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
August 28, 2009
Letters to the Editor
AGAINST CINDY SHEEHAN
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
I am a lifelong Democrat and peace activist. I believe in diplomacy first and that war should only be an option when all else has failed.
This stated, I am strongly against the stand by Cindy Sheehan and the Martha’s Vineyard Peace Council…
No Cash, Please, We’re Islanders And Clunkers Suit Our Terrain
As all my friends and many Island mechanics know, I find cars a necessary evil. I have never paid more than $3,000 for a car. Why would I, feeling about them as I do? When I was told I was a natural for the Cash for Clunkers program, I explained that it would do me…
Chappy Bike Paths Remain Hot Topic
Chappy Path
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
I write in response to the editorial in the August 11 issue of the Vineyard Gazette as well the two follow-up letters that were printed in the August 14 edition.
Edward M. Kennedy: 1932-2009
Edward M. Kennedy: 1932-2009
Vacation Interludes
Vacation Interludes
If there is one lesson to be learned from the presence of the Summer White House on the Vineyard, it is this: Never trust press spokesmen who tell reporters not to expect news during a presidential vacation trip. President Obama reinforced the no news forecast with a specific set of intructions…
Why African Americans Visit the Vineyard
Many years ago I had a wonderful job with a budget, but no one, including me, had the first idea what I was supposed to do. I enjoyed the freedom and loved the children.
Holmes Hole Sailboat Races Continue
The Holmes Hole Sailing Association continued its summer season of handicap sailboat racing from Vineyard Haven harbor with a Thursday night race on August 20 and two harbor races on August 23.
Thursday, August 7, was a hot, humid, summer evening with a southwest wind of 5-10 knots. Thirteen boats posted for the…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Old Oak Bluffs Fire-Truck Gets New Home
The little red 80-year-old Maxim Oak Bluffs fire-truck shines in its new home, a little fire-station off Wing Road. The newly shingled barn and museum is appropriately placed across from the much larger Nelson W. Amaral Fire Station.
Donations in the amount of $90,000 helped to house the truck, and now after a…
Bodhi Path Buddhist Center Marks Tenth Anniversary on the Vineyard
End of August, 1999: In hindsight it was a stunning date, in that we had no idea how the coming new millennium would stand our world on its head and make us wonder what planet we were on. It was a perfect time, in other words, for a gently committed center for the study of…
More Clean Energy
Great Rock Windpower installed and commissioned the first off the production line endurance model S-343 wind turbine in Edgartown last week. The S-343 has a rotor area of 343 square feet, runs at 166 RPM and is rated at 5.3kW. It is designed to produce more power at lower wind speeds than its predecessors.
Permanent Endowment Accepting Grant Applications
The Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard is accepting applications for its fall grant cycle. Through its grants program, the Endowment seeks to raise awareness of Vineyard issues, respond to community needs, foster collaboration among nonprofit organizations and support innovative approaches to bettering the quality of life on the Island.
Consumer Price Watch
Gas
Prices for regular unleaded gas as of Aug. 26:
Edgartown
Airport Mobil $3.499 Depot Corner $3.399
Edgartown Mobil $3.459
Oak Bluffs
deBettencourt’s $3.459
Jim’s $3.479
Vineyard Haven
Citgo $3.459
Tisbury Shell $3.459
…
Radcliffe Alumnae
Radcliffe Alumnae
The second annual gathering of Radcliffe alumnae and friends is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 5 Chockers Lane in Chilmark. Charlotte Armstrong will be the distinguished guest. Please R.S.V.P. to Claire Bennett, 508-627-7121 or Wini Blacklow, 508-693-3346.
Health Panel Talks Hospital, Reform
Media responsibility in the national health care debate and plans for the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital were among the topics at a panel discussion held at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown Tuesday night.
Panel members included Dr. Pieter Pil, a surgeon and chief of the medical staff at the Island hospital, Peter Slavin,…
Selectmen Discuss Town Budget, Police Cooperation, Buskers
During a hurried yet busy meeting on Wednesday, Oak Bluffs selectmen discussed the ongoing budget crisis, approved a new entertainment license for Deon’s Restaurant on Circuit avenue and discussed the possibility of joining with Vineyard Haven to create a combined police department to cut costs.
Angel Flights Issue Remains Muddled
Confusion continued this week over the cancellation of Angel Flights during President Obama’s visit.
On Monday Angel Flights Northeast coordinator Paula Strasser told the Gazette that the nonprofit organization, which flies people who are critically ill to off-Island medical appointments, had cancelled its 8 to 10 scheduled flights due to flight restrictions in…
College Honors
College Honors
On May 19, 2009, Sarah Greenberg graduated from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., earning a bachelor of arts degree in political science and communications, with Dean’s List and Cum Laude honors. She was hired by the energy division of the ICF International, a global professional services firm, which partners with government…
Happy 90th, Helen!
Happy 90th, Helen!
Helen Duarte turned 90 years old on July 15, 2009. On July 11, her daughter Shirley Fauteux hosted a family birthday party at her home in Falmouth. All of her three children attended, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It was the first time she had met her grandson’s baby…
New, Enviromentally-Safe Finish Coat Now Available
Up Island Paint has introduced Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey wood finishes, an environmentally safe alternative to traditional polyurethane, available in floor and furniture formulations. Co-owner Rachel Baumrin calls the product nontoxic and safe for family and pets.
Welcome Daniel
Welcome Daniel
Maria Magdelena Luna Alvarez and Jose Daniel Zuniga Lopez of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Daniel Zuniga Luna, born on August 25, 2009, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Daniel weighed seven pounds at birth.
“Call Me Barack,” and Other Chance Encounters Reported
Events and Secret Service agents conspired to keep President Obama largely distant from Islanders this week, though a few found themselves up close, or at least close enough to snap their own photos.
“It was a very close encounter,” said former year-round resident Tom Murro, who was visiting this week from his New…
Rumor Leads to Wrong End of Avenue
It’s unclear who, exactly, was the first to camp out in front of Deon’s Restaurant on Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs early Tuesday evening, hoping to spot President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. And it wasn’t clear, even among those there, where the idea that the President was coming even started.
“The…
The Kennedy Legacy: An Island Saved
Martha’s Vineyard is a beautiful Island, a kind of glorious accident of nature. It’s a thriving, vibrant community, a mix of races, classes, and creeds, especially welcoming to presidents. What makes the Vineyard special, what attracts people to it, is that natural beauty and it’s mostly forgotten now how close the Island came to ruin.…
In Vineyard Skies
Sunrise Sunset
Fri., August 28 6:02 7:22
Sat., August 29 6:03 7:20
Sun., August 30 6:05 7:18
Mon., August 31 6:06 7:17
Tues., Sept. 1 6:07 7:15
Wed., Sept. 2 6:08 7:13
Thurs., Sept. 3 6:09 7:12
Trust Bill Was Long, Bitter Fight
For four years, in the 1970s, as he sought to preserve the Vineyard from overdevelopment, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was a frequent — and deeply involved — Island visitor. He would sail into Vineyard Haven harbor from Hyannisport to visit close friends, the late novelist William Styron and his wife, Rose. And there would be…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
August 21 86 73 .00
August 22 84 73 .00
August 23 84 71 .44
August 24 83 71 .01
August 25 84 68 .00
August 26 80 67 .00
August 27 82 64 .06
…
Unlikely Events Recall Story of This President
We are all the products of a series of accidents, really. Every human is a personification of chaos theory. As a butterfly flaps its wings and sets in train a hurricane, an act of generosity 50 years ago in Kenya gives America a President.
To explain. There were two American teachers, Helen Roberts…
Ted Kennedy Fought to Protect Island
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the senior Senator from Massachusetts whose broad vowels were synonymous with Boston and whose liberal legislative record towered over all others, died late Tuesday night at his home in Hyannisport after a 14-month battle with brain cancer. He was 77 and had served in the U.S. Senate for 46 years. And…
Governor Plans Visit For Housing Project
During a brief swing through the Vineyard today, Gov. Deval Patrick will be the guest of honor at a groundbreaking ceremony for an affordable housing project in the heart of downtown Oak Bluffs.
Named Bradley Square, the project is planned for the site of the former Bradley Memorial Church, the first African American…
Energy Issues Concern Island
Draft legislation backed by Gov. Deval Patrick has again placed the Vineyard front and center in the statewide push to build large-scale wind farms on land and at sea, sparking some concern here that the rush to adopt clean energy technologies could come at the expense of fishing grounds, scenic views and the Island’s unique…
Notes From the Press Pool: Bits and Pieces Shape News
The national media has descended, the Vineyard suddenly newsworthy with the arrival of a certain VIP: Very Important President. But a relaxing retreat leaves little room for groundbreaking news material, and colorful details become the preferred descriptors for the movement of the Obama family around the Island. The accounts pour in, in the form of…
Presidential Holidays Are Not All Created Equal
To compare the Vineyard vacations of former President Clinton and current President Obama all you have to do is stop in an Island ice cream parlor. Once there, you will probably find a picture hanging on the wall of the former President eagerly peering over the counter to view the lineup of flavors, chatting with…
East Chop
RICK HERRICK
508-693-8065
(herricklr@verizon.net)
Earlier this summer Lyn and I were at the home of Bob and Liz Huss for dinner. When I started to sit down, I noticed this beautiful chair seat of the East Chop Light. “Where did you get this cushion, Liz?” I asked.
…
Aquinnah
JUNE MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
Our sincerest condolences to the family, extended family, friends and colleagues of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Not only has our Commonwealth lost a great man but our nation has lost one of the greatest Senators.
There were so many issues that Senator Kennedy…
Oak Bluffs
BETTYE FOSTER BAKER
508-696-9983
(bdrbaker@comcast.net)
Just as I was completing this column, I heard the sad news that the nation and indeed the world had lost a champion of freedom and civil rights, Senator Ted Kennedy. The last time I spoke with him was in Gettysburg, Pa. at the…
Chilmark Town Column: Aug. 28
Chilmark is peaceful and calm as the President’s vacation proceeds. We are hoping he is enjoying the weather, and his surroundings, and getting some of that reading done.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
As I sit here tonight I think it is getting cooler. We have been told that the rest of the week will be in the seventies and the humidity will be gone. One can only hope.
Obamas Will Leave Tonight to Attend Kennedy Funeral
President Obama and his wife Michelle will leave the Vineyard tonight, two days ahead of schedule, to attend the funeral of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in Boston.
Although the funeral mass, at which Mr. Obama will deliver a eulogy for his friend, mentor and ally, is on Saturday, the first couple will fly…
Garden Club Elects Officers
Garden Club Elects Officers
The Garden Club elected its new slate of officers for the 2009-10 term at the annual meeting held on August 18 at the Old Mill:
President, Kristin Henriksen, first vice president, Ginger Duarte; treasurer, Judy Morse; recording secretary, Marie Connelly; corresponding secretary, Barbara Harnen; vice president Chilmark/Aquinnah,…
Registration Now Open For Red Cross Classes
The American Red Cross, Cape Cod and Islands chapter is organizing a number of CPR, AED and first aid classes this September for residents of Martha’s Vineyard. All classes will be held at the YMCA, 57 Pequot avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Simply Messing About in Catboats
On a recent weekend we got a chance to sail away for a few days, leave Martha’s Vineyard and its drama (an approaching Presidential visit and the August summer in full swing) behind.
Nantucket Sound is a wonderful place to get away. You’re never away from the sight of land. Sailing across the…
Sail-Free Race to Save Sengekontacket
Sail-Free Race to Save Sengekontacket
The 19th annual Martha’s Vineyard Oar and Paddle Regatta will take place this Sunday at the Little Bridge in Oak Bluffs. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
Paddlers, owners of kayaks, canoes and rowboats will compete for prizes in a two mile race in either Sengekontacket Pond…
Fine Finish for Featherstone Festival
Fine Finish for Featherstone Festival
Featherstone’s Festival of Poetry’s very successful summer season is wrapping up with a reading by Naomi Shihab Nye, an award-winning Palestinian-American poet whose works have garnered multiple awards over the years. Fellow poet William Stafford said of Ms. Nye, “Her poems combine transcendent liveliness and sparkle along with…
Girls Are Great
Girls Are Great
This Saturday, August 29, the YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts will host “Girls are Great! Let’s Celebrate!,” a cocktail reception to benefit YWCA girls after-school and summer programs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Farm Neck Café, 1 Farm Neck Way, Oak Bluffs.
Tickets to the reception are…
ABC’s of Birding
A is for American avocet. B is for hurricane Bill that probably brought this fancy shorebird to our shores. C is for the camaraderie caused by this unusual sighting for the Vineyard birders.
Island Musicians Play Hospice Benefit
Island Musicians Play Hospice Benefit
Vineyard Playhouse Hosts An Unlikely Conversation
A groundbreaking new play based on an imaginary conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till comes to the Vineyard Playhouse on Monday at 7 p.m.
This staged reading of Anne and Emmett features prologue narration by Academy award-winning actor Morgan Freeman and an original score by 16-year-old musical prodigy Joshua Coyne. There will…
New Show at Dragonfly Opens, With Vigor
A new exhibition, Con Brio, is open at Dragonfly Gallery in Oak Bluffs, with works by Jance Lentz, Don McKillop and Kyle Stevenson.
The title comes from a musical term meaning “with spirit.”
Mr. McKillop, an artist and as of this year the co-owner of the gallery, says of all the Dragonfly…
Linda Miller Signs New Book: Beacon on the Hill
Award-winning author Linda Kenney Miller, who wrote Beacon on the Hill, spent her childhood summers at Oak Bluffs. Her grandfather, John A. Kenney, vacationed on the Vineyard ever since 1913 when his wife’s family first bought the Kenney cottage on Huntington avenue.
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
I finally surrendered and took the lawn mower to my vegetable garden. There were areas where weeds were chest high. It stalled out repeatedly, with me using expletives and ripping my arm out of the socket restarting it over and over. Nevertheless, I am happy to report I found several…
Songs of Summer
Some like it hot.
The recent heat has gotten almost everyone down. Everyone, that is, except the cicadas. Hear them singing from the tree tops, and notice that, as the temperature increases, their song becomes louder and stronger, reaching a heat-enhanced crescendo of lust.
August 21: Hot in Downtown Vineyard Haven
Friday, August 21: Hot in downtown Vineyard Haven. Secret Service vehicles roll out of the ferry Island Home in early afternoon. Asphalt parking lot is hot to the touch. Police officer waves cars through an already crowded Five Corners. Hazy hot afternoon. Two large helicopters speed over the town. Clear evening.
More Than A Fluke
Local fishermen landed more than 100,000 pounds of fluke this summer at Menemsha. The landings by 10 small draggers and about five handline fishermen represents one-seventh of all the landings made in the state. The state quota for fluke was 702,614 pounds.
The report on local landings came out of a state fisheries…
Carousel Art Exhibit Comes Around
When the glossed ponies of The Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs halt their whirling prance, the expressions of the children mounted atop their wooden backs sour. The ride is over. But for Island artist Sandy Bernat, the slowing spin of the merry-go-round on a bright day earlier this summer marked her moment.
…
Jabberwocky Play Tackles Bowie’s Labyrinth With Humor, Aplomb
The house was full, as ever, when 95-year-old Helen (Hellcat) Lamb took the stage at the Camp Jabberwocky studio. The sweltering heat was amplified by the spotlight that ignited her usual white blouse and matching, freshly styled shock of white hair. She looked out into the crowd sternly, and waited for a relative quiet to…
South Road Gallery Showcases African Works in Outdoor Setting
Inside Gossamer Gallery last Tuesday, Joan Merry pulled out a framed portrait to demonstrate the dire economic situation in Zimbabwe: the colorful image of a man sitting on a chair was painted on a paper “canvas” made from $25 million Zimbabwe dollar notes stitched together.
Private Chef Hustles to Grow, Gather and Grill Island Meals
Chris Fischer’s well-worn Ford pickup is a familiar sight on the winding roads up-Island. Its rusted bed is piled with vegetable peelings; turnip greens, muddied onion skins, brilliant green bean shells are scattered among gardening tools and a hodgepodge of things farm-related. It is an early Saturday morning and Mr. Fischer, a private chef and…
Yoga Intensive Sign Up
Yoga Intensive Sign Up
Vineyard yoga instructors Megan Grennan and Josh Montoya will host a yoga intensive on Saturday, August 29 from 8 to 10:15 a.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. The cost is $45 at the door, if there is space. A great way to wind up summer and get ready for fall.
Two New Shows Come to The Yard
It’s a double feature of classic choreography and the chaos of Wall Street on stage this weekend at The Yard.
First, world-renowned Isadora Duncan specialist Catherine Gallant will perform new choreography plus rarely performed pieces of early modern dance in a program featuring live piano music by Daniel Fox on Friday, August 28,…
Frozen Captures Morality of a Moment
The influence of nature versus nurture, the difference between forgiveness and forgetting, the existence of good and evil: these paradoxes were invoked by a cast of three actors against a spare backdrop in Monday night’s Island opening of Bryony Lavery’s Tony award-nominated drama Frozen. The story involves a grieving mother, a psychiatrist, and the murdered…
Ballywho Brings Noise and Nonsense To Islanders Young, Old and In-Between
Blond and boyish Brad Tucker, a skateboarding Island-grown guitar player who also carries a fast and fine tune, was flipping through the dictionary one winter night with his then-roommate, Vinnie Padalino, who plays the washboard. The two were searching for a name for a band they wanted to form when they came upon the word…
