will be offered in various locations and class size is limited.…
Vineyard Gardener
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Keep Feeders Full
Cold weather brings our birds into feeders and bird baths. Please keep your feeders full, especially the suet feeders, and also try to provide some open water for our feathered friends.
Bird Sightings
Funds for Grants Available Through Edey Foundation
Funds for Grants Available
Through Edey Foundation
The Edey Foundation, founded by the late Maitland Edey of Seven Gates Farm, announces funds available for grants to Island nonprofit organizations.
The purpose of the foundation is to provide money for conservation and environmental programs on Martha’s Vineyard. Submissions that relate…
Hello, Griffin
Hello, Griffin
Beth and Chris Buehler of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Griffin Thomas Buehler, born on Dec. 22, 2008 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Griffin weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth. He joins big brother Noah.
Icy Blue Heart
You never really know your friends from your enemies until the ice breaks, says an Eskimo proverb. I don’t aim to find out.
