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
November 19, 2010
Stunt Women Wielding Pom-Poms Fire Up Fans
Attitude!” shouted high school cheerleading coach Stephanie Andrade before last Friday’s football game against Nauset. The eight members of the squad were warming up before the game by practicing their dance routine. Staggered in two lines, the all-girl squad marched head-on like models on a runway.
Friday was a warmup for this weekend’s…
Old School: First Football Team, Fifty Years On
They haven’t played together in 50 years, but tonight the members of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s first football team will come together from as far away as Florida and as near as Oak Bluffs to attend a dinner at the high school before the Island Cup game tomorrow.
High school athletic…
Revving Up for the Return of the Rivals
The scouting reports are in and Whaler Pride is back. The last Nantucket team the Vineyard faced finished the season 0-10, capped by an embarrassing 43-22 Island Cup thrashing that saw Vineyard coach Don Herman pull most of his starters by halftime.
Closing-In Near at Public Safety Building
Structural steel work is complete, a concrete floor has been poured and underground utilities have been buried. And now the $6.8 million Tisbury emergency services building opposite the Tisbury School on West Spring street enters a new phase in construction.
Ten Nonprofits to Receive Boost from Endowment
What if you had $1,000 to give away? Recently, MJ Bruder Munafo had a chance to find out. While attending the presentation of the 2010 Creative Living Award hosted by the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard, Ms. Munafo entered a drawing to win the opportunity to award $1,000 to Island nonprofits. The drawing was…
Giving Thanks for Friends Above Us
Thanksgiving gets people thinking about birds. For most folks it’s about eating one, the one upside down on the dining room table, with side dishes of tradition, heritage, community, family, good friends — all cause enough for gathering and celebration. As a former restaurateur living in West Tisbury is fond of saying about the entirety…
Big Bikes and Bigger Hearts
The summer traffic jam is past, but I’m not yet used to the novelty of finding parking in front of the places I want to go. Leslie’s, the Reliable, the Steamship Authority lot. Space! But I got through this season without losing a fender, my temper or my driver’s license; well, you can’t lose what’s…
French Teacher Rides New Wave
Pierre Bonneau was in Paris teaching a full immersion language course for the University of Arizona when he got an e-mail from his wife back in Tucson. It contained an advertisement for a French teacher at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and a brief note: “The kids and I have thought about this —…
Edgartown Selectmen Will Ask Voters to Withdraw from MVC
Still unhappy with next year’s early budget estimates that they believe unfairly saddles the town with a disproportionate share of cost, the Edgartown selectmen are moving ahead with plans to withdraw from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.
The selectmen will now put the question before voters at a special town meeting slated for Dec.…
Whalers Return Ready to Battle For Island Cup
The game is back. Every fall on the Island the leaves turn red and fall to the ground, scallopers take to Island ponds, and the V’s and W’s line up across from each other on the gridiron the week before Thanksgiving to add a new chapter to The Rivalry. Then, all of a sudden last…
Oak Bluffs Voters Start Shoring Up Budget With Rooms Tax Hike
Undaunted by the bleak economic picture, Oak Bluffs voters agreed on Tuesday night to increase the room occupancy tax and allocate $200,000 for the historic renovation of the brick bathhouse on the North Bluff.
But when it came to a much-discussed article by petition to reduce the number of selectmen from five to…
Hometown Cop Dan Rossi Wins West Tisbury Police Chief Badge
Dan Rossi was appointed as the new West Tisbury police chief on Wednesday night after a vote by West Tisbury selectmen Cynthia Mitchell and Richard Knabel. After the announcement, Mr. Rossi wiped his brow and hugged the selectmen to a round of applause. It had been a long weekend of interviews and public speaking, and…
Comcast Data is On Demand
Fred LaPiana is just one of an unknown number of people who cannot get service from Martha’s Vineyard’s monopoly cable television provider, Comcast.
But as Tisbury’s director of public works and a prime mover in the renegotiation of Comcast’s franchise agreement with Island towns, he is in a better position than anybody to…
Tisbury Taxes Rise Sharply
Tisbury property taxes will be sharply higher in 2011, largely due to falling property values and the extra expense of the town’s new emergency services building.
For fiscal year 2011, residential tax rates will go up 14.3 per cent compared with the current year. Commercial rates will go up 14.6 per cent.
…
Lawsuit Filed Following Edwards Fundraiser Story
A former staffer for a Georgia senator who briefly made headlines when he was arrested and jailed following a fundraiser on the Vineyard in the summer of 2007 has filed a lawsuit against the Vineyard Gazette and The Boston Globe.
It’s All in the Grout
It’s All in the Grout
Martha’s Vineyard Tile Company owners, Annie and Jeremy Bradshaw, are adding a new dimension to their tile business through television with a half-hour show devoted to the use of tile in homes and businesses. Tile Trends, hosted by Annie Bradshaw and Guinevere Cramer, begins airing Nov. 20 on…
Drill, Baby, Drill: Powering to Chappy
Drilling began yesterday to replace an underwater damaged cable that provides power from Edgartown to Chappaquiddick. Construction is expected to last until mid December.
A small group gathered at the drilling point outside of Soft as a Grape on Dock street, waiting for the drilling to begin. Dock street is closed to cars…
Sight, Sound, Savings: Tribe Weighs Issues on Wind Turbines
The decision to build land-based wind turbines on Wampanoag Tribe land in Aquinnah will likely come down to three factors: aesthetics, acoustics and economics.
The results of a wind feasibility study unveiled at the tribal administration building in Aquinnah last Friday showed that while turbines could deliver big environmental and economic benefits in…
Architect Hired for Tea Lane Farmhouse
The Tea Lane Farm building committee has selected a draftsman to help with the plan for restoring the historic farmhouse in Chilmark. Committee members Leonard Jason, Dick Smith and Chilmark selectman Frank Fenner agreed to engage the services of Elise Elliston, a Chilmark resident, last week.
The goal is to have a final…
Stranded Pygmy Whale Washes Up on Chappaquiddick Beach
Last Friday Skip Bettencourt was strolling the Chappaquiddick side of the Norton Point breach with his wife, his dog and two friends when he stumbled across six feet of bloodied blubber. With the tooth-studded lower jaw of a sperm whale and the pointed snout of a shark, the animal cut an outlandish profile.
…
Peacecraft at Pyewacket’s
Peacecraft at Pyewacket’s
From Friday, Nov. 26 through Friday, Dec. 24 Peacecraft will be holding their annual holiday benefit sale at Pyewacket’s on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven. The holiday store will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature Third World crafts and Haitian metalwork. Proceeds will go…
Italy, Island in Paintings At Treehouse Studios Show
Paintings by Claudio Gasparini are currently being shown at the Treehouse Gallery in West Tisbury. Part of a private collection, the paintings exhibit the rich color and vibrancy typical of many post-impressionist European artists. Originally from Venice, Italy, Mr. Gasparini has painted on Martha’s Vineyard for many years.
Included in this exhibition are…
Meyer Junior Golf Trust Has Successful First Year
In its first full season, the Anthony H. Meyer junior golf trust provided financial assistance for junior golfers throughout the Island.
It was always Mr. Meyer’s wish to help the youth of the Island become interested in the game of golf because he was so passionate about the ideals and concept of the…
Relishing the Return of Island Cranberries
When you think of cranberries, no doubt visions of Thanksgiving dance in the head: cranberry orange bread, cranberry relish, cranberry-stuffed acorn squash. Or perhaps you think of the scarlet landscape of bogs you pass while driving through the famed Cape Cod cranberry towns of Carver and Wareham on your way to Woods Hole.
…
Name That Team
Name That Team
The Martha’s Vineyard summer collegiate baseball club is hosting a contest to name the team. Entries will be accepted through Sunday, Nov. 21, with the winning name chosen in early December. Once a team name is chosen, a color scheme and logo will be designed and team merchandise will be…
Martha’s Vineyard to Martha Stewart
Brussels sprouts and turnips will get their 15 minutes of fame next week when Susie Middleton of West Tisbury kicks off her Thanksgiving holiday with a guest spot onthe Martha Stewart Show, where she’ll demonstrate quick-roasting techniques for vegetables.
Go Fly a Kite
Go Fly a Kite
This Sunday, Nov. 21 there is an opportunity to merge two activities that while seemingly perfect in their individual states, lift off into some magical realm of joy when merged. Eating an ice cream sundae while flying a kite. The event is the fourth annual Sundaes and Kites on…
Kalleb Arrives
Cleidiene Oliveira and Silvano de Oliveira of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Kalleb da Silva Oliveira, on Nov. 13 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Kalleb weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces at birth.
Welcome Mylena
Lilian M.A. Silva and Flavio R. Silva of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Mylena Arreco Silva, on Nov. 14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Mylena weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces at birth. She joins big brother Nhicolas.
Grand Opening
Grand Opening
Vineyard KnitWorks is having a Grand Opening Day this Sunday, Nov. 21, with refreshments and door prizes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its new retail shop at 10 State Road, Vineyard Haven, next to Educomp.
John Miles Arrives
John Miles Arrives
Abigail Southard and Curtis Chandler of Edgartown announce the birth of a baby boy, John Miles Chandler, on Nov.14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. John Miles weighed eight pounds at birth.
The County Conundrum
The County Conundrum
Does county government have a useful function anymore? Throughout the commonwealth the county form of government has gradually been phased out, and today only a handful of these white elephant governments remain. Dukes County is one. On the Vineyard county government has undergone evaluation twice in the past twenty years,…
Roses in November
Roses in November
Autumn on the Vineyard this year has been an up-and-down tale of weather, as if the Island had been gripped by some environmental personality disorder, with cold rain for days at a stretch, then suddenly turning mild and sunny for many more days on end. The first killing frost arrived…
Gazette Chronicle: Dishing Local
Dishing Local
From the Gazette Turkey Files:
The turkeys that adorn Thanksgiving tables come mostly from the mainland. But there was once a time in the not-too-distant past when the Island-producd turkey was as much a part of Island gourmet eating as Island-produced seafood.
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth, whenever it is damp, drizzly November in my soul; . . . then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.
— Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
When we last left off with the saga of the Oak Bluffs couple who had purchased the whole Comcast Bundle (Internet, landline, TV cable), the husband and wife were learning to share the remote control. Recap: the wife ceded the clicker over to the husband…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
Ah, New England weather. It was 38, windy and damp; it was 55, sunny and warm enough for a T-shirt. Who knows what will be next?
Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Marshall…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Nov. 12 52 44 .01
Nov. 13 55 45 .00
Nov. 14 57 41 .00
Nov. 15 56 47 .00
Nov. 16 57 50 .09
Nov. 17 59 49 .97
Nov. 17 62 46 .01
…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away. There are many animals at the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard that need loving homes. Please stop by and see them!
Chappy
BRAD WOODGER
508-627-4216
(ibwsgolf@aol.com)
No, I can’t. Which is okay. Chappy teaches limitations. There’s much emphasis on our potential these days, but sometimes it’s good to know where potential meets the horizon. And stops. Just stops.
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark is still alive with the bright yellows and reds of the fall foliage. I was wrong to think that they wouldn’t survive the winds of last week. We are still enjoying lovely roadside displays of color. Enjoy every minute the next winds will…
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
Another nice week with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. The final remnants of the fall foliage are very beautiful as you travel down Middle Road in Chilmark and even more spectacular as you drive up Music street.
Happy Thanksgiving
The Vineyard Gazette office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. The newspaper will publish on Friday as usual and the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day. Correspondents are reminded that early deadlines apply this week.
Moon Shadow
The full moon is Sunday night. It rises in the eastern sky about the same time as the sun sets in the west. The moon is near the star cluster Pleiades, in the zodiacal constellation Taurus.
Let’s Go: Students Stick Boots Into Absurd in Waiting for Godot
We’re waiting to see just what we are waiting for. Confused? So are the students in the high school’s fall production of Waiting for Godot, but the program note from opening night on Thursday is an example of what the students have come to embrace in what they all agree is the most challenging play…
Hard Knock Lifers Shine Brightly
Hard Knock Lifers Shine Brightly
This weekend the students from the Oak Bluffs School will be proving that yes, the sun does come out tomorrow. Metaphorically, at least, given the state of the weather on the Island these days.
It’s Annie we’re talking about, the story of the irrepressible young girl…
Drawn Into the Adventures Of Funny Girl Phoebe Potts
Some people have all the luck. While Phoebe Potts isn’t one of them, she does say, “I was the right female infertile cartoonist at the right time.” Indeed she was, and because of that, the luck this time is ours.
Alpaca Open House
Alpaca Open House
Belly full, tryptophan kicking in and making you so, so tired? Well, instead of snoozing in front of the same old, same old football game, head out to Island Alpaca’s Thanksgiving open house. The farm is open every day from Thursday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 28.
Take…
Scallop Shucking
Scallop Shucking
Consider the scallop this Saturday at the West Tisbury Winter Farmers’ Market. In addition to the great produce and local goods served up at the market, this weekend enjoy a scallop demonstration and shucking contest.
Shucking check-in is at noon. The shells start to come off at 1 p.m.…
Back to the Roots
I am the queen of justification. My latest is that I am leaving the cutting back of the perennial beds until the dead of winter.
Beware of Porcelain Peddlers
Martha Stewart didn’t get the memo.
On her Web site, the domestic diva highlights porcelain berry as a “no maintenance plant with attractive fruits” and suggests that gardeners “grow it as a ground cover by letting it sprawl or train it as a climbing vine.”
Little Tin Horn
Little Tin Horn is the name that Eric Cottle gave the bird that seems to be gracing everyone’s feeders this season. Nothing sounds more like those penny whistle tin horns than the red nuts — (the name bird-watchers give the red-breasted nuthatches).
