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
March 26, 2010
Despite Rocky Start, Squirts Emerge Victorious at State Tournament
It was a roller-coaster ride watching the Squirt C hockey team this season. With four losses in the first four games, things were not looking great. But behind the scenes things could not have been any better. The little team was growing in every sense, supporting each other and gaining confidence. Coaches Julie Hatt and…
Housing Trust Meets
Housing Trust Meets
Scrap Metal, Spies and Soldiers: A Girl Recalls Island in Wartime
The Vineyard was a frightening place for a young girl to be during World War II, but exciting too. Servicemen were walking the streets before their deployment to Europe. Navy and Army pilots conducting training exercises overhead occasionally came crashing into the ocean. And there were the constant rumors of enemy spies and submarines along…
Another Road for Chappy Bike Path
We were pleased to read the letter that Dick Knight and the Chappy Path Committee (CPC) wrote to your board and published in the Vineyard Gazette dated March 12. The conciliatory tone is a welcome relief to a year and a half of rejection of our assertion that alternatives to a mixed-use path need to…
West Tisbury Library’s Limerick Winners
Winner’s Circle
I’m trying to rhyme the word “Vineyard;”
Thank goodness it isn’t a sin word.
Unlike that Nantucket
Where oaths fill a bucket,
We keep our frustrations all inward.
— Eileen Maley
•
A man with no key to Quansoo
…
Sophomores Speak Out
Last Friday, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School was honored to have the chance to listen to Corey Scanlon’s story at a special assembly organized by the student council. Corey is now 26 years old. When he was 19, he was in a tragic accident, caused by his drunk driving, which ended in despair. He told…
When Walls Hold Hard Work and Heartbreak
For more than a hundred years, the barn at Hoft Farm has born witness to the hard work and heartbreak of Vineyard rural life. The large barn, rising three stories high from its substantial fieldstone foundation, marked the ambition and optimism of the Hoft family, who settled on the Island after ocean journey and shipwreck.…
Light is Suddenly Everywhere, and So Are the Ants
A week or so ago I was saying to friends, “Don’t rush me! It’s not spring, I haven’t finished (or begun) my winter chores yet, slow down, will you?” Some of us were standing in the doorway of a house out in the country, looking out at the soft grey day; the drizzle mixed with…
Gazette Chronicle: Our Sea Serpent
From a 1935 Gazette edition:
Of all peculiarly earth-born traditions that still survive among men, perhaps there is none older than that of the sea serpent in its varied forms. Research reveals that there were indeed fearsome things abounding in the sea at some ancient date. That tales of these creatures should have…
Notables
Notables
National newspapers last week carried the obituaries of three notable civil servants: conservationist and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall; Liz Carpenter, press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson during her White House years, and former Massachusetts State Senator and former Bristol (now Cape and Islands) district attorney Edmund Dinis.…
What’s in a Name?
What’s in a Name?
Bullies Exploit Tech to Augment Their Torment
It’s hard to imagine that a tragedy like the January suicide of a 15-year-old South Hadley girl, a result of torment by a group of teenage bullies at her high school, could touch the close-knit community of Martha’s Vineyard. Perhaps it wouldn’t happen here, where children so often see the same faces in school hallways…
Poetic License in Beer, Wine Question Leaves Voters Puzzled
If Tisbury voters approve the sale of beer and wine in the town’s restaurants at the upcoming town ballot, how many licensed premises will they be signing up for?
The wording of the ballot question on the annual town meeting warrant, finalized this week, suggests the answer may be 19, or arguably 38,…
Pretty Vacant? Landlords Say Not for Long
Skies were blue this week in Edgartown, where, despite an unusually high number of vacant storefronts, empty sidewalks and available parking places on every block, two of the Island’s major commercial landlords were among those forecasting a bright summer season for business.
Housing Fund Shake Up: No New Debt, No Galas
Calling it a “complete break” with the past, Island Affordable Housing Fund executive director T. Ewell Hopkins this week revealed sweeping changes for the organization, from enormous board turnover, to the abandonment of its gala summer fund-raising events, to a refusal to take on new debt or break ground on projects without substantial money in…
Nearing Completion, YMCA Puts Outdoor Plans to MVC
A sharply divided Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted last Thursday to hold another round of review for several proposed changes to the new YMCA building off Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, including a new walking bridge, outside basketball court, covered pavilion and temporary irrigation system.
Honored Nurse Marvels at New Hospital
Among the little group which toured Martha’s Vineyard’s new hospital on Tuesday, Gladys Welch, recently retried after 59 years as a nurse in the old hospital, and the older hospital before it, was bound to have had the sharpest sense of how much things have changed.
Edgartown Extends Bay Scallop Season
Though most towns in Massachusetts officially close the bay scallop season at the end of next week, Edgartown shellfishermen can keep going in what has been a banner season for them. With an abundance of bay scallops still out there, on Monday the Edgartown selectmen voted to add another month to the season.
…
Sengekontacket Pond Opens for Shellfishing After Three Summers
Summer shellfishermen will have access to Sengekontacket Pond for the first time in several years, so long as there isn’t a big rainstorm.
The State Division of Marine Fisheries has lifted the pond from a routine seasonal closure.
Sengekontacket Pond is overseen by the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs shellfish departments under…
Stone Soup Institute Seeks Young Nominees
Islanders are invited to nominate young people, ages 16 to 23, to serve as delegates to the Stone Soup Leadership Institute’s fifth annual Youth Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held on the Vineyard from June 26 to July 2.
During this week-long program, 50 youth delegates will envision their personal, professional, Island…
Junior Windsurfing
Vineyard Haven’s Rasmus Sayre added a few extra days to school vacation to win his age group at the Techno 293 Junior Windsurfing North American Championships held in Merritt Island, Fla. Raz, aged 12 and a seventh grader at Tisbury School, bested sailors from Mexico, U.S. and Canada to win the Under 15 age division.…
Call for Artists
Call for Artists
Pathways Projects Institutes is accepting applications from Island artists and writers to participate in Oceans: Forms and Visions I and II, Conversations Across The Arts and Writings, a two-week exhibit with readings reflecting upon the oceans of Martha’s Vineyard. Presentations are to take place April 11 to April 21 off…
Hearing Set to Revise Wind, Water Bylaws
By JIM HICKEY
The Oak Bluffs planning board next week will hold a public hearing on two major changes to the town bylaws that will appear on the ballot of the annual town meeting, one that would create new regulations for wind turbines under 200 feet and another that would require property owners…
Residents Pass on One Way Street
Oak Bluffs residents and business owners on Wednesday strongly criticized a plan to turn part of Dukes County avenue into a one-way street, during a well-attended public hearing at the public library. Everyone who spoke at the meeting said they opposed the plan, which is currently under discussion by the town roads and byways committee.
Former Coach Arrested on Rape Charge
An Island man and registered sex offender was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a mentally handicapped victim last week after he reportedly fled the Island and was apprehended by Massachusetts State police while trying to flee into a restaurant in Dartmouth.
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Once again, because it is close to Easter, we would like you to hear from the animals in their own words.
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
March 19 64 35 .00
March 20 68 42 .00
March 21 60 39 .00
March 22 53 43 Trace
March 23 59 47 .74
March 24 51 42 1.36
March 25 54 37 .01
…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark is celebrating spring with the usual rainy days and sunny interludes … typical early spring in New England, and we are glad to see all the hearty blooming flowers showing their colors around town. We send our messages of comfort and concern to…
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
The Martha’s Vineyard Youth Task Force will have a Chat and Chowder evening at the West Tisbury School on March 31 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for the benefit of the West Tisbury School and Charter School parents and caregivers of sixth through eighth…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
Hey, babe, we’re back from L.A. and relearning to take off our shades before sundown. Here’s something picked up from West Coast living that might prove beneficial for the crème de lacrème of Islanders, i.e., the citizens of Oak Bluffs:
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
What a week we have had: weather in the 50s and people walking on the bike paths in shorts and T-shirts. People worked in their gardens, then Mother Nature watered them all for us. The ponds are quite full, and the waterfowl are really enjoying…
Welcome, Aanya
Welcome, Aanya
Latika and Abhishek Chhibber of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Aanya Devi Chhibber, born on March 16, 2010, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Aanya weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces at birth.
Hello Mayssa
Hello Mayssa
Janaina Da Silva and Francismar Dias of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a daughter, Mayssa Curty Da Silva Dias, born on March 10, 2010, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Mayssa weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Hello, Hunter Maxwell
Hello, Hunter Maxwell
Charlene and Larry Weiss of West Tisbury and Lexington, proudly announce the birth of their son, Hunter Maxwell Weiss, on Feb. 12, 2010. Hunter weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces at birth and measured 20 inches. He joins big brother, Tanner.
Welcome, Ryan
Welcome, Ryan
Lesley and Christopher Heidt of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Ryan James Heidt, born on March 17, 2010, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Ryan weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces at birth. Ryan will be welcomed home by his big sister, Audrey.
Extreme Spring Tides
Tides will be extreme this weekend. Tides will be highest around noon and midnight. Tides will be lowest in the early morning and late afternoon. One can expect to see sandbars that are normally hidden at low tide and at high tide find wracklines settling farther up the beach than normal. Mariners should be prepared,…
Invasive Plant Removal
Invasive Plant Removal
Under the direction of environmental biologist Dick Johnson and the Eastville Beach committee, Martha’s Vineyard Girl Scout troops and volunteers will be removing Japanese black pine, oriental bittersweet, Japanese knotweed and autumn olive that threaten the environmental health of Eastville Beach (located by the new bridge near the hospital). The…
Tuneful Trio to Play Spoon in the Moon Coffeehouse
The Vineyard Playhouse will transform into Spoon in the Moon Coffeehouse on Friday, April 2, with the assistance of a musical trio whose harmonies and arrangements inject new life into familiar traditional songs.
Cindy Kallet, Ellen Epstein and Michael Cicone perform both a cappella and with simple accompaniment from guitar and hammered dulcimer.…
You Can Be a Referee
You Can Be a Referee
Friends of Vineyard Soccer will sponsor a certification class for new referees age 16 and older. The full-day class will be held on March 28 at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Edgartown It also includes an online portion. Register in advance online at massref.net/Central/courseofferings.cfm
Certified…
Just Another Day on Earth: Sharing Snapshots of Life
The product of a global collaboration will be on display at the Virginia Weston Besse Gallery at Featherstone this Sunday, March 28. One Day in the Life is a documentary photography and writing exhibit that involves students from more than thirty countries around the world, including several at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Film: Celtic Myth, Medieval Magic Are Drawn Together
As spring gets in to full swing, everything becomes a little more animated. This is especially true on Friday, April 2, at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, when the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society presents a special screening of The Secret of Kells, a 2010 Oscar nominee for best animated feature.
Holiday Worship Services Around the Island
Aquinnah
Gay Head Community Baptist Church. Sunday worship services at 9 a.m. Tel. 508-693-1539.
Chilmark
Chilmark Community Church, United Methodist. 9 Menemsha Cross Road. Pastor: Rev. Arlene Bodge. Worship and Sunday School at 9 a.m. Tel. 508-645-3100; Web site, chilmarkchurch.org.
Edgartown
Double Visions
Double Visions
A two-person art exhibition, featuring the work of Wendy Weldon and James Langlois, is at the Chilmark Public Library from March 31 to April 29. An opening reception will be held at the library from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 3. Ms. Weldon’s half of the show demonstrates the…
Closets to Open This Weekend
At this year’s Massachusetts High School Drama Guild Festival the students in Kate Murray’s Theatre II class presented a new work, the brainchild of a creative collaboration between teacher and students. And this weekend, they are bringing it home, with several productions for the Vineyard audiences slated at the high school’s performing arts center.
Savings Plan: Tune In, Turn Off, Together
At 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Island will go dark. Lights will be turned off, the ambient hum of computers will go silent. Candles will be lit, and people will sit back to enjoy the blaze from the fireplace. For one hour, for the third year in a row, the Vineyard will join with some 800…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
First Ospreys, Spring is Here
We’ve had more than our share of beastly weather recently, which put the brakes on both bird migration and birding activity. But with a run of exquisite spring days last week and into this past weekend, the birding season has bounded ahead. Grackles and red-winged blackbirds are ubiquitous around the Island; robins, song sparrows and…
Alas, Slippers
On a visit to Martha’s Vineyard, Cinderella would do well to leave her glass slippers at home.
There is absolutely no need for that type of fancy footwear here — very few balls or parties swanky enough to warrant their wear. We tend to be a little more laid-back on-Island. Likely these delicate…
