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
May 15, 2009
News Update: Tuesday, May 19 – Tisbury Police Chief Out
Tisbury selectmen have sacked the town’s police chief, John Cashin, following his outspoken criticism last week of dissident officers within his department and of selectmen for alleged meddling in his running of the department.
Deadline for Assistance To Pay Fuel Bills Is Today
The fuel assistance program will close for applications today, the South Shore Community Action Council Inc. has advised. Today is also the last day for deliveries. Anyone who did not receive an application in the mail yet is encouraged to apply.
Television Series Distorts History
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
The following is an open letter that was sent to PBS television from three New England Native American tribes.
Regarding After The Mayflower, (the first episode of We Shall Remain), the tribal historic preservation officers of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), the Narragansett Indian Tribe and…
Shadbush Points the Way
As I write this, the lilacs are just about to bloom and the dogwoods are in full flower. So are the apple-family trees, which include crabapples, pears and quinces. (I wouldn’t know a quince tree if I saw it; I can only distinguish the others because last year that tree had pears on it.) Blueberry…
Sophomores Speak Out
How to be more environmentally responsible: we all approach it on many different levels. But every little bit helps. This year especially is important to take the threat to our environment seriously. You read about “going green” everywhere. But what does that really mean? Whether you recycle regularly and have a compost bin in your…
Note to Self: Bike to Work; First Learn How
This week is Bay State Bike Week, according to the press release that landed in my inbox this morning.
Everyone from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to local commuters should do their part to raise awareness and keep Massachusetts clean, the press release said. I too should take action.
The thing is,…
Letters to the Editor
HOSPITAL RESPONDS
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
I am writing this letter in response to the Gazette’s recent article (April 10) and editorial (April 24) about insurance changes on Martha’s Vineyard.
There were several inaccuracies in these stories that need to be addressed.
Three recurring themes in these stories…
Art Alfresco
Art Alfresco
For a Good Cause
For a Good Cause
The cause for affordable housing is important, indeed vital, and many good people have been hard at work on this cause for a number of years now. Millions of dollars have been raised, countless hours of volunteer labor has been donated, housing has been built, and untold numbers of…
Pottery Auction
Pottery Auction
Blooming Bids for Kids, featuring unique planters and pottery for auction at Field Gallery and Sculpture Garden in West Tisbury, is a fund-raising event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Martha’s Vineyard. The event, Friday, June 19, is from 6 to 8 p.m. and will include fine wine, beer, heavy…
Poet Team Stages Reading At Vineyard Haven Library
Husband and wife poets Linda Black and Michael West will present a special reading at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, at the Vineyard Haven Public Library.
Mr. West has developed a new style of reading his poetry; he talks directly to you as if you were having a conversion, leaving you no…
Learn Anatomy
Learn Anatomy
A special anatomy workshop will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31 at the Yoga Barn in West Tisbury, taught by Anne Gilroy, associate professor at UMass Medical School, Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Preregister before May 23…
High Tea to Remember Marcy Slater
A celebration of friendship in memory of Marcy Slater will take place on Sunday, May 17, at 2 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. There will be songs, poems and stories about friendship, followed by high tea, Marcy’s favorite treat! All are welcome.
March to the Sea
March to the Sea
The Tisbury School March to the Sea parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 22. Students will march from the school to Owen Park via Spring and Main streets. The ceremony will take approximately 45 minutes. Students will be dismissed from Owen Park at approximately 1:15 p.m.…
Calling Volunteers
Calling Volunteers
The American Red Cross, Cape Cod and Islands chapter, is looking for additional volunteers in disaster services and for general support in the next few months. Training will be provided free of charge.
Tom Dresser Signs Book
Tom Dresser Signs Book
Thomas Dresser has a new book, entitled In My Life, published by Red Lead Press. The novel, his first work of fiction, is a coming-of-age story set in a small Massachusetts town with the backdrop of the 1960s.
To promote his new venture, a print-on-demand publication, Mr.…
Cafeteria Food Never Looked So Green, Thanks to Eco Store
April 27 through May 1 was Green Week at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. With a theme of Purple Goes Green, the event was planned and organized by the student council. “All 750 students knew about Green Week and participated in one way or another in the programs,” said student council president Maxwell Nunes.
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
May 8 63 51 .16
May 9 69 53 .03
May 10 62 53 .03
May 11 68 44 Trace
May 12 62 46 .00
May 13 64 38 .01
May 14 64 49 .00
…
Hello, Hector
Hello, Hector
Maria and Jose de Freitas Gomes of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a baby boy, Hector Henrique de Freitas Pinto, on May 5 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Hector weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth.
Announcing Alexandre
Announcing Alexandre
Cassia Paim and Carlos Guerrero of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Alexandre P. Guerrero, born on May 12, 2009, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Alexandre weighed 9 pounds, 5 ounces at birth.
Kimberly Arrives
Kimberly Arrives
Geane Peres and Darci Peres of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Kimberly Siqueira Peres, born on May 5, 2009, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Kimberly weighed 10 pounds, 4 ounces at birth.
Drama Club Wins Prestigious Invitation to Scotland
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival — it’s the biggest arts festival in the world, and the drama department at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, under the direction of Kate Murray, has been chosen as one of the U.S. representatives for its 2010 lineup.
The students will be part of the American High School…
High School Newspaper Wins Tops Honors
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School student newspaper The High School View took top honors with a first place award in the All-New England category in Division II from the New England Scholastic Press Association (NESPA). The award was announced May 1 by Helen F. Smith, NESPA executive director, during the organization’s annual conference at…
Youth Lacrosse News
Youth Lacrosse News
The under-11 boys youth lacrosse team narrowly lost to Bourne last Sunday 9-8. Scoring goals for the Vineyard were Henry Wallace (1), Greg McCarron (2) and Jack Garrett (5). An outstanding job was done by goalie Lucas DeBettencourt.
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
This is the time of spring when cars parked at my house turn yellow and white. The yellow is because of the oak pollen. The oak trees near the parking area have started leafing out, and their pollen makes a fine yellow coating on any…
Track Team Dominates Again; Girls’ Lacrosse Keeps Winning
In what has fast became a rite of spring, regional high school track and field teams again dominated their annual Mayflower League meet on Tuesday at Sacred Heart in Kingston. The girls team broke three league records en route to their fourth conference title in a row and the boys staged a late rally to…
Rings High Above
The ringed planet Saturn hangs high in the evening sky. On one of the clearest evenings the Vineyard has had this month, we had no trouble finding the planet right under the zodiacal constellation Leo. The planet is not as bright as we’ve seen in past years.
Student Wins Internship
Student Wins Internship
Julie Pringle, a Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School junior from Tisbury, has been chosen as one of seven students from the Cape and Islands for a two-week summer internship, Careers in Marine Science.
The students will learn from scientists at many of the Woods Hole science centers, will…
Old Salts Lend Skills to Youngsters
Tomorrow is the first ever Kids Fishing Jamboree. Youngsters from all over the Island are invited to attend a learn-how-to-fish program and it involves a lot of experienced anglers. Registration is at 8:15 a.m. at the Edgartown School and it is open to all children aged six through 14 years of age. The program is…
Early Birds Catch the Trout at Duarte’s Pond
Spring rain and fog did little to dampen the spirits of young anglers and their parents participating in the 35th annual Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club trout tournament early Saturday morning — very early. More than 200 youngsters rose before sunrise to get to Duarte’s Pond in West Tisbury in time for the…
Consumer Price Watch
Gas
Gas prices are on the move, and a recent article in the Boston Globe attributes the rise to the approach of Memorial Day and optimism about the economy. Wouldn’t we be more optimistic if gas prices stayed low? The local AAA chapter reports a 22-cent increase in a month’s time as the…
Concert for Tom Osmers
Concert for Tom Osmers
A benefit concert will be held on Sunday, May 17 for Tom Osmers, the West Tisbury shellfish constable and well-known Island figure who recently became ill. The event will be at the Agricultural Hall from 5 to 10 p.m. A potluck dinner will be followed by live music, including Willie…
Lyme Disease Study Will Headline Tribe Health Expo
The results are ready from a national centers for disease control (CDC) study of tick-borne diseases in the Island Wampanoag population, but the outbreak of swine flu may delay their release, the tribe’s environmental health coordinator Cynthia Robinson said this week.
The study is a key feature of a wide-ranging environmental health exposition…
Schoolyard Billies Occupy Cyberspace, Confounding Rules
School bullies are moving out of the schoolyard and into cyberspace, making the job of monitoring and curbing abuse more difficult for educators such as Neal Weaver, assistant principal at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
“You can’t just see a fight in the playground and break it up anymore,” said Mr. Weaver,…
Sparks Fly Over Former Library Plan
Oak Bluffs selectmen clashed this week over whether a plan to convert the former town library at the corner of Penacook and Circuit avenue into a pharmacy and affordable housing should be referred to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission for review.
The project has been spearheaded by the town affordable housing committee and its…
Wastewater Board Bans New Hookups Until Next Summer
No new hookups will be allowed at the Oak Bluffs wastewater treatment plant until at least next June, due to orders from the state Department of Environmental Protection that relate to the problems with treated effluent seeping to the surface at Ocean Park.
Voters Face a Slimmer Warrant on Tuesday
Though it contains some important housekeeping matters, next Tuesday’s Aquinnah special town meeting warrant is noteworthy more for what has been removed than for what remains.
Aquinnah Voters Scrutinize but Agree
Aquinnah ended the Island political season on a big yes this week, approving all warrant articles at Tuesday’s annual town meeting, then voting to approve a $100,000 override and backing all candidates in the town election Wednesday.
Voters approved a $3 million budget, increased education costs and made their way through 16 articles…
Norton Point Breach Migrates Eastward
A little more than two years after a hurricane-like spring storm tore a wide opening at Norton Point beach in Edgartown, the breach has begun to change, migrating eastward toward Chappaquiddick. As a result the tides in Katama Bay and the Edgartown harbor have begun to moderate, which may mean some relief for sailors and…
Police Chief Lashes Out
On the eve of contract negotiations with the town, Tisbury police chief John Cashin yesterday mounted an extraordinary attack on dissident members of his own department, threatening to sue some officers for defamation over a whispering campaign against him.
He also accused one of the selectmen — whom he declined to name but…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-9239
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
It’s been said before, but Mother’s Day isn’t truly for mothers. It’s for florists and chocolatiers, and we all know any number of nice florists and chocolatiers whom we wish well and hope that they prosper every year on that special Sunday in May. In…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark is lush and green with lots of flowering shrubs both in gardens and in the wild along the roadsides. A real treat to our winter-tired eyes! And, I am sure, a challenge to all gardeners to get moving!
An early riser…
Aquinnah
JUNE MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
Congratulations to Aquinnah selectman Jim Newman who won reelection on Wednesday and will once again serve our community well. As of Wednesday evening, I did not have the exact figures but do know that the over-ride also passed. There will be a special town meeting…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
Our lovely town has burst with all the greens and pinks a spring can give after a long rain and then the warm sun coming out. We went to Oak Bluffs and the water is beautiful and the beaches are welcoming. How could you not…
Possible Dreams Auction Will Move to Ocean Park, A Historic Seaside Setting
The annual Possible Dreams Auction, the Island’s signature summer charity event that has sustained Martha’s Vineyard Community Services for more than three decades, is heading back to the seaside and will take place this year in Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs, allowing the event to expand its capacity as the economy hammers philanthropy across the…
Bankroll Your Day’s Birding For Benefit of Felix Neck
Felix Neck needs birders and sponsors to participate in Mass Audubon’s 26th year of birding competition. Birders and donors raise money for Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and our programs by getting pledges per number of bird species seen or making a donation to the Felix Neck team.
Dessert and Auction
Dessert and Auction
Everyone is invited to a dessert and auction hosted by the Federated Church youth group on Sunday, May 17 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the parish house on South Sumemr street in Edgartown.
An auction will follow the dessert, with Pastor Jerry Fritz serving as auctioneer. Items…
Arts Extravaganza
Arts Extravaganza
On Wednesday, May 20, the performing and visual arts students at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School will present Evening of the Arts, an evening of art, music and drama. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
The halls will be filled with student art work ranging from sculpture…
Cook’s New Notebook Is Island Grown Magazine Edible Vineyard
Over the past 15 years, Alison Berlow’s trajectory from stay-at-home mom to radio essayist, to founder and executive director of the Island Grown Initiative and, most recently, the editor of Edible Vineyard, has been inextricably tied with the rising fortunes of the local food movement.
Victoria Trumbull Is Back, and So Is Cynthia Riggs
West Tisbury author Cynthia Riggs will talk about her latest book Death and Honesty, the eighth in her Martha’s Vineyard mystery series, at the Chilmark Public Library on Wednesday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m.
Sinfonietta Brings in Spring With Diverse Program
The Vineyard Sinfonietta presents a spring concert Tuesday, May 26, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Library.
Soloists Nan White (flute), Jan Hyer (cello) and Matt Pelikan (block flute) will perform in selections by Baroque composers such as Handel, Purcell and Bach all the way up in time through Mozart…
I’m Jewish? Feiffer Film Explores Identity
Matzo & Mistletoe, a documentary from Vineyard-based filmmaker and author Kate Feiffer, will screen on Thursday, May 21, at 6 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Public Library.
Ms. Feiffer was six years old when her father told her she was Jewish. Since she celebrated Christmas and never attended synagogue, this information came as…
Artists Add New Life to Family Planning as Funds Are Fallow
Question: What do art and women’s reproductive health services have in common? Answer: One supports the other.
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
This may have been the most beautiful week in the garden year. The previous week’s rain combined with a sunny weekend brought out leaves and flowers in spades. I was amazed by two ornamental cherry trees in particular — next to Morrice Florist and on the Edgartown Road between Skiff…
Fields of Green
Keep off the grass.
Good advice for the grass that is the only type of turf that I would ever advocate for. I am no lover of lawns; wildflowers and weeds are more valuable for the wild things in our neighborhood.
The grass of which I speak never needs trimming. In fact, the…
Osprey Nest at High School
It is a treat to find young people who are interested in what is happening in the natural world, not the virtual computer world. A couple of days ago I called John Nelson, the science teacher at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, and he answered the phone so that his students could communicate with…
Chapter 52: Prelude to a Chase
In this year-long serialized novel set on the Vineyard in real time, a native Islander (“Call me Becca”) returns home after many years away, to help her unstable Uncle Abe keep his landscaping business, Pequot, afloat. Abe has a monomaniacal fear and loathing of Richard Moby, the CEO of an off-Island wholesaler, Broadway Nursery. Recently,…
