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 18, 2011
No More Talking Turkeys at Land Bank, Please
Attention, turkey shoppers: There is no meat aisle at the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission.
The land bank has been turning down requests for Good Farm turkeys this week due to an incorrectly listed number in Edible Vineyard’s pull-out farm map. The Island-raised turkeys are available for purchase at Cronig’s Market or by…
News Update: Monday, Nov. 21 – Wind Turbine Goes Up at Allen Farm
The Island’s largest wind turbine to date was installed Monday morning on the rolling hills of the Allen Farm in Chilmark. Once complete, the turbine will be 149 feet tall.
The turbine will produce 125,000 kilowatt hours per year, double the amount of energy the pastoral sheep farm uses, and is expected to…
Off-Island, On Camera, Headed for Herald Square
Next Thursday is the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in New York city. For the majority of us this mean a little couch time watching the floats roll by and the participants perform. But for Alley Ellis, an eighth grader at the Edgartown School, it means kicking it, literally, on national television.
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
Years ago, Lani Carney, known by young artists far and wide as Miss Lani, took a trip with her daughter to Puerto Rico. While strolling down the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, a balmy wind coming in off the ocean, they came upon a kite festival. It was magical. “It felt like we were…
2011 – Vineyard Tops Nantucket in Battle for Island Cup
The varsity football team defeated the Nantucket Whalers 10-7 Saturday afternoon, ensuring that the Island Cup’s visit to Nantucket would be nothing more than a day trip. A large crowd gathered on Saturday night at the Steamship Authority to greet the returning victors, who hoisted the trophy above their heads.
High School Debuts New Musical
After months of hard work, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School has unveiled its latest production. Chess: The Musical runs through Sunday, Nov. 20.
Calling All Tweens: Twilight Debuts on Island
Twilight is upon us.
The latest movie in the wildly popular vampire series, Breaking Dawn: Part 1, makes its much-awaited debut tonight. Eager fans have camped out throughout the country in anticipation of its release. Now, the Oak Bluffs library is getting in on the action too.
Farm Institute Board
Farm Institute Board
Chuck Hughes has joined the board of the directors at the Farm Institute, the Katama teaching farm recently announced. Mr. Hughes moved to the Island in 2001 and serves on many nonprofit boards, including the YMCA, Sail MV and the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School.
Triumph Fit for a King
The Vineyarders took home their third win in four weeks last Friday night against visiting Medford, rolling over their opponents 21-0 in last week’s homecoming game and the final home match of the season.
Tisbury Eyes Green Initiatives, April Elections
As part of the town’s application for a Green Community designation, Tisbury selectmen signed off Tuesday on a policy to purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles in the future. Emergency vehicles are exempt from the policy.
Selectmen also approved a post-closure use permit application for the town landfill. The application will go to the Massachusetts…
Tidal Energy Project Completes First Phase
p> The first phase of research is complete for the Edgartown tidal energy project in Muskeget Channel, project developer Steve Barrett told the selectmen at their weekly meeting Monday.
Lacrosse Star Signs to D-1 University
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School senior Madison Hughes thought she knew what to expect as she walked to the hallway in front of the athletic director’s office on Monday morning. Her parents, Alleyne and Phil. Her grandparents, Jan and Larry. High school principal Steve Nixon and athletic director Mark McCarthy. Three copies of a letter…
Undaunted by the Numbers, Vineyarders Head to Nantucket to Defend the Island Cup
As the Vineyard football team prepares to take on the Nantucket Whalers this Saturday in the final game of the season and the 33rd Island Cup, there is one underlying premise for fans, players and coaches alike to keep in mind.
High Heating Costs To Hit Hard, Island Families Seek Relief
More Islanders are expected to seek fuel assistance this winter than last year, but a spokesman for the South Shore agency that administers the government funds said this week that there is much less money to go around.
Lisa Spencer, energy director for the South Shore Community Action Council in Plymouth, said that…
Wastewater Project Addresses Drugs that Linger Long After they are Flushed
Islanders may not be aware that they are on a regimen of antidepressants, antibiotics and hormone therapy, but tests of Island wastewater have revealed that drugs and personal care products are present in the environment, if only at levels measured in the parts per trillion. While it is unclear what effect, if any, the presence…
Citizens Organize to Save View from Tashmoo Overlook
A Vineyard Haven resident who has long campaigned to save the view at the Tashmoo overlook took her case to the Dukes County commission this week after finding little support from the Tisbury selectmen for a plan to buy the view easement.
Patricia Carlet asked the county commission for a letter of support…
West Tisbury, Edgartown Will Go to Court to Block Decision on Roundabout
At least two towns have decided to sue the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in superior court over its recent decision to approve the Oak Bluffs roundabout.
On Monday Edgartown selectmen voted to appeal the commission’s controversial decision, and on Wednesday West Tisbury joined the cause, citing “a staggering amount of opposition” to the project.…
Perfect Pitch for Ferry Martha’s Vineyard
Days before the two Islands squared off for the Island Cup, Nantucket Steamship Authority governor H. Flint Ranney offered an olive branch to his western neighbor.
On Tuesday morning in Woods Hole, Mr. Ranney presented an antique steam whistle to Vineyard governor Marc Hanover for installation on the M/V Martha’s Vineyard.
Kelley House Becomes Winter Destination
The off-season is getting a bit cozier as the Kelley House has decided to stay open through the fall and winter, and at unseasonably low prices. Rooms rates at the inn, which debuted in 1742, start at $89 a night.
No need to leave the pets at the kennel, either. Four-legged family members…
Recent Island Real Estate Transactions
Chilmark
Theonia Boyd and Jon W. Boyd purchased 5 Rhythm Road in Chilmark from Neil S. Braun and J. Paul Mohair for $866,500 on Sept. 15
Edgartown
Christopher K. Hulbert and Kathleen L. Hulbert purchased 459 Katama Road #E in Edgartown from Michael Connolly for $465,000 on Sept. 13.…
Assessors in Your Yard
Assessors in Your Yard
The Edgartown board of assessors has begun a property revaluation project to update property values for fiscal year 2012. The revaluation is necessary in order to bring local property assessments in line with local real estate market changes, so assessments meet the requirements of the Department of Revenue.
…
Steamship Authority Allows SeaStreak to Drop April Service
Off-season ferry service between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard will be curtailed even further after Steamship Authority governors voted this week to allow the high-speed passenger ferry SeaStreak to drop April from its schedule.
SeaStreak will suspend service between Dec. 1 and April 30, 2012.
“This is a month longer than…
Off-Island, On Camera, Headed for Herald Square
Next Thursday is, as everyone knows, the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in New York city. For the majority of us this mean a little couch time watching the floats roll by and the participants perform. But for Alley Ellis, an eighth grader at the Edgartown School, it means kicking it, literally, on national television.
Mr. Delaney Easily Gets His Quorum
It seemed like the whole town of Aquinnah showed up Sunday afternoon to honor Walter Delaney for his years of service as fire chief and more.
The town hall meeting room, the same place where Mr. Delaney, who is 81, presided for so many years as moderator over town meetings, was decked out…
West Tisbury Voters Ban Dogs at Lambert’s Cove Beach
A special town meeting in West Tisbury Tuesday night pitted the town’s humans against its dogs, as voters took up the divisive question of whether to continue to allow canines at Lambert’s Cove Beach in the summer.
“I don’t even go there anymore because the smell is so overpowering,” said Karen Overtoom. “I…
Selectmen Will Begin One-Way Trial on Dukes County Avenue
Oak Bluffs selectmen voted Tuesday night to turn part of narrow Dukes County avenue into a one-way road. Selectmen said the decision was motivated by concerns over safety and lack of parking.
The change will likely take effect before the start of December and is intended only as a temporary measure pending further…
Soon to be Planted at Katama Farm: Six Acres of Solar Panels
Construction for a solar array at Katama Farm is set to begin this winter, now that the Edgartown planning board approved a special permit for the project this week, clearing the last hurdle for what will be the Island’s largest installation of photovoltaic panels.
Vineyard Power Wins Its First Contract
The town of Aquinnah awarded a bid to Vineyard Power this week to build a solar array at the town landfill, marking the first major project for the Island energy cooperative.
Pending approval from town counsel, the selectmen signed a preliminary agreement at their meeting Tuesday to place about 200 panels at the…
Town Meeting Something to Clap About
I have often wondered what a town meeting would be like if the purpose was to educate the voters so that we can make good decisions. Now, after the Oak Bluffs special town meeting held on Nov. 8, I know.
There were 10 articles before us, the most important of which was number…
Nature’s Silence Speaks Volumes
Nature is the best therapy I know. Land conservation enables us to experience nature. I have had the good fortune to explore much of the remote wilderness in the western U.S. I spent time floating down rivers in Utah and Colorado, climbing mountaintops and hiking lonely desert canyons, many in which I found myself startled…
Many Thanks for Moderator of Moderation
On Sunday, Nov. 13, there was a gathering at the Aquinnah town hall to thank Walter Delaney for his 17 years of service as the town’s fire chief. Fire chiefs and public safety officials from the various Island towns were present, as was tribal chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais and numerous town officials and residents. Letters of…
Hard to Replace
I am very saddened to hear that the Island schools have discontinued the Fourth Grade Theatre Project. Writing, producing and performing the play was the absolute highlight of my daughter’s time at the Tisbury School. The memory of Justine Cassell’s Seagull that year still makes me smile. I am also very unhappy about the way…
Founder’s Remorse
After reading an article about the Vineyard Playhouse’s Fourth Grade Theatre Project going dark after 17 years, I was struck by how none of the news about this sea change in the schools has expressed what has actually ended on the Island. When my 27-year-old son started fourth grade at the Tisbury School, jackhammers were…
Sobering Statistics
Sobering Statistics
On the fifth anniversary of its national campaign to eliminate drunk driving, the influential group Mothers Against Drunk Driving this week released a detailed, state-by-state report card on the effectiveness of laws to combat driving under the influence.
With three out of five stars, Massachusetts scored in the middle,…
Peerless
It is common knowledge that when young people need help they typically seek out their friends for advice and support. Although friends do the best they can to help, many young people do not have the skills to recognize the potential seriousness of an issue or they might simply have incorrect information. On Nov. 2…
Lyme Reporting
Reporting cases of Lyme disease and other infectious diseases in Massachusetts to the state board of health has long been hindered by time-consuming paperwork. Incomplete data collection creates confusion in interpreting prevalence and patterns of transmission. In the immediate future, electronic medical record keeping — which is becoming law across the country — will surely…
Cup Talk
Cup Talk
There are no bookmakers for this game whose storied rivalry goes back for more than six decades, and while we’ve got plenty of swagger in our walk this week, we can be big about it and admit that the odds are stacked against us.
The Vineyard team (Our Team)…
Married 50 Years
Married 50 Years
Roy and Jeannie Gionfriddo recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their son, Mark, at their home on Vineyard avenue extension in Oak Bluffs. The Gionfriddos spend part of the year at their home in Holyoke. Their son is head of the jazz department at Mt. Holyoke College.
Block Grant Discussion
Block Grant Discussion
On Friday, Dec. 2 the Oak Bluffs Senior Center will host Melissa Vincent of TRI, Inc. as she discusses the community development block grant fund program. The funds are available to homeowners with specific income qualifications who are in need of home repairs, such as plumbing, roof problems and failed…
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Elder Services of Cape Cod is seeking volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels to home-bound clients. Drivers are needed Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for routes in and around Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Edgartown and up-Island. Schedules are flexible. To volunteer, call Heidi Dietterich, care manager and…
Class of 1981 Reunion
Class of 1981 Reunion
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 1981 will celebrate its 30th reunion on Saturday, Nov. 26 at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs. All classmates, teachers and friends are invited to attend, and are asked to bring an appetizer or plate of finger food to share. A…
Volunteer EMTs Needed, Tisbury Hosts Open House
Vineyard ambulances are once again seeking volunteer EMTs for all areas of the Island. Those interested may attend an open house at the Tisbury Ambulance Facility on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon.
“Come meet the gang,” said Jeff Pratt, Tisbury Ambulance coordinator and president of the Martha’s Vineyard Association of…
New Business
Please join me for the grand opening of my soon-to-be-established business Roundabout Suit. The festivities will be held in the center of the roundabout at a future date — to be announced. Said business, of a semi, nonbinding legal aspect and of most deplorable origin, will be catering to the multitudes of maimed and dearly…
Save the Middle
The following letter was written by the Martha’s Vineyard Democrats to Sen. John Kerry and the Congressional Super Committee: Our goal in writing this letter is to impart our belief in the import of the preservation of a robust middle class for this country. We offer suggestions on expense reduction and revenue enhancement in four…
Make Way for PikNik Pop-Up Shop
During the first week of November one of Trip Barnes’s moving trucks pulled up to an empty store on Charles street in the Beacon Hill section of Boston. For years the space had been the home of a quaint children’s clothing store, but that had recently gone out of business. Now, from out of the…
Lending a Hand
Lending a Hand
The Family to Family Program of Serving Hands Food Distribution is working to ensure that Island families in need will have a great Thanksgiving meal. Islanders who can are asked to sponsor one of the families by contributing the cost of one family’s meal, $25. Last Thanksgiving the program provided…
Leatherback Turtle Washes Ashore
The body of a leatherback turtle, a federally protected endangered species, washed ashore at South Beach on Sunday. Volunteer members of the turtle stranding committee said the cause of death was not immediately apparent.
“There was no sign of an injury,” said Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary director Suzan Bellincampi. Ms. Bellincampi said the…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Our featured animal this week is a tiny kitten we named Catama because she (or he) was found in the Katama area of Edgartown. About four weeks old, Catama would fit in the palm of your hand. We believe he strayed away from his mother and became lost; luckily someone…
Gazette Chronicle: Saving Graces
From Gazette editions of November 1986:
The Seaview Hotel building was purchased Monday by Albert Siner Jr. of Warwick, R.I., for $1,050,000 from Loretta A. Balla.
Saturn Returns
After spending some time amid the glow of twilight in the evening during late summer and early fall and then shifting to dawn, Saturn is our morning planet. The ringed-planet rises in the southeastern sky well before the sun. On Tuesday morning, you’ll have no trouble finding Saturn. A thin crescent moon appears nearby.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
Not to be a downer, but Mercury is moving into retrograde on Nov. 24 and will hunker down like the big mean toad that he is when he’s not moving forward. He’ll gear up with those cunning winged ankles of his to take flight ahead…
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
We had a mild weekend for this time of year, though also our share of wind and rain. The leaves for the most part have fallen to the ground and along with the shorter days (sunset is at 4:20 p.m.), it is getting mighty…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Nov. 11 62 48 .15
Nov. 12 51 38 Trace
Nov. 13 60 43 .00
Nov. 14 63 56 .00
Nov. 15 64 57 .00
Nov. 16 65 54 .06
Nov. 17 60 53 .97
…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark continues to enjoy the mild temperatures and mostly sunny days of this extended fall season. It is hard to focus, as we must, on the upcoming holiday events and necessary travels included. How many times a day do you hear global warming in…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
People are walking around in short sleeves and T-shirts. If we didn’t know any better we would believe it might still be early fall. People are smiling and enjoying this bonus weather.
Happy Birthday to all who celebrated their birthday this past week.…
Demyen Arrives
Demyen Arrives
Amy and Doug Heil of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Demyen Vincent Heil, born on Nov. 9 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Demyen weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces at birth.
Announcing Ari
Announcing Ari
Sheryl and Ronald Dagostino of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Ari Greyson Dagostino, on Nov. 7 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Demyen weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces at birth and joins big brother Eli.
School Book Fair
School Book Fair
The Tisbury school library is getting set to hold its annual book fair beginning Nov. 28 and running through Dec. 1.
The theme of the fair this year is The Book Fair And Beyond! Books will be available for all ages, including adults. It is the perfect opportunity…
Pruning and Patience
I, for one, love the change back to Eastern Standard Time. Being an early riser, it had been difficult of late to get up. I love that it now gets dark early in the evening and I can come inside and stop moving.
By LYNNE IRONS
I, for one, love the change…
Watching the Detective, New Book Reveals Fictional Sleuth’s Island
Cynthia Riggs, daughter of Dionis Coffin Riggs, has immortalized her mother as the 92-year-old sleuth Victoria Trumbull of a popular Island mystery series. Riggs, the younger, has penned ten of these novels so far, the title of each one inspired by the name of a poisonous, or at least sinister, flower, such as Deadly Nightshade…
Craps for Kids
Craps for Kids
Gambling can be good for you, and good for the kids. Shocking words but true this Friday, Nov. 18, when the Edgartown Yacht Club hosts its annual casino night to benefit the Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
Admission is a $10 donation at the door. Once inside, it’s anybody’s…
Lion King Roars for Free
Lion King Roars for Free
For those stuck on the Vineyard this weekend, instead of making their way to Nantucket to watch The Game, there is a small bit of solace. On Saturday, The Lion King roars for free at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven.
Don’t think a Disney animated…
Art Show Reveals Abstract Inclination
Vineyard artist Wendy Weldon is holding an open house at her art studio in Chilmark over Thanksgiving weekend. Her work includes paintings, monotypes and drawings both on canvas and paper.
In her latest artist statement she says, “My latest work expresses my return to more abstracted imagery. I have spent many years moving…
Flying High on Wind and Treats
Flying High on Wind and Treats
Years ago, Lani Carney, known by young artists far and wide as Miss Lani, took a trip with her daughter to Puerto Rico. While strolling down the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, a balmy wind coming in off the ocean, they came upon a kite festival.…
Four Hours of Global Travel, ACE MV Steers the Course
Adult and Community Education of Martha’s Vineyard (ACE MV) will have its second annual benefit celebrating Island diversity and culture on Nov. 19 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the regional high school.
Holiday Gift Show
Holiday Gift Show
Got those Black Friday blues? Never fear, there’s no reason to go off-Island and get involved in that mad commercial scramble. But no need to sit home giftless with a long list to fill, either.
Today, Nov. 18, Featherstone in Oak Bluffs opens up its annual holiday gift…
Coco’s Wreaths
Coco’s Wreaths
Corinne de Langavant, aka MVTV’s Coco the clown, is selling fresh wreaths to offset the costs of a special-needs presentation she plans to give at a New York city conference. De Langavant’s show, Coco and the Kids, uses art education to help people dealing with autism.
Wee to Teen Book Expert Holds Weekly Story Hour
Susan Savory, a woman whose name speaks to time in the kitchen, spends her days cooking up a different sort of delectable. Ms. Savory is in charge of the children’s books at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore. Her title may be manager of kids’ books, or something to that effect, but that seems so corporate…
Cold War No Match for Heat of High School Play
Strong characters with Russian accents, a story line set in an era unfamiliar to teenagers, an elaborate set design with complicated lighting cues and music that covers the waterfront — it’s no wonder the high school drama department started work on this play last spring.
But they did and the hard work was…
From an Island Family Recipe, A Vineyard Tradition is Born
For those easily intimidated by pie making there is a simple home truth; find someone who has mastered the art, and buy a pie from that person. For many an Island household, Eileen Blake, of Eileen Blake’s Pies, was that go-to expert for nearly 40 years.
Lasell Aids Habitat
Lasell Aids Habitat
Sixteen students and one faculty member from the sophomore honors leadership class of Lasell College in Newton will travel to the Vineyard on Nov. 19 to work on a project for Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard.
Habitat is currently building the first of three houses at Bailey…
Bourne Bridge to Be One-Way For Structural Strengthening
Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 16, the Bourne Bridge was reduced to one-lane traffic for ongoing steel repairs.
Traffic delays will be likely during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods each day, according to the Corps of Engineers. Traffic control will be in place for the duration of the repairs.
The Bourne…
Self-Help
Alcoholics Anonymous
Information: 508-627-7084.
All meetings are nonsmoking.
Sunday, 6:45 a.m., open discussion meeting, First Baptist Church, William street, Vineyard Haven.
Sunday, 10 a.m., open discussion, State Beach, first bridge, Oak Bluffs, (weather permitting).
Sunday, 11 a.m., open discussion meeting at the Council on Aging…
Red-headed Woodpecker
There are times when I receive a bird sighting from individuals that I morph into a person resembling a detective. I proceed to grill the bird-watcher in a similar fashion to an investigator questioning a perpetrator of a suspected crime. So how do you think I felt when I heard that Tim Rich, the past…
Good-For-You Garnish
“There are two types of people; those who eat kale and those who should.”
Bo Muller-Moore, to whom this quote is attributed, is a nutritional prophet and a kale entrepreneur. While it is unclear whether he grows the green stuff himself, his “Eat More Kale” T-shirts are a must-have gift for the kale…
