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
June 12, 2009
On Track for the Cancer Society
Despite dismal weather conditions, the sixth annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Martha’s Vineyard raised more than $60,000 for cancer research and patient services in the walk through the night to help raise funds and cancer awareness.
News Update: Friday, June 12, 9 pm – Youth in Fatal Car Accident
An 18-year-old woman from Oak Bluffs was killed last night in a single car accident on the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road, West Tisbury police have confirmed.
She was the passenger in a car driven by a 17-year-old woman, also from Oak Bluffs. The driver was injured and police believe she has been transported off…
Day’s End on Eel Pond
Day’s End on Eel Pond
Sunlight falls through holes in the clouds
spotlighting the marsh grass here and not there,
whitening a sail out on the water, leaving
others in shadow, shining the transom
of the moored cat boat, its bow disappearing.
The…
Letter from the President
Editor’s Note: The following letter was sent to Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Montana Sen. Max Baucus by President Barack Obama on June 2 following a meeting between the President and a group of key senators about health care reform. In remarks beforehand the President said: “So we can’t afford to put this off,…
Need the MVC? Now More Than Ever
The following was sent to the Edgartown selectmen:
As your appointed representative to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, it is my duty to respond to the statements made by Mr. Smadbeck as reported by the Vineyard Gazette on Friday, June 5. My experience with the commission over the last eight and a half years…
A New England Village, and Life Was Good
Bittersweet Beginnings: A Sketchbook of a Great Depression Boyhood by James V. Wyman. Plaidsweed Publishing, Concord, N.H. Illustrated by Linda L. Tillson , 137 pages $19.95
Shelter Open for Business
Shelter Open for Business
Trent the gentle giant is a two-year-old neutered Great Dane who needs a home. He’s friendly and loves kids. A large yard (and dog bed) are required. Make that very large.
The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, formerly the MSPCA, has been steam cleaned, repainted and is…
Commencement 2009
Commencement 2009
On Sunday afternoon two hundred graduating seniors will march down the aisle of the historic Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs as the strains of Pomp and Circumstance float out into the warm June seaside air.
Tisbury Senior Center Honors Its Volunteers
As part of National Volunteers Week, the Tisbury Council on Aging honored its volunteers on Sunday, April 26, for the work they do for the community. Joyce Stiles-Tucker, director of the council on aging, noted that volunteers serve the community in many ways. They deliver holiday meals, meals on wheels, act as insurance counselors, answer…
New Grant Available For Women’s Assistance
Women Empowered is pleased to announce the opportunity for Vineyard community organizations to apply for a grant of up to $3,000.
The funds have been provided to the group by Mal Jones, whose mission is to enable women’s organizations to collaborate to foster growth.
To be eligible, applicants should have a…
Roots and Shoots
Roots and Shoots
Featherstone Center for the Arts continues to be an affiliate of the Jane Goodall Institute by sponsoring a youth Roots and Shoots youth group on the Vineyard. The group is in its third year. Members participate as part of a global network.
The group membership has grown to…
To Marry in Menemsha
To Marry in Menemsha
Ralph Tirro 3rd and Heidi Jardin are pleased to announce their engagement. Mr. Tirro, originally of Newton, and Ms. Jardin, of Oak Bluffs, will be married on May 29, 2010, at the Beach Plum Inn in Menemsha.
The couple currently resides in Marlborough.
Mr. Tirro…
Island Realtor Assists with State Realty Exam Update
Robert M. Sawyer, Island real estate instructor and author of Massachusetts Real Estate Principles, Practice and Law, recently participated in a meeting of experts to update the state-licensing exam for real estate salespersons and brokers in Massachusetts.
Please Adopt Us
The following animals are available for adoption at the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard.
Trent is a two-year-old neutered black Great Dane who is house-trained and loves people and kids. He is super friendly and just needs a nice big yard where he can run.
Felix is a big black tuxedo…
Fishermen Seek Congressional Action
Bait fish that were once plentiful in the waters around the Cape and Islands have grown scarce. And recreational fishermen want Congress to step in to help do something about it.
Menhaden, also called bunker, have all but disappeared. Atlantic mackerel had a weak showing this spring. Even squid are down; the commonwealth…
Old Manning Homestead Razed, Making Room for Family
An old house came down in Aquinnah this week, and with it six generations of family history and more memories than anyone could count.
But this is not a trophy house story. The Manning family homestead was razed to make way for two new modest homes that will house the three Manning sisters:…
North Road Closes
North Road Closes
Beginning Monday, the eastern end of North Road in West Tisbury, from its terminus at State Road to the Chilmark town line, will be closed to through traffic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. due to paving. The closure is expected to last about three days. For information call the…
Magazine Nominated for National Awards
The Martha’s Vineyard Magazine last week was a finalist for the 2009 National City and Regional Magazine Awards in two categories: general excellence and ancillary publications for its Home and Garden magazine.
“Martha’s Vineyard succeeds at its mission to capture the character of the Island while focusing on issues for locals and visitors…
Oak Bluffs: Petroleum Spills, Businesses Face Booze Board
A state board that controls the sale of alcohol has been keeping an eye on the town of Oak Bluffs this spring, and the result this week was citations to four establishments for selling alcohol to minors.
The most serious violator is The Ritz Cafe, which has been ordered to close its doors…
Ferry Passenger Count Up From Last Year
In these tough times, Steamship Authority general manager Wayne Lamson is as eager as anyone else to find some tiny cause for optimism, and thinks he might at last have found one.
The number of people riding the ferries to the Vineyard has ticked up at last, just as the tourist season is…
Bicycle Path Extension Would Keep Cyclists Safe From Traffic
A new report released this week by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission lays out an ambitious plan to fill in the gaps in the network of bike paths that runs through the three up-Island towns to create a continuous loop with better access to downtown areas while avoiding dangerous intersections like Five Corners in Vineyard Haven.
The Graduates
Class of 2009(PDF)
Good morning! High School commencement ceremonies begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. Read the Tuesday Gazette for full coverage.
Ravaged by Fire, A Book Store Returns to Life
Thousands upon thousands of books now line the new shelves of the Bunch of Grapes bookstore, ready for its reopening this Saturday. But one book in particular played a big role in determining the new look of refurbished business.
It is Paco Underhill’s Why We Buy: the Science of Shopping. The wider aisles,…
Confusion Reigns Over Grant for the Oak Bluffs Waterfront
A state grant awarded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation for repairs to the Oak Bluffs waterfront is now the subject of a complicated and contentious conflict, with town officials clashing over how the funds should be used and where the matching portion of the grant — around $300,000 — should come from.
High School Class of 2009 Prepares to Face the Future
They’ve left no time to worry about the future. Instead, they have directed their energy toward preparing for it.
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High school Class of 2009 has not been coddled into believing that the journey ahead will be easy. It is difficult to maintain raw optimism in the face of a…
Class Valedictorian Headed to Wheaton
It seems appropriate, somehow, that the first reward Bethany Pennington received upon hearing that she was the valedictorian of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 2009 was extra homework.
“The principal called me into his office and said, ‘You’re the valedictorian. You have to make a speech at graduation and it’s…
Shattered Peace on North Road
A series of wetlands violations in the town of Chilmark underpin drama which is the stuff of a daytime soap opera, complete with tangled relationships, trespassing orders and bitter class divisions.
A fiery public hearing at a recent meeting of the Chilmark conservation commission revealed more than one layer of problems at the…
Consumer Price Watch
Gas
Prices for regular unleaded gas as of June 9:
Edgartown
Airport Mobil $3.239 Depot Corner $3.199
Edgartown Mobil $3.259
Oak Bluffs
deBettencourt’s $3.139
Jim’s $3.299
Vineyard Haven
Citgo $3.239
Tisbury Shell $3.249
…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
June 5 64 54 .03
June 6 58 54 .87
June 7 72 54 .00
June 8 78 59 .01
June 9 69 54 Trace
June 10 62 53 .30
June 11 67 56 .51
…
Announcing Kyla
Announcing Kyla
John S. Lovewell of Edgartown is proud to announce the birth of his first great-grandchild. Kyla Tavares Lipin was born to Quinn and Danilla Lipin of Wellesley on June 3, 2009. She was born at the Newton Wellesley Hospital, at 6:24 p.m. and weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces.
Her…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Lots of news and many announcements take our attention this week. Best to get the date book out and get set for early summer fun — I am assuming that the summer weather will eventually catch up with the calendar! Chilmark has been sort…
Moon and Jupiter
Tomorrow night’s gibbous moon appear close to the bright planet Jupiter in the southeastern sky. The two rise in the east well before midnight. Both are in the zodiacal constellation Capricornus.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
I am beginning to think an ark might not be a bad idea. The two days the sun was out, people were in a great mood. I am holding the weather forecasters to a sunny weekend.
Happy birthday to all who celebrated their…
Welcome Davide
Welcome Davide
Luciana Brito and Fabio Coutinho announce the birth of a baby boy, Davide Brito Coutinho, on June 5 at the Martha’ Vineyard Hospital. Davide weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Announcing Emmett
Announcing Emmett
Noli and Isaac Taylor of Aquinnah announce the birth of a baby boy, Emmett Cole Taylor, on June 5 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Emmett weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
Milo Arrives
Milo Arrives
Emily Fischer and Doug Brush of West Tisbury announce the birth of a baby boy, Milo Francis Brush, on June 8 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Milo weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces at birth.
Welcome Eliza
Welcome Eliza
Nell Coogan and Anthony Carestia of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a baby girl, Eliza Belliveau Carestia, on June 4 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Eliza weighed 6 pounds, 13.2 ounces at birth.
Production Company Announces Casting Call
Emergency Film Group of Edgartown announces an open casting call on Wednesday, June 17, for extras needed for an upcoming film to be shot in Oak Bluffs. Actors are being sought to play the roles of teenagers, teachers, and criminals. No experience necessary. The film shoot will take place in late June.
For…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
Blue-Eyed Beauty
The grass is always greener … except when it is blue and not grass at all.
Blue-eyed grass is opening its eyes at a field near you. Delicate, subtle and not as it seems is an apt description of this pleasing plant.
Downy Woodpeckers
Ellen, aka Lefty, Leverenz e-mailed me and attached two photos of downy woodpeckers that she had seen at her Chilmark feeders. She did so because the bellies of the birds visiting her feeders were not that lovely stark white we normally expect on these little woodpeckers. Instead the bellies of these birds were a dirty…
State Fishing License
New legislation will be filed in the state house this month making way for a state recreational saltwater fishing license. State Representative Tim Madden said he plans to cosponsor the legislation and that is a good idea for all local fishermen.
“The federal government is mandating that there be a recreational saltwater license.…
June 5: Rain
Friday, June 5: Rain. Rosa rugosa flowers decorate the edge of the Beach Road in Vineyard Haven. Rhododendrons are in full bloom all around the Vineyard, from Polly Hill Arboretum to Chappaquiddick. Rain showers in the evening, some are heavy.
Saturday, June 6: Overcast breezy morning. A catboat tries to beat the current…
Food Distribution
Food Distribution
The Serving Hands Food Distribution will be distributing food this summer. The service will be open on the Friday following the second Wednesday of the month (Friday, June 12, July 10 and August 14). For details, call Betty Burton 508-693-5339 or e-mail burtonsundman@hotmail.com.
Oak Bluffs Safety Day
Oak Bluffs Safety Day
The Oak Bluffs Police Department will host Public Safety Day on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Waban Park in Oak Bluffs, on Sea View avenue.
Besides a wide range of free food provided by local merchants, this community policing family event allows…
Bloomsday Celebrates Joyce’s Canon With Pomp, Pageantry
The 31st annual Arts and Society Bloomsday Celebration — of music and drama based on the text of James Joyce — will be performed Tuesday, June 16, at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. Curtain time is 8 p.m.
Island Entrepreneur Eyes Music Scene
Noepe is the Wampanoag word for the Island of Martha’s Vineyard, and it is 25-year-old West Tisbury resident Colin Ruel’s aim that the name will soon become synonymous with his start-up music production company, Noepe Productions.
Visions of an Age Gone By at Museum
In the history of the hawkers, hucksters and visionaries who knew how to turn a buck off of the middle-class mania for leisure and travel that emerged at the tail end of the American 19th century, Joseph Chamberlain has a firm, if overlooked place.
All-Star Ensemble Brings Tuskegee Airmen Heroics to Vineyard Playhouse
Sitting down for a lunch break at a windowside table at Waterside Market in Vineyard Haven, Ricardo Khan leaned in comfortably and said with a laugh, “You’ll have to do the talking, I’ve got to eat!” His eyes brim with good humor; this is a man at ease with himself and the world around him.…
