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
February 13, 2009
Is it a Junkyard, or Just Junk? Court Will Decide
Acting as mediators in the second such neighborhood dispute in as many months, Edgartown selectmen approved taking legal action against a resident of Slough Cove Road who has failed to remove junk from his property.
Robert Sequeira is in violation of zoning laws, according to members of the Dunham’s Corner residents association who…
Hospital, Windemere Staff Win Health Care Awards
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center joined Partners HealthCare to celebrate the 13th annual Partners in Excellence award program at a ceremony held at the hospital on Jan. 30.
Established in 1996, the awards recognize individuals and teams at all levels. Award recipients are nominated by their colleagues. This is…
Dean’s List
Dean’s List
Tara Reynolds of Edgartown was named to the dean’s list at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., for fall quarter 2008. She is an illustration major.
Gazette Takes Home Twelve Awards
The Vineyard Gazette won 12 awards in the annual New England Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest this year, including six first place awards that recognized the 163-year-old weekly newspaper for excellence in journalism across the spectrum from advertising to editorial.
MVC Won’t Raise Town Assessments
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week unanimously approved a revised budget for next year which does not increase assessments for the six Island towns.
But it does preserve salary increases of about four per cent for commission staff.
MVC chairman Christina Brown, an elected member from Edgartown, opened last Thursday’s discussion…
Consumer Price Watch
Consumer Price Watch
By SUSAN CATLING
Gas
Prices for regular unleaded gas as of Feb.11:
Edgartown
Airport Mobil 2.599 Depot Corner 2.599
Edgartown Mobil 2.659
Oak Bluffs
deBettencourt’s 2.579
Jim’s 2.699
Vineyard Haven
…
Bradley Square Opposition Voices Concerns Over Plan
A new review of the Bradley Square affordable housing project in Oak Bluffs last Thursday by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission brought a fresh round of criticism from neighbors and abutters.
Opponents remain firm in their position that the project is too large for the neighborhood, despite changes that have been made to the…
Poet Rose Styron Named Spring Fellow at Harvard
Vineyard Haven poet, journalist and human rights activist Rose Styron has been named a resident fellow for the spring semester at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Over the course of the semester, Mrs. Styron and other resident fellows will lead weekly study groups, interact…
A Classic Open and Shut Case: Strolling Edgartown in Winter
Walking around downtown Edgartown in February, it is easy to discover just how many ways there are to say, “We’re closed.”
There is the restrained: “Closed. See you in May.” The effusive, “We are EXCITED to be reopening on Main Street this Spring 2009!” The amicable: “Have a great winter,” and the downright…
Accepted at Law School
Accepted at Law School
Vanessa Williams of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., has been accepted to Pace University’s Law Program for the fall of 2009. Vanessa is a 2002 graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and a 2006 graduate of Marlboro College in Vermont. She is the daughter of Woody and Phyllis Williams…
Island Democratic Council Will Meet This Saturday
The Democratic Council of Martha’s Vineyard will meet this Saturday, Feb. 14, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Howes House, across from Alley’s Store in West Tisbury. The meeting is open to Democrats Islandwide.
Mas Kimball, newly elected chairman, will call the meeting to order. The agenda includes results of town caucuses…
Sample Edible Magazine
Sample Edible Magazine
Edible Vineyard, a new quarterly magazine independently owned by Sam and Ali Berlow of Vineyard Haven, will be on the newsstands this April. A non-glossy free publication, the magazine is “all about the people who raise, grow, catch, hunt, cook and of course eat, on Martha’s Vineyard,” according to a…
Bridge Tourney Winners
Bridge Tourney Winners
Gail Farrish of Edgartown and David Donald of Vineyard Haven recently finished first at the Eastern Massachusetts Bridge Association sectional tournament. They won the stratified pairs event at the holiday sectional in Watertown.
Sophia Arrives
Sophia Arrives
Rachel and Joseph Pancotti 3rd of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Sophia Courtney Pancotti, on Jan. 27 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Sophia weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces at birth.
Nonprofits Learn Techniques for How to Follow the Money
Poking out from the gloom of financial news is new hope for the fund-raising efforts of Island nonprofit organizations. A partnership of the Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative, the Oak Bluffs Public Library and the Associated Grant Makers of Massachusetts has established the Grant Resource Center at the library, available for organizations and individuals.
Boys’ High School Hockey Team Skates Into South Sectional Finals Tournament
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys’ hockey team fought to the bitter end against the Nauset Warriors in Orleans on Wednesday but gave up a goal in the final minutes to lose 2-1, in a battle of two teams battling for position in the division 2 south sectionals.
Fishermen Get Organized
Fishermen Get Organized
Vineyard commercial and recreational fishermen are invited to attend a meeting to discuss a plan to organize as a group; the meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven.
Lambert’s Cove Inn Offers Reward for Return of Sign
The hand-carved sign formerly at the entrance of the Lambert’s Cove Inn and Restaurant in West Tisbury was stolen Saturday night or early Sunday morning, and the owners of the inn are offering a reward for the return of the custom-made marker, valued at $2,000.
Sophomores Speak Out
“Um” and “uh” are currently used words today even though they aren’t really words. We use them like words when we are trying to think of what we want to say. “Anyways” is another example. Did you know that anyway is a word, but anyways is not? I tried to talk for a minute without…
More Jobs, and Hurry Please
President Obama has inherited the most challenging global economic crisis in the nation’s history. If we thought for one moment that we had the luxury of political drama offered up by Republicans and those few Blue Dog Democrats who have become oppositionists, we are sadly mistaken as daily Americans lose jobs by the thousands. The…
Turbine Regulations Go Overboard
Wind turbines are coming.
That statement is not just a hopeful vision for a cleaner and more efficient energy future — it is also a statement of fact. It is happening, and happening quickly.
Our newly inaugurated chief executive wants more electricity from renewable energy. In his inaugural address, President Obama…
Oak Bluffs
TOM DRESSER
It’s an honor to write the Oak Bluffs column while Holly Nadler takes a couple of months off.
Skating on Crystal Lake, aka Ice House Pond, was great last week! The ice was like glass, as they say. A score of fish, carp I believe, were caught in the…
Stop Casting About Aimlessly; Make Stripers a Game Fish
About 15 years ago Fred Golofaro (longtime publisher of a popular East Coast fishing weekly) and I stood ankle deep at North Bar, a striper hot spot on Montauk’s rocky north side. We watched as medium sized stripers exploded under pencil poppers that were being cast out into the rip by a line of surf…
How’s Your Dream Come True?
NEW YORK CITY — I watched the first episode of How’s Your News? on Sunday night and am inclined to think that this broadcast may represent the greatest single example of a dream come true that I’ve ever personally witnessed.
Vineyard Notebook: Our Quite Town
By 5:30 p.m. on a midwinter evening, the traffic into and out of Vineyard Haven had thinned; there wasn’t much anyway, the whole day had been blustery, with snow squalls off and on. No strollers and not many shoppers. The stores got ready to close, and people hurried about their business, finishing errands, getting to…
Shelter in a Storm
Shelter in a Storm
Chappy
BRAD FLIGOR
Margaret Knight escaped the confines of Chappy this week. She was last seen boarding a plane bound for San Francisco. Chappy marshals have been dispatched and we understand that she will be returned to the Island within a week. In the interim, I am filling in for her as the Chappy…
Aquinnah
JUNE MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
Congratulations to my fellow staff members at the Vineyard Gazette for receiving accolades and returning home with 12 awards during the New England Press Association annual award dinner and exposition held in Boston over the weekend. It is rewarding to be among those high achievers…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Our push through February is demanding that we remain in winter mode. There have been cold and icy days this week past and a sunny and warm day that encouraged even the daffodils to make an appearance. I found several of my flowers up…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
It feels like we are going through the January thaw in February this year. The warm weather is teasing us into an April fool’s joke. But we will take it and it was nice to see the snow leave in one day.
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Feb. 6 20 6 .00
Feb. 7 38 13 .00
Feb. 8 44 35 .00
Feb. 9 54 28 .00
Feb. 10 40 24 .00
Feb. 11 48 32 .00
Feb. 12 56 40 .16
…
Craig Kingsbury Hangs in Moakley Federal Court
Craig Kingsbury Hangs
In Moakley Federal Court
A portrait of the late Craig Kingsbury of Vineyard Haven, who died in 2002, can be seen on the Web site of the John Joseph Moakley federal courthouse in Boston. The oil painting is the work of Elizabeth Henshaw of Wakefield, Mr. Kingsbury’s granddaughter.…
Citizen Police Academy
Citizen Police Academy
The Oak Bluffs police department will host its second annual citizen’s police academy this year. The academy gives ordinary citizens the chance to observe the daily operations of the police department. It will include training sessions with officers, discussions and an optional ride in the cruiser, trip to the firearms…
Midlife Is Not a Crisis
Midlife Is Not a Crisis
Are you a person beyond mid-life who has been wondering how to make the most of the rest of your life? Join a new discussion group which meets at the West Tisbury library on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 8 to 9:30 a.m.
Love Planet
Venus, the goddess of love, is high in the western sky tonight and for the nights ahead. The showing doesn’t get any better than this, especially since it coincides with Valentine’s Day tomorrow. The planet is high in the west at sunset, speeding along through the stars, keeping ahead of the movement of the sun.
Many Questions, Few Answers on Closing of MSPCA Shelter
A spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) shelter was tight-lipped about details behind the decision to close the Vineyard branch of the financially troubled organization this week.
The MSPCA announced last Thursday it would close the Katharine M. Foote memorial building in Edgartown on May 1,…
Jabberwockians Star in Original Show on MTV
What began as a lark on a summer’s day in Vineyard Haven 10 years ago has grown to become a national phenomenon.
How’s Your News is a groundbreaking piece of programming in terms of the way popular media portrays disability, and its origins can be traced directly to Camp Jabberwocky, the Island’s well-known…
Drunk Driving Cases Fluctuate
In August of 2008 a 20-year-old man drove into a tree in Chilmark and was deemed intoxicated by police. In February of 2008 in Oak Bluffs another man failed five sobriety field tests and the chemical test at Dukes County jail. In November of 2008 in Oak Bluffs still another man, arrested a second time…
School Enrollment Projections Are Revised; Budgets Affected
The changing economy is wreaking minor havoc with school enrollment projections for the next five years.
Student enrollment on the Vineyard is now projected to remain roughly level through 2013, according to a recent report from the New England School Development Council (NESDEC).
The new report contradicts last year’s figures which…
Schooner High and Dry for Repairs — Again
Shenandoah, the graceful 108-foot topsail schooner that has long been a landmark in the Vineyard Haven harbor, is laid up at a Fairhaven shipyard, her majestic hull stripped bare and her ribs exposed as she undergoes extensive work to reverse a botched restoration job performed by a shipyard in Maine last year.
Robert…
Jobless Rate is at Record High
More Island workers than ever are without jobs and seeking unemployment benefits this winter.
All the Presidents
The Vineyard Gazette office will be closed on Monday in observance of Presidents’ Day. Early copy from correspondents will be appreciated in the short week that follows.
Brickyard Walk
Brickyard Walk
Explore the Menemsha Hills brickyard ruins, the last remnants of a once-prosperous Vineyard industry, on Sunday, Feb. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join the Trustees of Reservations for this annual guided hike.
Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
The hike is free to Trustees members,…
Welcome Linden
Welcome Linden
Hope and Chris MacLeod of Chilmark announce the birth of a daughter, Linden Theresa, born on Feb. 3 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Linden weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and joins her big sister Finnegan.
Chilmark Potluck
Chilmark Potluck
Filmakers Focus Lens on Child Poverty
Left hungry on the street after his mother’s death, on the run from police and stoned on shoemaker’s glue, 13-year-old Emmanuel has meager expectations for life. He is simply looking for something to eat, a place to sleep and perhaps just a chance at a better life.
“I want to go school right…
Love Blooms
Even though it is only February, there will soon be a mad smattering of blooms Islandwide.
It is not global warming causing the flowers to blossom early; rather, it is the lovefest of St. Valentine’s Day that brings out the buds. Flowers are one of the more common gifts bestowed on this special…
Birds Sense Spring
Sounds of water running in the gutters were unmistakable. It was the night of Feb. 7, and the skies were clear, so the source of the water was not a rainstorm. It was the sound of melting snow and ice draining off my roof; a welcome sound to my ears as it optimistically signifies that…
On Island Tables: Making Time With Your Crockpot
Making Time With Your Crockpot
By Cynthia Cowan
It’s tough to turn out a slow-cooked meal if you work full-time. Lunch breaks involve mad dashes home to sear the pot roast before settling it into the oven for a four-hour braise. Stews are nearly impossible, requiring a stirring every half hour…
Charity Casino Benefits Island HIV/AIDS Camp
On Friday, Feb. 13 from 7 p.m. to closing, the Grill on Main will host Casino for Camp, a casino night featuring blackjack, roulette, Texas hold-em, and cash prizes. All proceeds will benefit the Safe Haven Project spring camp in April. The project is a nonprofit learning organization that provides educational opportunities for young people…
Michael Zide Featured
Michael Zide Featured
Photographer Michael Zide will be featured by the Moab Paper Company at an upcoming convention in Las Vegas this weekend. Select images from his Vineyard landscapes and fine art portfolios will be on display. A former photographer for the Vineyard Gazette who now teaches at the Hallmark Photography Institute in…
Granary Sale
Granary Sale
The Granary Gallery at the Red Barn in West Tisbury is offering 25 per cent off original artworks starting on Valentine’s Day and continuing through March. For details, visit granarygallery.com or call 508-693-0455.
Good Grief! High School Players Bring Charlie Brown and Company to Life
C harles Schulz never much liked Valentine’s Day, and neither did his fictional creation Charlie Brown. As Charlie Brown says, it is the day that reminds us that, “nothing echoes like the sound of an empty mailbox.”
When Mr. Schulz died on this day nine years ago, bringing an end to the 50-year run…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
February is my favorite month. For starters, I share a birthday with Abraham Lincoln. In elementary school I was expected to memorize the Gettysburg Address and build log cabins for history projects. It has been fun this year being his 200th birthday. He looks good for his age, don’t you…
Chapter 39: Here Comes Valentine’s
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…
