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
December 23, 2011
Most Popular Stories of 2011 on Martha’s Vineyard
The following are the most popular stories on the Vineyard Gazette's website from 2011, based on page views. 1. Blue Heron Farm, Chilmark estate rented by the Obama family for three summer vacations, is purhcased for $21.9 million by Lord Norman and Lady Elena Foster of Great Britain. (Renowned British Architect, Arts Publisher Acquire Blue…
Tisbury Democrats Looking for Delegates
Tisbury Democrats are looking for delegates to send to the 2012 Massachusetts Democratic convention next June. The town Democrats are planning a caucus in February to elect three delegates and three alternates. The caucus is open to all registered Democrats in Tisbury, but you must be registered by Friday, Dec. 30, in order to be…
Alumni Hockey and Basketball Games
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Vineyard Hotelier to Buy The Point Breeze
Vineyard hotelier Mark Snider is expanding his interests to Nantucket, where he is set to buy The Point Breeze, a historic hotel on the Vineyard’s sister island. Mr. Snider owns the Winnetu Oceanside Resort at Katama in Edgartown. He is also president of Stanmar Inc., a building company in Wayland. The Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror…
Light of Christmas Assures Hope Amidst the Darkness
One of my favorite holiday movies is the story of The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.
The story opens with $1.87. That is all the money that Della Dillingham Young has to buy a present for her beloved husband, Jim, and the next day is Christmas. Faced with such a situation,…
Ground Hog Day Is National Job Shadow Day
Ground Hog Day Is
National Job Shadow Day
Got a job? Share your skills with the kids!
The Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership Initiative is seeking participants for its second annual Job Shadow Day. MVYLI youth will be matched with Vineyard businesses in order to provide them with firsthand experience…
Coast Guard Study
Coast Guard Study
The Coast Guard is asking for public participation in a study of maritime use and vessel traffic. The results of the study may determine whether routing changes are necessary to balance multiple uses of the waterway, such as offshore wind farms. More information on the study and instructions on how…
Mackerel Are Jumping, Herring Too
Last spring, when a local angler wanted to catch Atlantic mackerel in Vineyard waters he had to get in a boat and motor more than a mile off Gay Head. This week there is no need for the boat. For the first time in many years anglers are jigging for mackerel off Memorial Wharf in…
Chilmark Selectmen Wonder, Is Estuaries Study Worth It?
Chilmark selectman sharply criticized the Massachusetts Estuaries Project this week, questioning both the necessity of the project and the significance of the results, at least for their town.
Disappearing Eelgrass Called Canary In Declining Salt Ponds
There is much ado over eelgrass. On the Vineyard the modest sea grass has brought dredging projects to a halt, thwarted would-be pier developers and has down-Island towns considering millions of dollars worth of sewering to restore water quality to a level amenable to the light-sensitive plant. Why all the fuss?
Edgartown Exits Comcast Talks, Demand for Chappy Service Unsettled
Marking a sudden new turn in the Islandwide negotiations under way for a cable television contract, Edgartown has pulled out of the talks and says it will stay out until a draft contract with Comcast includes service to Chappaquiddick.
The news of Edgartown’s decision surfaced at a cable advisory committee meeting Wednesday that…
Harbor View Hosts New Year’s Fireworks
For the first time in several years, Island residents looking to welcome the New Year with dancing, champagne and yes, fireworks, need look no further than Edgartown. Hoping to usher in a new tradition along with 2012, the Harbor View Hotel will sponsor a fireworks show over the Edgartown harbor, with attendees at the hotel’s…
Up-Island School District Votes To Bring Food Service In-House
The Up-Island regional school district committee voted this week to part ways with food service provider Chartwells at the end of the school year, and now plans to develop its own school meals program based at the West Tisbury school.
Vineyard Propane Merges
Vineyard Propane Merges
Demand for propane my be on the rise but Island shoppers will soon find their options decreased. AmeriGas, the largest propane distributor in the country and one of three distributors on the Island, is set to acquire Vineyard Propane as part of a massive merger with Vineyard Propane’s parent company.
Which Whistle Is Real Whistle, Talk Tabled as SSA Trail Goes Cold
The steamship Martha’s Vineyard hasn’t set sail from Woods Hole since 1956 but its steam whistle is still causing a headache for the Steamship Authority.
At their monthly meeting this week the boat line governers met in executive session to discuss whether to sue current SSA Capt. Bruce Malenfant to recover what may…
Rosemary Remembrance
My holidays are all about food. In truth, my life is about food.
Forget the gifts and give me the delicious fare and heavenly aromas that accompany this special time of year. The scents of the season arouse the senses — ginger, cinnamon, spruce and fir trees, cloves, mace, bayberry, frankincense and myrrh…
Bird News
The occasion was the 25th annual St. Catherines Island Foundation Christmas Bird Count. Flip Harrington and I have participated in 10 of the 25. We were to fly from Boston to Brunswick, Ga. spend the night with a friend and drive north to Half-Moon Marina. The marina is where visitors to St. Catherines are to…
Top Sharks
Top Sharks
The Web site mlbdraftguide.com has named two 2011 Martha’s Vineyard Sharks baseball players to its list of top 500 players for the upcoming 2012 Major League Baseball draft. League MVP shortstop/outfielder Robbie Zinsmeister of Indiana University and corner outfielder Jeramy Matos of Central Florida University have been included on the list.…
‘Tis The Season
When Julie Wells asked me to write this column almost five years ago, she said I would develop a relationship with it. It has, in fact, come to pass.
Goal Reached
We would like to express our gratitude for all those who generously contributed to Local Women, Global Mission’s fund-raising effort. We are proud to announce that we reached our goal of $10,000 this week, less than three weeks from our departure. This money will be used to buy an emergency vehicle for a rural birthing…
Island Holiday Worship Services
Aquinnah
Community Baptist Church of Gay Head in Aquinnah: Christmas Eve, 5 p.m. Christmas Day, 9 a.m. Call 508-693-1539.
Chilmark
Chilmark Community Church at 9 Menemsha Crossroad: Christmas Eve, 5:30 p.m. Christmas Day, 9 a.m. Call 508-645-3100.
Edgartown
Faith Community Church (reformed and evangelical) 316…
Dear All…
Better late than never. Merry Christmas to my family and friends. To those who attended my MVRHS graduation, a belated thank you. Also thanks to my Uncle Steve and Aunt Laurie who opened their home for my party. Forgotten snail mail. Cody MacielVineyard Haven
Kids Activites
Kids Activites
For families sticking around on the Island during the school break and wondering what to do with the kids next week there is hope. The Edgartown Library is holding craftime every day starting at 2 p.m. There will be activities and crafts, movies, popcorn and hot cocoa. For more details, call…
In Appreciation
Thank you to JJ at the Oak Bluffs police department, the Oak Bluffs EMT services, John Rose, the Edgartown EMT services, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital emergency room staff, and the Med Flight crew for responding to our emergency at the Surfside Motel on the morning of Nov. 11. There is no more helpless feeling than…
Chowder Contest Winners
Chowder Contest Winners
With a name like Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company, you better have the goods to back it up. The new Oak Bluffs restaurant proved they did once again, walking away with the top seafood chowder prize at the 27th annual Great Chowder Contest, held Dec 10.
Edgartown’s Wharf Restaurant…
Artist, Friend
I write this to pay tribute to a dear friend and fellow artist I am lucky to have known the last 10 years, both as a business associate and dear friend, Tom DeMont Jr. I initially met Tom in his gallery, the Edgartown Scrimshaw Gallery, and we enjoyed a 10-year business and friendship relationship that…
River Arrives
River Arrives
Jil Mastriciano and Derek Loughman of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, River Jude Loughman, born on Dec. 19, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. River weighed 7 pounds, 3.5 ounces at birth.
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
slaterjn@comcast.net
Santa arrived at the Chilmark Community Center on time on Wednesday last and was well received. A very large crowd of Chilmark folk was on hand to greet him as he gave out cheer and gifts to the Chilmark young.
Next door…
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
Last Sunday bought us a few snowflakes that helped put people in the spirit of the season. The month of December so far is showing above average temperatures.
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
Winter finally showed up last weekend to remind us it’s all just beginning. Its official start, winter solstice, was Wednesday. The official start also means the days will begin to get longer, and the sun higher — it couldn’t get much lower, that’s for sure!…
Message of Hope
Red Stocking has done it again! Last Friday we distributed food, clothing and toys to 425 children from 267 Island families. Last year we provided for 419 children from 274 families. These numbers would seem to indicate that while the need has not decreased, it has also not increased significantly. There is hope. This mountain…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
I have not seen any snow yet, but I imagine I won’t when the weather is 40 degrees. This all seems to good to be true and I wonder what the future is going to bring.
Happy birthday to all who celebrated their…
Welcome Joao
Welcome Joao
Quezia and Ronaldo Andrade of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Joao Gabriel Mariano Andrade, born on Dec. 8, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Joao weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces at birth. He is welcomed by big brother Pedro.
Committee on Hunger
Committee on Hunger
This is the time of year for giving and remembering those in need. The Vineyard Committee on Hunger works hard to give families enough to eat all year long through their Serving Hands Food Distribution. They also help provide holiday meals through their Family-to-Family program. During Thanksgiving they gave out…
Salty Cheer
From Dorothy Cottle Poole’s Christmas at Sea:
In 1831, the Nile out of New Bedford, Capt. James Townsend, was in the South Atlantic off Patagonia. His logbook entry for Christmas Day reads
Poem: Gifts for All, Good Tidings for Vineyard
Editor’s Note: Each year, editor Phyllis Meras creates a Christmas poem for the Vineyard.
Finding Family in a Big Ol’ Slab of Brisket
As a child, the closest I ever came to Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup was through a slide of Andy Warhol’s iconic print in an art history class; except for once a year, Hanukkah, which began this week. It’s the key to my great-grandmother’s brisket recipe, and last weekend I found myself elbow deep in…
Riding the Occupy MV Wave, Goofy Foot Firmly in Cheek
We occupied Martha’s Vineyard, which wasn’t difficult as we already lived here. Unfortunately nobody thought of OMV until fall when the infamous one per cent had already left on private jets. Someone suggested that we set up a camp, but with hunting season upon us, and most of us being older, camping didn’t seem safe.
Sewer Plant Scandal
The quiet lead up to Christmas on the Island was shattered this week with the revelations that gross mismanagement had led to allegations of fraud at the Edgartown wastewater treatment plant. A criminal complaint has been issued against an Edgartown septic hauler, who admitted to police that he took advantage of a system that was…
A Single Tug
Birds play games. Of course they do. At Sepiessa Point a cluster of black birds moves about the air like a school of fish. They change direction as one and shapeshift at will; a jellyfish, horse’s head, grandma Jane, the patterns becoming lighter and darker depending on the density of the flock.
A…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com
A saga’s been developing in our environs that, should Disney decide to option the story, could be a kind of Milo and Otis movie — without Otis. This one involves a 10-month-old puppy named Waylon, a springer/Labrador mix that may also have some border collie…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Dec. 16 56 48 .14
Dec. 17 50 30 Trace
Dec. 18 48 29 .00
Dec. 19 33 17 .00
Dec. 20 49 32 .00
Dec. 21 51 31 .00
…
Rare Glimpse of Mercury
If the weather cooperates, there is a rare opportunity to get some help seeing the distant and hard-to-spot planet Mercury close to the horizon tomorrow morning.
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks2004@yahoo.com)
Santa arrived at the Aquinnah town hall on Wednesday evening. He was glad to see all the young children of Aquinnah and handed each one of them their specially selected gift.
Congratulations to Paul Henry Jeffers-Mayhew, a freshman, and Faith Smalley, who…
New Man in Blue
New Man in Blue
The Oak Bluffs Police Department welcomed its newest full-time officer on Tuesday, Dec. 20 when Derek Back took the oath of office in front of family, colleagues and friends.
Big Dig at Edgartown Beach Near Complete
Dredging is nearly complete at the Joseph Sylvia State Beach. For much of the fall, the Edgartown dredge has been pumping sand out of Sengekontacket, deepening a channel on the Oak Bluffs side, with the spoils trucked to Cow Bay for beach nourishment.
Norman Rankow, chairman of the dredge committee, said last week…
Named to Dean’s List
Lauren Bagnall of Edgartown has been named to the fall 2011 dean’s list at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga.
Hello, Lucca
Hello, Lucca
Stoilka Sabeva and Gustavo Rosa of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Lucca Gustavov Sabeva Rosa, born on Dec. 19, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Lucca weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.
As Wastewater Inquiry Ends, Felony Charges Sought
A nine-month investigation by state and local police into possible fraud at the Edgartown wastewater treatment plant concluded this week with a criminal complaint against an Island septic hauler, alongside allegations of widespread mismanagement at the sewer plant and possible ethics violations by town employees and elected officials.
Fishing Permit Extension
Fishing Permit Extension
The Division of Marine Fisheries has extended 2011 commercial fishing and dealer permits through January 31, 2012. New permits will be required on February 1. Permit holders must submit all outstanding 2011 monthly trip-level reports in order to receive a new permit. Going forward, permit holders who do not comply…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
It was the night before Christmas and all through the Shelter
Not a kitty was stirring or running helter skelter — not a peep!
You see they all knew that on Christmas Eve — all animals can speak!
Their new rocking chair (a gift…
Deputy Fire Chief Appointed As Aquinnah Looks to Future
Aquinnah selectmen appointed acting fire chiefs this week as they begin the task of putting back together a depleted and leaderless fire department.
Capt. Simon Bollin is now acting deputy chief, the second in command, and Jay Smalley is assistant chief. The appointments are effective immediately and meant to establish a new chain…
Sports Teams Freeze Competition, Hoops and Hockey Post Big Wins
Hockey alumni games take place today at 5:30 p.m. (girls) and 6:45 p.m. (boys) at the arena. The high school gym hosts the basketball alumni games at 6 p.m. (girls) and 7:30 p.m. (boys).
Hockey alumni games take place today at 5:30 p.m. (girls) and 6:45 p.m. (boys) at the arena. The high…
Announcing Hazel
Announcing Hazel
Holly Thomas and Gregory Ehrman (and sister Ella Ehrman) of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Hazel Jane Ehrman, born on Dec. 15, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Hazel weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces at birth.
Organ Donation Helps Bring New Hope to Vineyard Family
Kenny Ponte is a good-natured, soft-spoken man who developed diabetes when he was two years old.
“It was a hard process,” he said of growing up with the illness. “It makes you different from the other kids in terms of what you can eat, the ways you can have reactions. As I got…
It’s Pie Time You Tried a Lobster Pie
Low-fat is not part of the vocabulary at the Savory Pie Company.
“I’ve had people ask me if I had any low-fat and I look at them like you’ve got to be kidding me,” owner Dee Smith said at her Tea Lane Catering kitchen in Chilmark this week. “There’s a need for gluten…
