Mary Oliver
The wind wags its many tails. And in the evening the piled firewood shifts a little, longing to be on its way. —Mary Oliver
October 21, 2011
Halloween Activities Abound this Weekend
With the advent of fall, some weekends on the Vineyard can seem rather quiet. Not this weekend. The Island takes its holidays seriously and Halloween is no exception.
Geraldine Brooks Speaks To Benefit West Tisbury Library
A trio of lecture-discussions called the Speakeasy Series begins at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) at State Road Restaurant with author Geraldine Brooks. The second and third nights of the series feature author Tony Horwitz, and poets Fanny Howe and Jennifer Tseng. Hors d’hoeuvres and light refreshments will be served. The cost for the entire series…
Firemen Decide to End Popular Summer Fireworks
The Oak Bluffs fireworks display, a cornerstone of Island summer every August, will be cancelled next year unless the town finds a way to continue the show, the selectmen said on Tuesday night.
Selectmen said the firemen’s association, which organizes and raises the money each year for the huge fireworks display over Ocean…
No Quorum: Edgartown to Try Again Next Week
Falling 20 voters shy of a quorum, the Edgartown special town meeting was rescheduled for next Tuesday, Nov. 1. “Bring a friend,” Edgartown selectman Arthur Smadbeck advised the 139 voters who had assembled to no avail at the Old Whaling Church Tuesday night.
The 15-article warrant contains a number of key issues, including…
Voter Alert
Voter alert: Edgartown has a special town meeting tonight. Money to commission an appraisal of the Capt. Warren House, an update on the stalled library expansion project and a plan to convert the old silos at Katama Farm into cell towers are among the items on the 15-article warrant. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.…
Prisoner Found on Ferry After Mistaken Release From County Jail
Because of an administrative mix-up, a man charged with drug offenses was mistakenly released from the Dukes County jail this week but arrested less than 24 hours later when an Oak Bluffs police officer spotted him headed to the mainland on the ferry, authorities said.
Planet Watch
A thin crescent moon appears low in the southeastern sky tomorrow morning, in the zodiacal constellation Leo. For early risers, the moon appears just east of the red planet Mars. It is also near the bright star Regulus to the east. The new moon phase begins in five days.
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Oct. 14 71 63 .70
Oct. 15 73 57 .18
Oct. 16 68 57 Trace
Oct. 17 66 55 .12
Oct. 18 65 55 Trace
Oct. 19 68 55 .00
Oct. 20 70 61 1.67
…
Octoberfish Originator Creates Slice of Tackle Shop Heaven
In the last weeks of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, Steve Purcell got phone calls from around the Vineyard — and around the country. “They asked me, where was I?” Mr. Purcell said.
Community Grants
Community Grants
The Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank Charitable Fund with the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard has awarded $11,000 in grants to eight community groups this fall.
Organizations receiving grants were Adult and Community Education of Martha’s Vineyard, Aquinnah Cultural Center, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Friends of Edgartown Council on Aging,…
Boys Soccer Shines, Football Falls Hard, Cross-Country Cruises
As the 2011 season winds to a close, look for make-up games to begin dominating team schedules.
Great Coaching Doesn’t End at Buzzer
Lisa Knight played only one year of field hockey in high school.
For those familiar with the field hockey program at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, the statement might seem so ludicrous as to require a punch line afterwards — surely, you can’t be serious.
I’m Just Wild About Grasshoppers
After weeks of foraging, hunting and clamming, on Sunday Vineyard chefs from both amateur and professional ranks made good on their charge to serve up the wildest food the Vineyard has to offer.
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Harvest Potluck Serves Up History
Last fall Tomar Waldman and Keepa Lowe were driving around the Vineyard enjoying the crisp autumn air. On their journey, they wondered what it may have been like for the people of the Wampanoag Tribe and their food sources centuries ago.
Island Community Embraces Ideals Set by Work in Uganda
On Tuesday at a benefit night for Lila Fischer and Hannah Kahl’s coming trip to Africa to work for Earth Birth, Ms. Fischer held up a jar she planned to pass around throughout the evening for contributions. There would be a prize each hour, she said to the packed house at Flatbread/Nectar’s, for the largest…
Dan Waters Accepts Creative Living Award
Surrounded by friends and fans, Daniel A. Waters — poet and musician, among his many avocations — on Tuesday accepted this year’s Creative Living Award from the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard with characteristic humility.
“I feel so lucky to have come to live in a place where a community comes out to…
Counsel Urges Town To Consider Leasing Tea Lane Farmhouse
By REMY TUMIN
Chilmark selectmen are now considering a new plan for leasing out the town-owned house at Tea Lane Farm.
On Tuesday town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport outlined three options for the town — sell the property, issue a short-term or a long-term lease.
Selectmen are considering the…
Trustees Appointment
Trustees Appointment
The Trustees of Reservations have announced the appointment of John Vasconcellos as southeast regional director. A New Bedford resident and native, John is based at The Trustees’ Westport field office, where he oversees Trustees’ field staff and properties located within the organization’s southeast region, which includes the Cape and Islands.
…
Time to Shop, Edgartown Police Chief Floats Free Parking Idea
The headache of parking in downtown Edgartown could ease next summer if the town police chief has his way.
Chief Antone Bettencourt told the Edgartown selectmen on Monday that he would like to see two-hour parking limits enforced in the four town-owned lots downtown, but eliminated on the main and side streets.
MVCS Board Grows
MVCS Board Grows
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services has added five new members to its board of directors, the Island’s oldest social service agency announced this week.
Warren House, Cell Towers Top Edgartown Special Town Meeting
Spending on a real estate appraisal for the Capt. Warren House and converting the silos at Katama Farm into wireless towers are among the decisions that will confront Edgartown voters at a special town meeting on Tuesday night.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Old Whaling Church. Moderator Philip J. Norton…
Cultural Grants
Cultural Grants
Cape and Islands Rep. Timothy R. Madden has announced grants totaling $38,220 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for schools and communities on Martha’s Vineyard.
Local recipients include the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society ($3,000), the Silver Screen Film Society Inc. of Vineyard Haven ($2,500), The Vineyard Playhouse ($4,500), The…
SSA Transfers Airport Lease, Maintains Reservation Office
Steamship Authority governors agreed this week to transfer a lease the boat line holds on four acres at the airport business park to the county, which is eyeing the property for a possible renewable energy project.
The 20-year lease from the airport, SSA general counsel Steven Sayers said costs $30,000 a year, expires…
No Cars on Trick-or-Treat Street
Trick-or-treaters will find their route to candy a bit more safe this Halloween, as Tisbury selectmen approved a proposal by the town police department to block off parts of William street to traffic on the night of Oct. 31.
Veteran Derby Leaders Land Big Prizes
A self-described “eel slinger” who had won the derby twice before and an avid angler from Carver were the grand winners in this year’s 66th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby which came to a close last weekend.
More than 100 fishermen received awards at a joyfully raucous ceremony Sunday night…
More Striped Bass Spawn in Chesapeake, Offering Hope for Rising Stocks Here
Striped bass were scarce at this year’s derby, following a trend in recent years, but Vineyard fishermen may have reason for optimism after two major stock assessments have shown a record or near-record number of spawning fish in the Chesapeake Bay.
Harbor Receipts Fall, Irene Is Culprit
Hurricane Irene might have missed the Island but it still managed to be felt in town coffers. On Tuesday Oak Bluffs town administrator Robert Whritenhour reported that harbor receipts were down $41,000 for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, which began in July.
MVC Member Presses: Reconsider Roundabout
A longtime member of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission moved last night to reconsider the vote on the roundabout.
“This is going to be our last opportunity to reconsider this decision,” said Leonard Jason Jr. “We have a chance, in my mind, to put the bullet back in the gun.” The comments came at…
Schools Opt Out, Fourth Grade Theatre Project Goes Dark
The fourth grade theatre project, an unusual creative drama enrichment program for Island school children led by the Vineyard Playhouse for the past 17 years, will be suspended this year, playhouse director MJ Bruder Munafo said this week.
Ms. Bruder Munafo said she was surprised and baffled to learn that the Vineyard elementary…
Tribe Allows Use of Hatchery For Winter Flounder Project
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has agreed to lease its shellfish hatchery on the shore of Menemsha Pond to the Martha’s Vineyard/Dukes County Fishermen’s Association for $100 to raise winter flounder. The partnership is part of a federally funded two-year $308,000 National Sea Grant project to find ways to restore one of the…
In Farm Shuffle, Whippoorwill Will Return to Old County Road with its CSA Program
Whippoorwill Farm, home of the first Community Supported Agriculture program on the Vineyard, will move its operation from Thimble Farm in Oak Bluffs back to Old County Road, farm owner Andrew Woodruff said this week.
Occupy Protest Finds a Home On the Vineyard
As demonstrators in cities and countries around the world take to the streets in the name of Occupy Wall Street, not one but two Occupy movements are taking shape here on the Island, one virtual and one decidedly not.
The first began last weekend with a Facebook page called “Occupy Martha’s Vineyard.” Within…
Vineyard Transit Authority Ridership Hits Record Numbers
It was a banner year for the Vineyard Transit Authority, which posted its highest ridership numbers ever. But while an unprecedented number of passengers chose public transit on the Island this summer, transit authority administrator Angela Grant said her organization could use some relief.
“We should be running more bus service than we…
County of Dukes County, To either of the Constables in the Town of Oak Bluffs, Greetings:
County of Dukes County, ss
To either of the Constables in the Town of Oak Bluffs, Greetings:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to warn the inhabitants of the Town of Oak Bluffs who are qualified to vote in Town Affairs and Elections, to assemble…
Fall Weather Friend, Off-Season Sailing Conditions Can’t Be Beat
With apologies to Ratty of Wind in the Willows, for many Islanders, autumn is the best season to mess about in boats. September and October, and even November bring excellent sailing weather.
On top of that, the harbors are not congested. In autumn, the busy, noisy harbors of summer turn into quiet fields…
Vineyard Economy in Eye of Coming Storm
In one quick generation the Vineyard be came a famous summer resort destination. The shoreline and its recreational joys became the drum that beats the local economy. And now that economy is at risk of cracking under the weight of climate change.
Gazette Chronicle: Catch of the Day
Catch of the Day
From Gazette editions of October 1986:
The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby will no longer be sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. The announcement came from Karl Buder, chamber president, at the derby award ceremonies at the Edgartown Yacht Club.
A Lawyer to Love, Fair Counsel Rests
Eric Wodlinger, longtime counsel to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Cape Cod Commission, died last week at the age of 62. He had a quiet presence on the Vineyard, but he leaves a large legacy.
During his tenure as the commission’s counsel, Eric effectively advocated for Vineyard interests before Massachusetts courts at…
Soup Supper Season
Soup Supper Season
To some the Vineyard is a place of wealth and ease with an idyllic backdrop of beaches, rural vistas and busy summer days. And for a few months of the year, this is the dominant reality. But the facade fades, at first subtly, and then more drastically, as the off-season…
SSA Office Here: No Reservations
SSA Office Here: No Reservations
The same way they are buying shoes, sweaters and new sheets for the guest room, Islanders increasingly are using the Internet to book their ferry passage on the Steamship Authority these days.
Lewis Arrives
Lewis Arrives
Heidi Vanderhoop and Alexander Moore of Aquinnah announce the birth of a son, Lewis Emmet Moore, born on Sept. 25 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Lewis weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.
Bake Sale for Daybreak
Bake Sale for Daybreak
The Daybreak Clubhouse of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services is holding a bake sale from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22 in front of the old Bowl and Board on Main street, Vineyard Haven.
There will be a variety of baked goods, freshly made by volunteers,…
State Road Launches Speakeasy Nights to Benefit Library
This week features the first in a series of three Speakeasy nights to be held at State Road Restaurant in West Tisbury, all of which are to benefit the West Tisbury Library.
Each evening will feature a prominent writer discussing his or her work and taking questions. There will also be hors d’oeuvres…
CROP Walkers Raise $13,150 for Hunger
On a beautiful, blustery afternoon, Sunday, Oct. 16, 91 Vineyarders started off from Good Shepherd’s St. Augustine’s Church hall in Vineyard Haven at 2 p.m., bound for the Trinity United Methodist Parish House in the Oak Bluffs Camp Ground. There, they were greeted by the Rev. Richard Rego and church ladies with delicious refreshments and…
Announcing Oceana
Announcing Oceana
Janette Vanderhoop and Antone Dias of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Oceana Arroya Dias, born on Oct. 9 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Oceana weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
slaterjn@comcast.net
Chilmark isn’t sporting any colorful fall leaves as yet, and, after the rains of Wednesday, there may not be many leaves left. It rained hard for several hours.
We miss the fishermen who were all over our beaches in the hopes of…
Welcome Milena
Welcome Milena
Andreesa Santos and Junior Alves of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Milena R. Alves, born on Oct. 7 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Milena weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
The sunset is earlier each day. We received about two inches of rain and gusty wind over the weekend before it finally cleared in time for it to rain again. Pumpkins now grace many front lawns; this is perhaps the last week to mow…
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA
508-693-3308
(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
Who knew? There, on my favorite television show, Jeopardy, was Al and Flo Koster’s son Joe last Friday and Monday nights. Joe did quite well and was a pleasure to see, I don’t think I’ve seen him for twenty years. What fun.
FAIR WINDS:
FAIR WINDS: Petrel, a 70 foot, two inch, yawl that has been out of the water at Tisbury Marine Railway, on Beach Road, for five years was taken apart on Monday and most of it trucked away. Some of its parts are on their way to California, including her mast, to be incorporated in another…
Leigh Anderson Is Bride of Michael Morgan
Leigh Jennings Anderson and Michael Stewart Morgan were married on Oct. 9, 2011 at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Edgartown. Deacon Karl G. Buder officiated the ceremony. A reception followed at Farm Neck Golf Club.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
It’s been a month since my dog got slimed by a skunk, and I’m now prepared to render a full debriefing:
First, let it be said that a lot of townsfolk assured me, “Don’t feel badly, my dog has been skunked four or…
Sissinghurst Castle Talk
Sissinghurst Castle Talk
Sissinghurst Castle, located in Kent, England, is one of the world’s most celebrated gardens. In the 1930’s Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson created a garden in the ruin of an Elizabethan manor, realigning Sissinghurst with its Elizabethan past. Sissinghurst also had a past as a thriving farm.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
I think we are all confused on what time of year it is. The sun is coming up later and later and it is setting earlier and earlier, however the temperatures are still in the mid-sixties and low seventies. I know a lot of us…
Chappy
BRAD WOODGER
508-627-4216
(ibwsgolf@aol.com)
Thumper taught me that if I didn’t have something nice to say about someone, then I should say nothing at all. So mum is the word on today.
Holey Moley
Trudy Taylor of Aquinnah has a “hole” lot going on. She called last Saturday morning with an inquiry about a houseplant harasser.
It seems that something is afoot among her flowers. Her houseplants are being disturbed by a dastardly digger! Someone or something has been excavating the soil in her potted plants. The…
RV Bird Buggy
Once a boy met girl. They bought a sailboat and used it to do marine mammal, bird and lizard research between Maine and the Lesser Antilles. They made a pact when they met that they wouldn’t do the same thing for more than 10 years. Kiddingly, they also said when they reached a certain age…
From the Archives
Editor’s Note: Columnist Lynne Irons was struck with the flu and will be back next week. The following column by her was published in the Gazette on Oct. 12, 2007.
By LYNNE IRONS
Editor’s Note: Columnist Lynne Irons was struck with the flu and will be back next week. The following column…
Arboretum Award
Arboretum Award
On June 28 the Polly Hill Arboretum’s newsletter, Meristems, received theDorothy E. Hansell Publication Award for newsletters and special publications at the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) annual meeting.
Wonder–Full
Wonder-Full
Sense of Wonder is about to begin their fall season of art classes. The classes are, as always, led by Pam Benjamin with help this year from Lily Jane Morris. Lily is a graduate of Mass College of Art and is also a past Sense of Wonder camper and counselor. You could…
Original Slow Foodies Show How it’s Done
Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard is combining its philosophy with the ancient traditions of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Indian Tribe with a celebratory harvest dinner beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Chilmark Community Center. Traditional native Wampanoag dishes including journey cakes with cranberries, venison stew, and sea bass with sage stuffing will be…
More than Markers of Memory, Gravestone Symbols Tell Stories
Among the greatest legacies of Queen Victoria, who died in 1891, are the funeral rituals from that long-ago era that bears her name, the Victorian Age. When her husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861 the queen was so devastated she retreated from Buckingham Palace to her country estates, and wore widow’s weeds for the rest…
Addressing the Issue of Aggressive Dogs
Your dog bit three people. Drew blood each time and now you’re told, “It’s time to euthanize, time to put the dog down.” To the non-dog person the third bite is two bites too late. But what does the dog owner hear? “You’re telling me to kill my dog. Kill a family member that I…
Dog Years Don’t Lie: Canine Mortality Subject of New Book
Jon Katz, dog lover, befuddled farmer in upstate New York and author of 20 books, many of which take place on Bedlam Farm, is returning to the Vineyard to promote his latest book, Going Home. Those of us fortunate enough to see Mr. Katz on his last trip here can pass on the news that…
Henry James Digs into Your Psyche
Henry James Digs into Your Psyche
Halloween Spin Marathon Guaranteed to Up Heart Rate
It would seem that everything one does, from eating to watching television, from meditating to juggling Chihauhau’s, or from painting your masterpiece to lion taming, could also be done while spinning. At least this is the bold proposition being woven in the spokes by Om of Motion, a new spinning class and location that seems…
Vineyard’s Ghostly History Still Walks Among Us
Throughout the spring and summer the folks at the Vineyard Ghosts Walking Tour have delighted and frightened visitors and Islanders alike during their tours through the three down-Island towns. The journeys travel literally through graveyards and to homes and businesses known to have haunted roots. They also travel much farther, to times past and the…
More Skills, Fewer Injuries Is Focus of Tennis Clinic
Tennis is one of the few perfect sports that can be played the entirety of one’s life. Not many 80-year-olds out on the gridiron are there?
And yet there is still a lot of stopping and starting as one chases down a lob or crosscourt ripper which can lead to some cranky knees.…
Community Supper
Community Supper
This week on Monday, Oct. 24, the Edgartown community suppers are starting up again. They will be held every Monday throughout the fall, winter and spring at the Baylies Room of the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown.
The suppers are free and everyone is welcome. The evenings are an…
Ball Fore
Ball Fore
One sport begets another, at least this Saturday, Oct. 22, that is.
It’s the seventh annual Birdies for Baseball charity golf tournament. That’s right, you won’t be just swinging a golf club for fun, you’ll be helping out by adding to the coffers of the baseball scholarship and field…
Island Grown Initiative Grows Good Eaters
Flowers come in all different shapes and sizes, but rarely do they come in the form of small children.
“Today you’re an apple flower,” Melinda Rabbit DeFeo, of Island Grown Schools, said as her student petals stood around her in Chilmark earlier this week. The Edgartown fourth grade had traveled to the home…
