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 27, 2010
News Update: Sunday, August 29 – Obamas End Vineyard Vacation
President Obama and his family ended their 10-day Vineyard vacation quietly on Sunday morning, lifting off in Marine One at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport at just before 10 a.m.
The motorcade departed the presidential vacation home at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark at 9:30 a.m. under clear blue and skies and warm sunshine.…
News Update: Friday, August 27 – Lagoon Side of Eastville Beach Closed
Waters on the Lagoon Pond side of Eastville Beach are closed to swimming as of Friday morning, according to David Caron from the Oak Bluffs board of health. The beach near the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is used for clamming and occasionally for swimming, but test results for bacteria have come back slightly elevated, with a…
Shakespeare for the Masses Takes The Tempest to the Lighthouse
There is some belief that Shakespeare’s The Tempest was intended to be set on Martha’s Vineyard. This theory is based on the rumored friendship between William Shakespeare and Bartholomew Gosnold, the explorer who discovered the Vineyard in 1602. Of course, those rumors are impossible to prove, but they do provide an interesting link between one…
Jules Feiffer Reflects on His Bad Boy Movie
No good deed ever goes unpunished. And so, as Jules Feiffer told an overflow audience at the Katharine Cornell Theatre last Saturday night, after he wrote the screenplay for the 1971 film Carnal Knowledge, his Hollywood career stalled for a decade or more.
Mr. Feiffer knew he was in trouble even before the…
Rev. Rodman to Preach Two Sundays at Trinity
Trinity Episcopal Church in Oak Bluffs is pleased to welcome back the Rev. Canon Edward W. Rodman as celebrant on the next two Sundays, August 29 and Sept. 5. Rev. Canon Rodman is the John Seely Stone professor of pastoral theology and urban ministry at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge. He is also the…
Comic Escapes Fox, Heads to Grange
By PETER BRANNEN
This Saturday only a half-mile from Blue Heron Farm at the Grange Hall, comedian Scott Blakeman will be doling out policy advice for the President.
Lines from Behind Bars Lend Insight
By MEGAN DOOLEY
The book is called Poems from the Gray Bar Hotel. The title refers to the nickname that inmates have given to the Edgartown House of Correction, where West Tisbury poet laureate Fan Ogilvie held poetry classes last winter. But Mrs. Ogilvie said the jail is more like a revolving door…
Southern Novelist, Uptown Singer Meet in Carson Talks About Love
Stories are inevitably going to be told when the energy of a folk artist and the writings of a prewar author become entangled. Suzanne Vega is known for telling stories of life’s struggles and rewards through her music, but for the first time, Ms. Vega will be marrying both text and song to tell the…
Rocking and Rolling Into Town
Rocking and Rolling Into Town
The Ryan Montbleau Band is coming to the Vineyard this Saturday, August 28. They will be playing at Nectar’s, a venue that in two years has very quickly proven itself as the go-to club for serious musical talent. This weekend’s choice is the perfect coda to a summer…
Dorothy Bangs
Dorothy Bangs
Billed as An Evening of Fun, a sing-along with Dorothy Bangs and guest performers promises to be an old-fashioned social, with refreshments and fellowship, on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Baptist Parish House in Vineyard Haven.
Donations are welcome for the First Baptist Church Building Fund;…
Big Dig? Archaeology Aces Will Identify Your Artifacts
Archaeology experts will identify, examine and discuss any artifacts, from the Vineyard and beyond, that members of the public bring to Archaeology I.D. Day at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum on Saturday, August 28, from 9 a.m. to noon.
As part of the museum’s archaeology lecture series, experts Jill Bouck, Dick Burt, Duncan Caldwell,…
Waterfront Raw Bar Benefit For Tashmoo Spring Building
The fourth annual Taste of Tashmoo fundraiser will be held at the waterfront home of Denys and Marilyn Wortman at Hines Point in Vineyard Haven, on Friday, Sept. 3. The event is to benefit the Tashmoo Spring Building Preservation Fund, aimed at restoring the historic 1887 pumping station for community use
The menu…
Oyster Bar Wine Tasting To Aid Business Program
The Oyster Bar Grill is hosting a Wine and Champagne fundraiser on August 29, from 1 to 3 p.m., to benefit the growth of Pathway to Your Success, a weekly program broadcast on MVTV and the web. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the organization.
The television show…
Flatbread and Farm
Flatbread and Farm
The Farm Institute calls it farmtastic. On Tuesday, August 31, from noon to close, pat your happy stomach, full with delicious pizza and organic salads from Flatbread Pizza, while also patting yourself on the back for supporting farm education for children and adults. A portion of pizza sales goes directly…
Vineyard Football Touches Down
It’s still too early for the leaves of fall to be rustling, but other sounds of the season are already in the air: the impatient tweets of a whistle, garbled voices speaking through mouthguards, and the soft smack of a pigskin landing perfectly between two outstretched hands.
By IVY ASHE
It’s…
Ken Williams Golf Benefit Swinging Success
The 12th Annual Ken Williams memorial scholarship fund golf tournament was held on Sunday, August 22 at Mink Meadows Golf Club. More than 50 golfers participated in a day of charitable golfing including three celebrity golfers: Prof. Charles Ogletree, author Roland Martin and Dr. Ewart Brown, Premier of Bermuda.
Regional High School Principal Applauds Honor Roll Students
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School principal Stephen Nixon has announced the honor roll for the fourth quarter of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Grade 12, high honors go to: Laiana Almeida, Marta Azzollini, Taylor Chisholm, Susannah Clancy, Alexandra Ferland, Matthew Fisher, Fillipi Gomes, Sarah Hall, Anna Hayes, Gail Herman, Shaelah Huntington, Dylan McCarthy, Sara…
She Had the Lobster, He Had Short Ribs
When a man called the Sweet Life Café to make a reservation for six people, explaining he was proposing to his girlfriend and both his and her parents would be there so he requested the back room, owner Susan Guerin knew something was up.
Yogi Berra Gets Old Grievance Delivered to President
Former year-round resident Tom Murro was in the right place at the right time last year when he got to standing with Spike Lee on the filmmaker’s Farm Neck yard and President Obama showed up to shake his hand. Since then Mr. Murro, who lives in New Jersey, has begun a Web site, celebritymagnet.com (which…
Noted Researcher Joins Men’s Bereavement Board
Dr. Phyllis R. Silverman has joined the board of directors of the Island-based nonprofit Men’s Bereavement Group. A noted researcher in the field of grief and the needs of the bereaved, Dr. Silverman is also recognized for her contributions to the use of mutual help groups.
Let’s Move Event Moves to Saturday
Let’s Move Martha’s Vineyard has done some moving of its own this week, after a three-day northeaster cancelled most outdoor events from Monday through Wednesday. The kickoff event has been rescheduled for tomorrow in Oak Bluffs. Organizer Erin Bayer Santos said most of the activities will stay the same as before with a few schedule…
Flotilla of Protest Sounds Call To Ease Federal Fishing Limits
A fleet of more than 14 fishing boats, mostly from New Bedford, staged a protest in the waters off Vineyard Haven yesterday afternoon to make a statement about fishery restrictions while President Obama is visiting the Vineyard.
Police Merger is Found Viable; Two Towns Study the Legalities
Tisbury and Oak Bluffs have begun examining the legal means by which they might merge their two police forces and have approached the state Department of Revenue (DOR) for help in determining how a merger might happen.
Oak Bluffs town administrator Michael Dutton confirmed yesterday that he had had discussions with the DOR…
First Family’s Vacation Winds Down; Prevailing Theme Presidential Quiet
On Sunday President Obama will leave Martha’s Vineyard for New Orleans, for the fifth anniversary of its devastation by Hurricane Katrina. On Tuesday, he will travel to Texas, where he will meet with troops, and that night at 8 p.m. he will address the nation about the Iraq war from the Oval Office.
…
Author Casts Lines on Past, Future for Fish
One evening when author Paul Greenberg was 10 years old his father dropped him off at Menemsha. That night he would pull six glistening iridescent squeteague from the waters around the jetty.
“I thought I was going to be rich beyond my wildest dreams,” Mr. Greenberg said in an interview at the same…
First Farm-Raised Mussels Make Debut
The Vineyard’s first offshore farm-raised blue mussels will be distributed among Island fish markets and a few restaurants this weekend. The shellfish are being grown as part of a federally and locally-funded offshore aquaculture experiment to bring farm-raised blue mussels to market on the Island.
Breaking the Habit of Reality TV
In early August I accepted a freelance proofreading job at a rate that could generously be called less than desirable. The job comes with flexible hours, and I am expected to put in 35 to 40 of them in a given week. If you have never worked as a proofreader, this amounts to 35 to…
Neighborly Advice From the Heart
For the past week, President Obama has been my neighbor on Martha’s Vineyard. He’s not what you call a cheek-by-jowl neighbor. Although we are both living in the same area of the Vineyard — Chilmark — we are separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Chilmark Pond, Tisbury Great Pont, South Road and legions of Secret Service.
The Downward Spiral of Downtowns
I can’t wait for Edgartown Hardware to move out of downtown. For three generations my family and I have shopped there. You can’t beat the service and friendly attitude. But in the last 10 years or so we’ve taken our business elsewhere. The traffic. All those people from away shopping for T-shirts and baubles. Who…
Late Summer Days
Late Summer Days
The northeaster that blew through the Island this week was right on schedule in this summer of early things: early spring, early dog days of heat and humidity and now an early storm more characteristic of September than August. Slickers and rain boots were pulled out of hiding in coat…
Program Director Instills Open Spirit as Ambassador of YMCA
As Islanders get accustomed to the newly-built, state-of-the art YMCA in their midst, they are simultaneously getting acquainted with Julian Villegas, the senior program director there. The soft-spoken Columbian native is quickly making himself known as a warm and welcoming ambassador for the YMCA’s mission of bringing families and communities together.
Garden Club Elections
Garden Club Elections
Fair a Smooth Ride for Police, Ordnance Removal is No DIY
Three sets of keys, one driver’s license, two credit cards and two wallets — one with over $500 in cash.
Oak Bluffs Board Keeps Pier In Dry Dock, Scooters Parked
Discussion continued on Tuesday in front of the Oak Bluffs selectmen about the proposed 317-foot fishing pier off the North Bluff. The project is strongly backed by recreational fishermen and opposed by neighborhood residents worried about increased traffic and noise in the area.
Under review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission as a development…
Island Schools Aim For Race to Top Funds
By MEGAN DOOLEY
Of the $250 million in federal grant money awarded to the state of Massachusetts for improving education in the much-publicized Race to the Top program, the Martha’s Vineyard public school district is expected to receive some $100,000 over a period of three years, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss…
Steamship Authority Employee Convicted of Embezzlement
A Mashpee woman was convicted on Monday in federal court of having embezzled some $145,000 over eight years from the Steamship Authority.
Armine E. Sabatini, 46, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf to two counts of embezzlement and two counts of wire fraud.
She is scheduled for…
Last Least Terns to Hook Up, Head Out
By PETER BRANNEN
The life of the plucky tern is one beset on all sides by danger. They face a staggering array of threats from above and below as they eke out an existence hurling their angular, streamlined bodies toward the sea in search of sand eels and lance. For The Trustees of…
Irresistible: Lisa Grunwald Reads from Her New Novel
Irresistible: Lisa Grunwald
Reads from Her New Novel
Dr. Charles Adams Visits Union Chapel Third Time
Dr. Charles Adams Visits
Union Chapel Third Time
Union Chapel is pleased to welcome the popular preacher Dr. Charles G. Adams Sr. this Sunday. He is pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit, Mich. He brings with him the Hartford Male Chorus as a guest choir.
Skeet Champion
Skeet Champion
On Sunday, August 15, with clear skies and a warm breeze off Segekontacket Pond, Matt Gamache of Vineyard Haven captured the 2010 Rod and Gun Club Skeet Championship.
Mr. Gamache bested Bill Shanok and Edward (Spider) Andresen, who were tied for first place when Mr. Gamache came up in…
Hello Harper
Hello Harper
Jennifer Arena Neville and Burke Neville of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Harper Claire Neville, born on August 19, 2010, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Harper weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth.
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA
508-693-3308
(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
Our neighborhood is hopping, not to mention our President headed down to play a round of golf at Mink Meadows on Wednesday. I must say I have missed any kind of traffic tie-up so far that others are experiencing because of the Presidential vacation. Just…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
Well, when we asked for rain we didn’t know that Mother Nature was going to give it to us for three days. It certainly has been a difference in weather; some are in sweatshirts and long pants when just a few days ago we were…
East Chop
Rick Herrick
508-693-8065
(herricklr@verizon.net)
This Monday is the 56th anniversary of Hurricane Carol, one of the worst storms to ever hit the New England coast. What began as a tropical storm over the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, gradually strengthened as it traveled northwest. It made landfall on Long…
Chappy
BRAD WOODGER
508-627-4216
(ibwsgolf@aol.com)
I‘m easily confused. And I’m not meteorologically gifted. But I can’t believe that I am alone in being confounded by this summer’s weather. I find it disorienting to have a September or October northeaster in August. The markers are all off. The town should not…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
I think it rained tourists on Menemsha all week. In spite of the dark days the crowds turned out to enjoy all the non-weather related joys of summer. The miserable stretch of weather ended with a big blow and some wild water. Surfers are…
Venus
The brightest planet in the western sky is Venus, and it can easily be seen an hour after sunset. In the coming week, our nearest planet appears close to one of the brightest stars of the summer, Spica. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
August 20 80 67 .00
August 21 81 59 .00
August 22 79 67 .00
August 23 72 65 .68
August 24 69 62 1.69
August 25 68 62 1.00
August 26 74 62 .03
…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
After four days of unrelenting downpours and dampness, happily all our animals are safe, warm and dry albeit wishing for new homes. Won’t you please stop by the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard and fall in love with our beautiful animals and perhaps take one or two home with you?
Tuesday Goodbye
Tuesday Goodbye
Good morning to all our readers near and far. Tuesday, August 31, will mark the end of the Gazette’s twice a week publication schedule for the year. Read the Tuesday Gazette for complete coverage of the final days of President Obama’s family vacation on the Vineyard. See you Tuesday — one…
Artistic Diversity at Old Sculpin Gallery
The Old Sculpin Gallery in Edgartown opened its latest exhibition last Sunday night with a well-attended reception for featured artists Anthony Benton Gude, Dylan Sean Murray, Amaru Pareja and Teresa Yuan.
The Old Sculpin Gallery in Edgartown opened its latest exhibition last Sunday night with a well-attended reception for featured artists Anthony Benton…
Whither Striped Bass?
The commercial striped bass season ended last Monday and Alec Gale of West Tisbury said it was the worst season he has seen in the six years he has been hauling fish to the mainland for the local anglers. “It was a slow season, and it wasn’t because of overfishing,” Mr. Gale said. “I think…
The Vineyard Gardener
By LYNNE IRONS
A few weeks ago, a story was told on NPR of a man with a persistent cough. Fearing the worst, he scheduled a doctor’s visit. An x-ray revealed a pea plant growing in his lung. He apparently had a split pea go down the wrong pipe. Incredible as it sounds,…
Mattress Miners
I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
And this news that I needed to deliver was particularly bad. A phone call from an unnamed couple somewhere on Martha’s Vineyard (the reason for anonymity will soon be clear) asked if they could bring in an insect for me to identify. They feared…
Hummingbird Feeders
Where do hummingbirds go in nasty weather? I know that in the tropics there is a plethora of large-leafed palms and plants under which these tiny birds can perch to wait out a storm. But on the Vineyard what do they do? I have never seen a hummer hunkered down during a storm, but I…
