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
June 18, 2010
Breaking News: Sunday, June 20 – Irish Musician Dies in Katama Bay
The Lynn man who died while swimming in Katama Bay Saturday morning was a native of Dublin and well-known figure on the Vineyard, where he had played Irish music at the Bloomsday event in Vineyard Haven last week.
Massachusetts state police confirmed Sunday that David O’Docherty, 75, was pronounced dead just before noon…
Trinity Episcopal Presents Summer Preacher Lineup
The 2010 summer season at Trinity Episcopal Church begins this Sunday, June 20 at 9 a.m. with the Rev. Deborah Warner serving as celebrant. Reverend Warner is the rector of the Church of the Messiah in Woods Hole where she has served since 2008.
Tough Talk on Spending Before West Tisbury Approves Warrant
After failing to reach a quorum last week, enough West Tisbury voters turned out for a special town meeting on Tuesday to approve all four articles on the warrant, but not before some tough questions about spending and lines of authority in town hall.
A total of 144 voters turned out for the…
Land Bank Buys Bucolic Parcel
By JULIA WELLS
Seal Tours, Manager Win SSA Approval
The growing population of seals which congregate off the south shore of the Vineyard are about to become something more than competition for fishermen and an attractant for sharks. They will be a sightseeing attraction, bringing tourist dollars.
At least this is the hope of the operators of the fast ferry service which…
Be a Citizen Scientist
Be a Citizen Scientist
Anyone interested in becoming a citizen scientist who can monitor rare plant sites on the Island and throughout the region may join John Burns, program administrator of the New England Wild Flower Society, when he leads a free plant conservation volunteer (PCV) professional day on Tuesday, June 29, from…
High School Sophomore Wins Grant for Crab Study
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School sophomore Eva Faber of Edgartown has been awarded a one-year grant to study blue claw crabs in the Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds. Eva will work with William Wilcox, the water resource planner from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and Luanne Johnson, a wildlife biologist completing her Ph.D. in Environmental Studies…
Nominations Are Open for Creative Living
The Permanent Endowment Fund for Martha’s Vineyard is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Creative Living Award. This award was established in 1983 through the Ruth J. Bogan and Ruth Redding Fund and recognizes members of the Vineyard community who embody Ruth Bogan’s spirit and love for the Island and who have contributed significantly to…
Aquinnah Homeowners’ Flood Insurance Requires Vote Tuesday
Aquinnah residents stand to lose their access to federal flood insurance by July 8 unless town voters come out to approve revisions to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) national flood insurance program, at special town meeting on Tuesday night.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the old town hall building.…
Elizabeth Phelps, J.D.
Elizabeth Phelps, J.D.
Elizabeth Phelps graduated from Yale Law School on June 2 with a Juris Doctor degree.
A 2000 graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Ms. Phelps is the daughter of Susan Phelps and the late Richard Phelps of West Tisbury.
Uniform Taxi Rules Form After Gripes
By JIM HICKEY
After years of largely fruitless discussion, a plan to create a single set of taxi regulations for the Island is finally coming into focus, although uniform fares appear still to be on a distant horizon.
Spearheaded by the all-Island selectmen, a subcommittee headed by Oak Bluffs selectman Duncan…
YMCA Will Open This Saturday
Swimming classes, water aerobics, yoga and summer camp will be in full swing after this weekend’s official opening of the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard. The new Y will be marking its grand opening with a small ribbon cutting ceremony tomorrow welcoming members of the community into the much-anticipated facility.
Hospital Doubles Down to Move, Opening New Rooms on Tuesday
If you wake up seeing double in the wee hours Tuesday morning you will no doubt want to go to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital to be seen by a doctor. But once there, you may find yourself seeing double all over again. For a brief few hours before dawn on Tuesday, the hospital will finally…
New Ambulance Chief is Tower of Experience
Working as a paramedic on a mobile intensive care unit in New Jersey, Robert Bellinger remembers well the morning when a friend came into the diner where he was eating breakfast to tell him that something was amiss in Manhattan. A plane had crashed into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center,…
Who Moved My Dumpster? Trash Piles Up No Matter What
After years of putting up with scofflaws who stealthily dispose of their household trash in town dumpsters when nobody is looking, Oak Bluffs selectmen have drawn the line, threatening to impose fines of up to $1,000 on anyone caught throwing their trash into a town dumpster without permission.
The trash problems came to…
Vineyard Power Cooperative Plugs Into Big Energy Picture
As the prevailing summer winds begin to blow, bringing with them an influx of seasonal residents, Vineyard Power, the Island’s nascent energy cooperative, begins its first seasonal membership campaign, flooding local airwaves with advertisements and fanning out across the Island in a series of informal public presentations and question-and-answer sessions. One such presentation was held…
Myles Thurlow, Man Behind the Spars
When the topsail schooner Shenandoah goes sailing this summer, credit for some of the work this spring in preparing the beautiful wooden vessel for another season goes to a 26-year-old West Tisbury resident. Working in his shop in the woods, Myles Thurlow built and restored several important spars on the 47-year-old Shenandoah.
Wasserman Report Backs Police Merger in Oak Bluffs, Tisbury
Martha’s Vineyard’s six towns would make large cost savings and enjoy a better standard of policing, if they agreed to a merge their six police departments into a single force, a consultant’s report has found.
The report was prepared by Robert Wasserman, a part-time Island resident who has done similar work for some…
Scholarships Announced at Class Night
African American Heritage Trail Recognition Award: Small, Kurtis, $500.
Albridge C. and Margaret Righter Smith Scholarship Fund: Pringle, Julie, $1,000.
Alfred F. Ferro and Arthur T. Silva Scholarship Fund: Azzollini, Marta, $450; Moran, Kyle, $450.
Alice Blackwood Memorial Scholarship: Huntington, Shaelah, $275.
Alida Carey Gulick Memorial Scholarship:…
Artists in Charge at Sense of Wonder
Pottery, papier-mâché and paintings were on display at Sense of Wonder Creations in Vineyard Haven this Sunday, as budding artists and their families gathered for an afternoon of gallery exhibitions, craft-making, and special guest performances.
Pottery, papier-mâché and paintings were on display at Sense of Wonder Creations in Vineyard Haven this Sunday, as…
Mr. Big Fish Moves to Bigger Pond
The region’s top authority on sharks, Greg Skomal, is leaving the Vineyard. After 23 years of working on the Island as the state regional sport fishing biologist, much of that time spent researching the mysteries of the deep, Mr. Skomal is moving up within the state Division of Marine Fisheries.
Horror at Polly Hill: Orange Blobs Revealed
, The Blob! It’s revolting! It’s oozing! It’s sweeping the Island! Will no cedar tree be spared?
“It looks like something you’d see in a horror movie,” says Polly Hill Arboretum outreach coordinator Karin Stanley referring to Cedar-Apple Rust, a ridiculous looking tree fungus that has seen an unusually robust late spring and…
Every Path Has Its Puddles, But Fix Is In at Familiar Flood Spots
They swallow up roadways, stall cars and block traffic — but still there is a sort of begrudging acceptance of those large puddles that form in familiar areas around the Vineyard after heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
In Oak Bluffs residents named one well-known puddle off New York avenue “East Chop Lake,” while in…
Megan Honey Degree
Megan Honey Degree
Megan Lee Honey graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration (marketing) from the University of New Hampshire during a commencement ceremony held on May 22.
Kathleen Coulter Degree
Kathleen Coulter Degree
Kathleen Elizabeth Coulter has graduated with AAS degree in food services management from the University of New Hampshire in Durham N.H.
Little Libraries
Little Libraries
Legacy of Learning to Honor Ted Morgan, Junior Essayists
The Edgartown Library Foundation’s annual summer brunch, A Legacy of Learning, will honor Ted Morgan with a lifetime achievement award at the event on Sunday, July 11, at noon at The Boathouse, part of the Field Club.
A native of Edgartown, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, and former selectman for over 30 years,…
Gone Whaling: A Child’s Eye View of Life on a Whale Ship
“It is Sunday, and a very pleasant day. I have read two story books. This is my journal. Goodbye for today.”
So opened six-year-old Laura Jernegan’s journal, in an entry dated Dec. 1, 1868, as she set sail on a three-year sea expedition with her family aboard the whaling vessel Roman.
The Quahaug Seeker
The Quahaug Seeker By Adam Moore
Sengekontacket rippling gray
Waters had beckoned me to lay
My rusty basket rake upon
The sandy bottom of the pond.
I grasped, as did I deeper wade,
A rope with braided fibers frayed,
And with…
Celebrate Juneteenth With Deon’s Reception
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and this year a host of Oak Bluffs merchants will help celebrate the event by donating some of their proceeds from Saturday, June 19, to help the Martha’s Vineyard Bradley Square project.
Deon’s restaurant will host a…
Camp Ground Where Holy Meets Happy-Go-Lucky
Circle of Faith, The Story of the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting, By Sally Dagnall, Vineyard Stories, Edgartown, Ma. 2010 $24.95.
T here is no other place quite like Oak Bluffs — the color and charm, the hustle and bustle, the beaches and parks and fireworks and festivals, open and free and inviting. And…
Point by POINT on Wind Turbines
I want to continue the educational and civil dialogue started by Henry Stephenson in the recent issue of the Gazette in response to our POINT (Protect Our Islands Now for Tomorrow) newspaper advertisement. His thoughtful and well-written letter deserves to be taken seriously and responded to in kind.
Mr. Stephenson agrees with POINT…
Newspaper Folding in the Nook Era
I was reading The New York Times on the bus from the Palmer avenue lot to Woods Hole to take the ferry to the Vineyard when the woman sitting next to me profiled me and said something about my being a New Yorker. I responded to her smile, and said, “Yes, but I was a…
Gazette Chronicle: The King and Us
The King and Us
From Gazette editions of June, 1985:
The Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, dropped anchor a mile off East Chop Tuesday. She carried 1,700 passengers and a crew of nearly 1,000. She came with four restaurants, seven bars, 1,350 telephones, 180…
Letters to the Editor
COMPLETE SURPRISE
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
Words cannot express the emotional feeling that I felt, when my name was read by the principal of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School at the start of the Class Night ceremony for the class of 2010, at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, on Friday, June…
Now as Then, Always Watching Dad
The other day while mowing the lawn I stopped to wipe the sweat from my forehead and assess my progress. I am forever tinkering with my technique; an up and back pattern, a series of ever shrinking squares, or even, on a rare day, just going with the flow. Deep in thought I happened to…
Make Way for Plovers
Make Way for Plovers
The recovery of the piping plovers is a good news story in what feels at times like a growing sea of environmental disasters around the world. Placed on the list of threatened species about twenty years ago, these tiny shorebirds that make their nests in bare scrapes of sand…
Summer Outlook
Summer Outlook
The Vineyard confidence index is measured in many ways. A quirky economist could devise a matrix involving the number of bulbs and blossoms flowering; the count of sunny days divided by the amount of evening rainfall that makes for happy farmers; the dimensions of freshly painted signs in heralding new or…
Food Pantry
Food Pantry
The next Serving Hands food distribution will be on Wednesday, June 23, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church parish house on William street in Vineyard Haven.
Food will be distributed until it runs out. If you have a pantry card, please bring it.
…
Gosselin – Keegan
Gosselin — Keegan
Meghan Gosselin of Vineyard Haven and Brian Keegan of Plymouth announce their engagement. Meghan is the daughter of Ray and Mary Gosselin of Vineyard Haven and Margaret Ekholm of Falmouth. Brian is the son of James Keegan of Carver and Claire DeYoung of Marshfield. A June 2011 wedding is planned.
Europe Comes to Main Street, Vineyard Haven
In a first for her gallery, Louisa Gould this week opens a European show, European Subjects Painted by Island Artists. The public opening reception is on Saturday, June 19, free from 5 to 7 p.m. with live music and refreshments.
The show includes five artists; Anne Grandin, Claudio Gasparini, Jules Worthington, Donna Blackburn…
Small Band of Revolutionaries, Big Feelings at Tea Party Film
Some 20 people gathered last Sunday evening at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven to watch a free showing of the movie Tea Party: The Documentary.
Echo of the End of Slavery Rings Joyfully
Juneteenth is the celebration of African American freedom and achievement and the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. The event dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Tex., with news that the war had ended and the enslaved…
Tempting Deals Are Temporary, Allowing No Excuse to Eat In
Eating a cheap meal out on the Vineyard can be a challenge, but with the second annual restaurant week scheduled to start on Saturday, Islanders and visitors alike will have the chance to dine out and still hang on to most of their weekly paycheck.
A long list of restaurants that includes the…
In Oak Bluffs, Summer Starts Saturday
In the early days of the Island’s busiest season, there are many events billed as unofficial “welcome to summer” celebrations. Memorial Day weekend is generally considered the kickoff to the summer season, after which many stores extend their hours, many beaches require passes, and motorists begin to heed time limitations for parking spots, lest they…
River Otter Research Gets Edey Foundation Grant
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has received an $8,000 grant from the Edey Foundation for a coastal otter research project led by biologist Luanne Johnson, to document the diet and habitat of river otters on the Vineyard. The community-based project asks Island residents, conservation groups, teachers and students to help map otter trails and latrines and help…
Hebrew Center Screens a Gentle Fable
Hebrew Center Screens a Gentle Fable
The Summer Institute at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center this year celebrates the 10th anniversary of its film series, the Best of the Boston Jewish Film Festival. A season of eight films selected from the Boston festival will open at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center this Sunday,…
Seriously Funny, SNL’s Classic Short Films
The auteur-director of the earliest Saturday Night Live short films, and one of the show’s original writers, Tom Schiller, will present some of his classic films next weekend at the Vineyard Playhouse.
There will be two separate showings — on Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. — both presented…
Fairies and Wood Sprites: Come Out and Audition
Director MJ Bruder Munafo is seeking little fairies and wood sprites for this season’s Vineyard Playhouse production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Girls and boys ages 5 to 10 and under 4’9” tall are invited to apply for up to 12 open roles in the production. The children will perform an average…
Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice
The Summer Solstice Celebration at the Polly Hill Arboretum on Saturday, June 19, from 3 to 7 p.m. will celebrate light, growth and the power of the sun. This fun-filled family event features music, dance, puppet theater, storytelling and more. There will be free food, tours and a scavenger hunt, too.…
Saddle Up: Netherfield Farm Equestrian Camp Begins
Netherfield Farm in Chilmark is accepting students for its Junior Equestrian Camp, which runs Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for beginner through advanced. The camp cost is $575 per week, limited to eight students per week with two instructors.
Student Art Show
Student Art Show
Every year the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association gives three scholarships as well as a week-long show at our Old Sculpin Gallery to student graduates from an Island high school who plan to continue their studies in the fine arts.
This year’s recipients are Lonnie Phillips, Maggie Howard and…
Berrylicious
Berrylicious
The bell tolls for strawberries this Saturday at The First Congregational Church in West Tisbury. Last year, over 1,500 were served at the festival which runs from noon to 4 p.m. That’s a lot of believers, keeping the faith for shortcake. Evidently, the word from up high is that these strawberries are…
New Art Now: Featherstone Shows Artists With Oyster Bar Origins
Featherstone Center for the Arts was a flurry of activity Sunday afternoon as Islanders came out to see the opening of New Art Now, a collection of paintings and ceramics by a motley trio of artists.
Chioke R. Morais, Darcie Lee Hanaway and John Robert Hill met while working at the Oak Bluffs…
Field Gallery Season Starts With Favorites
Three artists will open exhibits at the Field Gallery with a reception open to the public on Sunday, June 20 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Free Boat Inspections
Free Boat Inspections
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will be conducting free vessel safety inspections at the piers of Coast Guard Station Menemsha on June 19. Anyone interested in this courtesy inspection should contact the station prior to bringing their boat up to the piers between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Unfortunately there…
East Chop
RICK HERRICK
508-693-8065
(herricklr@verizon.net)
Bob and Sally Hammett bought their home on Brewster avenue on East Chop in 1963. Bob was a parish priest in Sharon, Conn., at the time; they lived in the parsonage, and needed to own something. Their need was our gain!
A graduate…
Proper Preparations, Pest Control
I put in a full 12 hours on Saturday in my own vegetable garden. While much was accomplished, there is still a tremendous amount to be done.
Wild Roses
Thorny, yes; fragrant, certainly; invasive, sometimes.
Wild roses, even with their imperfections, have many fans. Anne Bronte noted the tradeoff of pain and pleasure when she observed, “He that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.”
West Tisbury
We are enjoying sunny days and blue skies, while Anna and John Alley and friends are off to the Azores. Their son, Sam, who just recently graduated from Fitchburg State College, is housesitting with friends while they are away. A special thanks to Maya Sharp for sorting the mail and parcels in his absence.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
We have been enjoying lovely weather — not too hot so you are sweating, and not too cold, so you are comfortable in almost anything you wear. This is the type of weather we can all be happy with.
Keep Your Cats Inside
Summer visitors are beginning to arrive. I have a few reminders for them and for locals as well. It is important to keep your cats inside. There are several bird species that nest on or very close to the ground on the Island. Ground nests containing young birds are very vulnerable to cat predation. Adults…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
June 11 63 56 .05
June 12 70 53 .00
June 13 71 60 1.04
June 14 68 59 .01
June 15 70 59 .00
June 16 73 56 .00
June 17 74 62 .05
…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Chappy
Brad Woodger
508-627-4216
(ibwsgolf@aol.com)
First, a correction: Uncle Jimmer (Eric Hartell) wrote to inform me that the original Seager Chappy patriarch was named Sam, not David. I think Uncle Jimmer used to be an editor or something, so he’s a stickler for facts. And he’s the grandson of Sam.…
Saturn and Moon
Tonight’s crescent moon appears right under the bright planet Saturn. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.
