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 3, 2011
Charter School Graduates Lauded in Personal Ceremony
Tears mixed with laughter as the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School’s class of 2011 took the stage at their graduation Sunday afternoon with Can’t Go Back Now by The Weepies playing in the background. With parents, friends and teachers cheering them on and sharing in their tears, Domonique Aaron, Jessica Dupon, Sasha Iammarino, Brian Luce,…
Tri-Town to Recommend Zeke Wilkins as Chief
The Tri-Town Ambulance service committee will recommend to the Chilmark selectmen on Tuesday that interim chief Paul (Zeke) Wilkins be permanently appointed chief, committee chairman and Aquinnah police chief Randhi Belain confirmed this week.
Mr. Wilkins has served as interim chief since February when Robert Bellinger resigned. The committee had offered the post…
Gazette Chronicle: Going Places
Going Places
From Gazette editions of June, 1936:
The season of 1936 has been coming in on a bicycle, and many observers have looked up, startled, to see it coming in on a bicycle built for two. An older generation had forgotten all about the tandem bicycle, and a younger generation…
Edgartown Board Clarifies Alcohol Sales Laws, Signs
Two Edgartown establishments that served beer and wine illegally over the holiday weekend will receive a reprimand from the town selectmen.
At their weekly meeting Tuesday selectmen reported that the Eisenhauer Gallery on North Water street served alcohol without a one-day permit at their weekend opening, and Edgartown Meat and Fish Market sold…
Sengie’s Summer Closure
Sengie’s Summer Closure
Sengekontacket Pond was closed to shellfishing on Wednesday this week and will remain closed until Oct. 1, Oak Bluffs shellfish constable David Grunden confirmed. The closure affects all shellfish harvesting; the pond is safe for swimming.
Pension Problem Hits Steamship Budget
By MIKE SECCOMBE
Everything is connected to everything else. Thus the moves in the 1980s to deregulate the trucking industry have wound up, 30 years later, costing the Steamship Authority and its employees millions of dollars.
It’s a convoluted series of events, traced by the SSA in a recent statement explaining…
Bacteria-Collecting Discs Found On Beaches Not a Health Risk
Some of the millions of small plastic discs, released accidentally from a New Hampshire sewer plant three months ago, have begun washing up on Vineyard beaches
Over the weekend, people reported finding scores of the discs on south shore beaches. One Island resident picked up more than 60 at Quansoo. Others were found…
Corrections
Corrections
In an obituary on Friday for Arthur R. Railton, the editor and writer for the Dukes County Intelligencer, the Gazette overlooked the editorship of the late George W. Adams, who served for a year between the editorships of E. Gale Huntington and Mr. Railton.
Working with the photographer Alison Shaw…
Staying Alive in Post Season Play
Both tennis teams have advanced to state tournament play and will be on the home court over the weekend. Come out to support the boys as they take on Canton at 3 p.m. today, and the girls on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. when they play the winner of the first-round Cohasset/Cape Cod Academy match.
Adult Summer Soccer Ready to Mix It Up
The Vineyard Football Association is celebrating its 20th year hosting Martha’s Vineyard’s premier adult coed summer soccer league, with the eight-week season set to begin on Tuesday, June 28, and games scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 and 6:45 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park in Vineyard Haven.
New Fishing Tournament Aims to Benefit Children
Bass and Blues for Boys and Girls is a new fishing contest to benefit Island children. Fishing starts early tomorrow morning and continues until 3 p.m. when there will be an awards ceremony and cookout. The striped bass and bluefish contest benefits the Martha’s Vineyard Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
Little League All-Star Game Features Major League Talent
What’s the key to success in a Little League all-star game? “Really belting it out, hopefully,” said nine-year-old Jared Regan after the major league all-stars finished their game.
Offshore Wind Discussion
Offshore Wind Discussion
State and federal officials will be on Island next week to discuss the leasing process of areas of federal waters south of Martha’s Vineyard for the development of offshore wind projects. The public information session will be on Thursday, June 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell…
Last Free Weekend, Then Pay for Fishing
Freshwater and saltwater fishing is free this weekend for those who have not yet registered for a Massachusetts fishing license. It is a chance for all adult anglers to get their lines wet without having to buy a fishing license. But on Monday, most adults are required to have a state license.
Gonzalo Corts
Gonzalo Corts
Gonzalo Corts of Vineyard Haven has graduated with high honors from Cape Cod Community College. Mr. Corts also was named a member of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society.
Eagle Eye Cub Scouts Discover World War II Era Treasure Chest
A cookout for a den of Vineyard Cub Scouts and their parents last Thursday night had an exciting surprise ending when two young scouts discovered an old treasure box deep in the woods.
The rusted World War II-era metal box contained a cache of gold and jewelry, knives and an old revolver. The…
Motocross Not as Nature Intended
Greenlands is a 360-acre environmental gem located in the heart of our Island. Greenlands was purchased by the town of West Tisbury to protect the crown of our Island’s sensitive sole-source aquifer as a future source of public water supply. Since its creation in 1982, parts of this critically important Island asset have been systematically…
Grief’s Burden Part of Larger Picture
It doesn’t get any better — you just get used to it.”
Hearing this a couple of months after the death of my wife, Ella Tulin, was like a kick in the stomach, but over the succeeding year there were many occasions when this phrase was the only solid anchor in an emotional turmoil.
Broadcast from Oak Bluffs
Broadcast from Oak Bluffs
Listen to the voters in Oak Bluffs; their collective voice is loud and clear. At the annual town election in April they swept two longtime incumbent selectmen out of office and voted in two newcomers. At a special town election last week they broadcast a forceful message about their…
Handing Off for Life
Handing Off for Life
There will be burgers, pancakes and silly stunts — people wearing crazy hats, walking backwards, eating s’mores and collecting playing cards around the track of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, hoping for a winning hand by lap five. It is the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and…
Who’s the Boss? Only Time Will Tell
The other day, on a wet and chilly morning, I suggested to my daughter Pickle, recently turned three, that she wear a coat for going outside. Giving my children suggestions about what clothes to wear has been an ongoing battle for me ever since I became a parent. That at age eight I chose to…
Regional High School Announces Honor Roll
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School principal Stephen Nixon has announced the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2010-2011 academic year.
Grade 12 high honors go to: Celeste Ewing, Michaella Gaines, Sarah Johnson, Collette Jordan, Haley Krauss, Jill McHugh, Amelia Pennington and Kira Shipway.
Grade 11 high honors go to:…
Honors Night Lauds Student Achievement
What follows is the list of awards given to Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School students at the annual Honors Night ceremony, held last night at the high school performing arts center. Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Departmental Awards: Faculty
Art: excellence in drawing and painting: Mary-Louise Howell and Kira Shipway; excellence…
Family Planning Clinic in Jeopardy, Community Embraces Art Show
As the Family Planning clinic here faces the threat of possible closure due to severe state budget cuts, the Vineyard community turned out in large numbers for the annual Friends of Family Planning Art Show this past weekend.
Stock Market Winners
Stock Market Winners
Two Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School students won first place in a stock market competition involving more than 1,000 teams competing statewide, the Boston Globe and Security Industry and Financial Markets Associates (SIFMA) Stock Market Game.
Taylor Poggi won first overall, with a total return of 37.98 per…
Health Program Enrollment Period Open Until June 24
Open enrollment for the Commonwealth Care program began on Wednesday and will continue through June 24. It is the only time during the year when members may change health plans for any reason.
“We will give members all the information and support they need to choose a health plan that best meets their…
Bee Inventory Gets Boost, New Volunteers Welcome
The Trustees of Reservations has received additional funding from the Edey Foundation to support ongoing efforts to document native bees and other pollinators on Martha’s Vineyard this year.
An inventory last year covered a wide range of habitats and generated the first-ever, season-long “snapshot” of Vineyard pollinators, with nearly 10,000 specimens of bees…
Tuesday Gazette
Good morning to all our readers. The Gazette’s twice-a-week publication cycle will begin on Tuesday, June 7, and continue throughout the summer. See you Tuesday!
Hospital Hits Summer With Streamlined ER
For many people on the Island, summer begins like a head cold, around Memorial Day each year, with a sniffle or a sore throat. Then comes the headache.
It’s the pollen; this is the allergy season.
Over at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, too, the Memorial Day sniffles are a traditional indicator…
Call Off the Dogs from Out of Town
Out-of-towners leave your dogs at home, the West Tisbury parks and recreation committee has decided, at least if you are going to Lambert’s Cove Beach with your pooch.
On Wednesday the committee agreed to restrict dog privileges to town residents, amid increasing complaints from beachgoers who have watched sunset picnics blemished by uncontrolled…
West Tisbury Mulls Fate of Fence Viewers
It was a routine meeting and a routine set of appointments, but the West Tisbury selectmen paused when they came to one office that was not so routine: fence viewers. After the death of Daniel Prowten last year the town is down to just two fence viewers and suddenly along with the appointment the question…
Charter School’s Own Learning Journey Grows Over 15 Years
This Sunday marks not just high school graduation for seven students, but the 10th commencement in the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School’s history and the end of the school’s 15th year. Even before its first day of school on Sept. 16, 1996, the charter school has been attracting attention and a legion of admirers.
Oak Bluffs Election Results Will Stand
The fallout from last week’s Oak Bluffs special election continues as town officials question why the election was improperly posted and department heads face the reality of a more frugal future with still more cuts to come — including the spectre of layoffs.
Last Thursday 559 Oak Bluffs voters turned out for a…
Self-Assured Set of Graduates Learned What Can’t Be Taught
Gathered around the picnic table at the Polly Hill Arboretum this week, the graduating class of the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School reminisced about their time there. The group of six (one was absent) felt like a family. They smiled and laughed as they shared stories of their years at the charter school and spoke…
Work Halts on Tisbury EMS Building As Consultants Flag Long Fault List
A consultant’s report into construction work on Tisbury’s new emergency services building has found a long list of deficiencies inside and outside, from the foundation to the roof shingles.
Parts of the building off Spring street will have to be rebuilt, according to the report done by Building Enclosure Consultants (BEA), the Cambridge…
Jai Berger
Jai Berger
Jai Berger of Vineyard Haven received his bachelor’s degree in communications studies from Bridgewater State University. He was honored as magna cum laude at the ceremony. Jai is the son of Dr. Nancy Berger of Vineyard Haven.
Brenden M. Cooney
Brenden M. Cooney
Brenden M. Cooney of Vineyard Haven has earned a paramedic certificate with honors from Cape Cod Community College.
Letters to the Editor
BANISH BIGOTRY
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
I was dismayed to read about the anti-immigrant blog that is spreading poison about our Brazilian Islanders. I hope our Brazilian immigrants know that you are most welcome on Martha’s Vineyard. All of you whom I have met are hardworking, honest people, who are also warm…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
Marty Nadler used to say to me, whether or not he was talking to me at the time, “Summer’s here. Time to lock up your bike.”
Well, I don’t like to think of summer folk being, like, a Brinks Robbery Gang meets Bonnie and…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
May 27 69 59 Trace
May 28 75 60 Trace
May 29 75 59 .00
May 30 77 61 ,00
May 31 81 62 .00
June 1 75 50 .00
June 2 75 59 .04
…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has one kitten left available for adoption; he is a darling orange and white tiger and may be gone by the time you read this column.
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks@gis.net)
Spring has officially arrived, actually the same time that summer has arrived, in Aquinnah. The temperature has been in the 60s and 70s, a few scattered showers on occasion to keep the water level even, and a few brisk winds. The blossoms of iris,…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
slaterjn@comcast.net
The holiday weekend swept through Chilmark as it always does, with lots of chores still to do and the first wave of visitors here hoping for fun in the sun. The weather tried to please everyone but there was a lot of fog on…
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
Chappaquiddick has now entered its yellow period. For the next week or two, every surface exposed to the outdoor air will be covered with pollen. My blue car, which is parked at home under some oaks, is now a yellow car. It finally got warm…
Hello, Lucas
Hello, Lucas
Laura Sargent Hall and Brian Hall of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Lucas Daniel Hall, born on May 9, 2011, at Massachusetts General Hospital. Lucas weighed 1 pound, 14 ounces at birth. He is welcomed also by his brother, Ethan, and sister, Grace.
Felix Arrives
Felix Arrives
Reade and Gregory Milne of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Felix Scott Milne, born on May 26, 2011, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Felix weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces at birth. He is also welcomed by his big sister, Greta.
Announcing Anthony
Announcing Anthony
Maira Avansini DeSouza and Marcio G. Pereira of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Anthony Avansini Pereira, born on May 26, 2011, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Anthony weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces at birth.
Welcome, Finn
Eve Vincent Codding and Geoff Codding of Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Finn Jackson Codding, born on May 29, 2011, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Finn weighed 8 pounds, 14.2 ounces at birth.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
As of the writing of this article, Springfield was hit with a tornado and many homes near there were hit with lightning and hail as large as golf balls. So there are no complaints from this writer, only well wishes and prayers for those in…
Moon and Stars
A thin crescent moon appears low in the southwestern sky after sunset tonight, when it is in the zodiacal constellation Gemini, moving into the constellation Cancer.
Common Birds
Coming home to the Vineyard’s common birds is always a pleasure. “Our” black-capped chickadee with an unusual white blaze is back on the shelf feeder. The red-headed woodpecker looks very uncomfortable as it balances on the Droll Yankee tube feeder extracting seed. The white-breasted nuthatch is working upside down on the sycamore maple headed for…
Art, Like Children, Takes a Village
By JONAH LIPSKY
Near the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and MassArt in Boston lies a small basement gallery. At the entrance to the space a large electric sign hovers above the door displaying the word yes in three languages: Yes. Oui. Si.
All That Jazz on Martha’s Vineyard
When jazz goes on vacation, it goes to Martha’s Vineyard. So trumpets the tag line of the inaugural 2011 Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival, which officially takes place August 6-13, but enjoyed an unofficial kickoff at Lola’s in Oak Bluffs this past weekend. Throughout the summer, you can find jazz all over the Island leading to…
The Peonies Will Open, Eventually
I wonder when Decoration Day turned into Memorial Day? As a child, I believe it was used interchangeably. I thought of geraniums and cemeteries.
Pollen Power
It is everywhere. Clouds of pollen have coated the entire Island. We are in danger of sinking under the weight of the zillions of grains of male tree dust.
Well, not really, but it is driving us all a bit crazy and putting many into a sneezing frenzy.
Baseball Team Creates Feeding Frenzy
Baseball Team Creates Feeding Frenzy
Warning: The following contains numerous digestive metaphors. It could not be avoided.
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks baseball team is famished. Their winter feeding grounds were dormant. Time usually spent enjoying seal sandwiches was eaten up by paper work. An inaugural baseball season is not just a…
Civil War and the Vineyard , Museum Connects the Dots
Currently, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum is featuring an exhibit entitled We Are Marching Along: Martha’s Vineyard and the Civil War. Next Tuesday, June 5 at 5:30 p.m., in conjunction with this exhibit the museum is hosting a lecture featuring Pulitzer Prize winning author William McFeely. He will be discussing the connection between the Civil War…
Island Grown Schools’ Big Dinner Benefit, Plant Sale
Island Grown Schools is looking to grow their coffers. All year long they’ve been planting seeds of good stewardship of the land and stomach in the hearts and minds of Island schoolchildren. From creating gardens to serving local lunches at Island schools, IGS has become a warmly welcomed fixture here. But all this good nutrition…
Twenty Island Artists
Twenty Island Artists
On Tuesday, June 7, the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library will host an exhibition featuring the work of more than 20 Vineyard artists. A reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. that day.
Artists Unite for Japan
Artists Unite for Japan
This Sunday, June 5 from 4 to 7 p.m. a group of local artists are gathering to help children in crisis as a result of the tsunami in Japan. The artists include Mark Zeender, Hiroko Thomson, Carrie Mae Smith, Elizabeth Cecil, Jocelyn Filley, Meg Bodnar and Greg Watson. Well,…
A Moment With Ray Ellis
A Moment With Ray Ellis
Staring deeply into a painting, first from up close, then from afar, maybe trying a different angle or two to wander amidst the nuance of light and shadow is a beautiful journey. Viewer and art together on a tour of discovery.
But sometimes one desires a…
Spring Cleanse
Spring Cleanse
The time for spring cleaning, internal style, is now.
Beginning Monday, June 6 and stretching through to June 20, Sherry Sidoti, Jan Buhrman, Dr. Kristine Kopp and Dr. Dardy Slavin are teaming up to create a program designed to make you feel your best just in time for summer.…
Little Mermaids Dance on Water
Marvelous miniature mermaids merge in movement on Martha’s Vineyard making music and merriment and maybe mayhem.
Kids Are All Right With So Many Island Camps
Toasted gold or burnt to a crisp? It’s one of the great American debates, how to properly roast a marshmallow, and this summer, dueling sticks will further the debate one gooey mess at a time, in that great American tradition, summer camp.
