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
January 6, 2012
High Wind Advisory in Effect
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind advisory for Martha’s Vineyard, in effect through 2 p.m.
According to the warning, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod can expect to see strong easterly winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts that may reach 60 miles per hour.
…
Aquinnah Seeks Candidates for Fire Chief
The Aquinnah board of selectmen invites members of the community to participate in an interview for the position of fire chief. The interview for the position will occur on Jan. 17. Those interested should email town administrator Adam Wilson at aqbos@comcast.net.
News Update: Wednesday, Jan. 11 – Tisbury Pulls Out of Comcast Negotiations
Tisbury selectmen joined the chorus calling for cable television service to Chappaquiddick this week, voting to pull out of the Islandwide contract talks with Comcast.
“With Edgartown pulling out because of the Chappaquiddick piece not being addressed, I’d like us to send our marching orders to our representative [Fred LaPiana] to stop talks…
News Update: Tuesday, Jan. 10 – West Tisbury Town Father, Fisherman John Mayhew Dies
John W. Mayhew, beloved husband, father, grandfather, WWII Navy fighter pilot, West Tisbury town father, fisherman, teacher and friend, passed away at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on Jan. 10. He departed in the early morning hours, around the time he would rise to get out on the water to go fishing in an earlier time, and…
Women’s Network Event Rescheduled
Tonight’s event entitled Reenergizing in the New Year with Margot Datz has been rescheduled due to illness for next Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. The event is hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network. For more information or to register for next week’s presentation, visit mvwomensnetwork.org.
Calling All Vineyarders to Broadway
Tickets are still available for Martha’s Vineyard Night, this Friday, Jan. 13, to see the play Stick Fly on Broadway. The play was written by Lydia Diamond and centers around an African American family confronting race and class dynamics while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard.
A blurb for the play reads, “It started as…
No Need for Alarm: Chilmark Will Conduct Fire Drill
The Chilmark and Aquinnah Fire Departments will conduct a fire drill at 6 p.m. today, Jan. 9 at Tea Lane Farm. Selectman Frank Fenner cautioned residents at a selectmen’s meeting last Tuesday the drill is just that and there is no reason to be alarmed. “There’s going to be a lot of flashing lights,” Mr.…
Aquinnah Wampanoag Leader Attends Maine Swearing-In
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) chairman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais joined several tribal dignitaries and Maine legislators on Jan. 4 as David Slagger, a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseets, was sworn to the Main House of Representatives. Mr. Slagger, the first Maliseet tribal representative to the House, was sworn in by Maine governor…
Winter Walk Goes in Search of Otters
The Vineyard Conservation Society is hosting a winter walk on Sunday, Jan. 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. and they are looking for otters. The walk will be led by wildlife biologists Luanne Johnson and Liz Baldwin along the protected lands around the Wakeman Conservation Center, starting at the Cranberry Acres bogs and continuing to…
New Oak Bluffs Venue Hearkens Back to Past
The music was a medley of songs, originals by Jellybone and covers of old favorites. The atmosphere could have been a club in downtown San Francisco, Austin or New York or it could have been the Mooncusser or the Unicorn or Wintertide Coffee House — early Island music venues from the sixties and seventies.…
Artist’s Reception for Al Hurwitz
The West Tisbury Library will hold a reception for world-renowned art educator Al Hurwitz and his newest exhibit of work done as a WWII artist on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 4 p.m.
Dolphin, Gray Seal Wash Ashore
Two dead marine mammals were discovered on Lobsterville Beach over the past weekend. A dead Atlantic dolphin measuring 91 inches was found along with a 94-inch long gray seal, according to Bret Stearns, director of natural resources at the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). Mr. Stearns said they investigated the sighting on Monday and…
Really Big Houses at Issue, And Chilmarkers Weigh In
What follows are an edited selection of e-mails sent to the Chilmark planning board from town property owners in advance of the board’s meeting this week to discuss the issue of extra large houses.
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Deconstructing Roundabout Decision
Recently, many people have talked to me about the Oak Bluffs roundabout. These talks left me with the impression that many people do not fully understand the project or the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s role. And so, speaking for myself, I’d like to address some items.
Letters to the Editor
BEWARE OF COMCAST
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
On Dec. 19, I received a phone call from Comcast offering to reduce the cost of my cable service, upgrade my high-speed modem and eliminate my Verizon home telephone bill completely. The savings offered were considerable. I agreed.
Poet’s Corner
Who doesn’t love a poet?
Chaucer for his keen observations. Frost for his spare elegance. T.S. Eliot for his dark insight. Billy Collins for the sheer joy and privilege of sailing around the room with him.
Estuaries Study: Worth Its Weight
Cribbing a famous line from an infamous late U.S. president, it is public enemy number one in Southeastern Massachusetts, although this time the enemy is not drugs but nitrogen. Nitrogen poses a serious threat to the health of our coastal ponds and saltwater embayments that were once pristine and are now in alarming states of…
A La Carte
From Gazette editions of January 1987:
The Wintertide Coffeehouse reopens for its 1987 season on Saturday in a new location: the Manter Memorial Youth Hostel on the Edgartown Road.
Lawmakers Press Comcast to extend service to Chappy
The Cape and Islands legislative delegation has jumped into the fray surrounding cable television contract talks for the Vineyard. State Sen. Dan Wolf and Rep. Tim Madden are scheduled to meet in Boston with Comcast representatives next week, where they said they will press the cable giant to provide service to Chappaquiddick as part of…
From Island Cabinetmaker To International Wind Mogul
Gary Harcourt is a cabinetmaker by trade. He still views his work installing wind turbines as a side gig, albeit one that has brought him around the world, hoisting turbines over potato farms in the English countryside and working on test rigs in Vancouver. In November Mr. Harcourt raised his 50th turbine at the Allen…
Winter Forecast on the Island: Possible Moth Invasion?
Concerned down-Island homeowners and some experts are reporting an unusual and troubling abundance of the ravenous creatures. If confirmed the Island’s trees face a cruel spring, but it appears that the damage, though severe, may be localized.
Chilmark Planning Board Takes Up Controversy: Regulating Big Houses
The Chilmark planning board this week took up the thorny subject of large houses, their impact on the environment and how to regulate them.
At a special meeting Wednesday afternoon that drew a small crowd, the planning board announced the formation of a large house working group charged with determining whether existing zoning…
Environmental Group Files – Lawsuit Over Bluefin Tuna Fishing Policy
Frustrated by policies that increase overfishing, a San Francisco-based environmental group filed suit in federal court last week against the National Marine Fisheries Service, charging that its most recent rule changes are allowing additional harvesting of bluefin tuna by expanding the fishing season.
Tea Lane Looking for Prince Farming
The original posts and beams from the 1755 house sag with history. Bittersweet clings to the rafters of the 1850 barn. Milking stalls still stand from the 1950s, waiting for the cows to come home.
Tea Lane Farm has been many things in its more than 250-year history — a longtime dairy farm,…
Plum TV Files for Bankruptcy, Will Sell Assets
Three months after abruptly shuttering operations on the Vineyard and laying off much of its staff nationwide, the lifestyle cable network Plum TV said this week it has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
Gazette Welcomes New Managing Editor
The Vineyard Gazette has named Joel Greenberg as managing editor, the newspaper’s publisher Jane Seagrave announced this week.
Mr. Greenberg comes to the Gazette after 20 years at The Los Angeles Times, where he served as science and medicine editor. For the last two years he has worked as a writer in the…
New Year’s Wake-Up Call
A New Year’s Day fire caused severe damage to an Oak Bluffs home, with Oak Bluffs fire chief Peter Forend saying the home is likely “a total loss.” The cause of the fire at 17 Spruce avenue has yet to be determined. The two-story home was “pretty well gutted out,” said Mr. Forend. “There wasn’t…
Rep. Keating to Visit
Rep. Keating to Visit
U.S. Rep William R. Keating (D-Mass.) is scheduled to visit Martha’s Vineyard Monday for a series of tours and meetings.
Roundabout Lawsuit Requires Additional Funds
The West Tisbury selectmen say they will need to call a special town meeting to secure additional funds for the roundabout lawsuit after preliminary attorney fees have quickly drained the town’s legal funds budget.
Lucy Vincent Beach Shuttle Is Facing Possible Elimination
Prompted by by a 40 per cent drop in ridership and scheduling inconsistencies, beach officials said Tuesday they are considering eliminating the summer bus route connecting Chilmark inns to Lucy Vincent Beach.
Beach superintendent Martina Mastromonaco and beach committee chairman Kristen Maloney said at the Chilmark selectmen’s meeting that last summer’s schedule was…
New, Old Libraries a Heavenly Match
Edgartown selectmen Tuesday praised a proposal to have the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust take stewardship of the Edgartown library building, possibly transforming the building into a cultural and educational center, if it is replaced by a new library.
Hotel Earns High Praise
Hotel Earns High Praise
The Charlotte Inn in Edgartown continues to attract awards. The luxury Edgartown hotel has been named to British magazine Tatler’s list of 101 Best Hotels in the World. Only eight hotels in the United States were chosen for the list.
The inn also has been included on…
Vineyarders Rack Up Wins All Around
As the second month of winter sports gets under way, all four regional high school varsity teams maintain their winning records, with boys’ basketball still undefeated.
The boys play Bishop Feehan at home tomorrow at 3 p.m. Girls’ hockey will also be on home ice tomorrow, taking on Hanover/Cohasset at 12:30 p.m.
Poem: When You Are Gone for A.
Who will gather leaves for the children’s craft?
Who will sort the harmless reds from the poison?
Who will fold and unfold the octagonal star?
Who will care less for the flower than for its unfolding?
Who will look at a rock and see a king, a…
Sylvia-Haveard Benefit
Sylvia-Haveard Benefit
On Saturday, Jan 7, from 6:30 p.m. to midnight there will be a fundraiser for the family of Bethany (Sylvia) Haveard. The event will take place at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs and includes appetizers, a cash bar, silent and live auctions, and music featuring Morgan Reltza, Megan LaRoque and…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Do you own your own home with a nice fenced-in yard and no other animals? Have you always wanted just one dog? If so, we have a special dog just for you at the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard. Her name is Missy and she is a year-old purebred pit…
Lyrics of Love, Library Patrons Cap Speakeasy Series Fundraiser
Jennifer Tseng began her reading at Wednesday’s night’s Speakeasy benefit for the West Tisbury Library held at State Road restaurant with an apology for being morbid. Her poem, When You Are Gone, was in honor of Andrew Jephcote, a “beloved regular and friend” who leaves little found-object sculptures around the library.
Elite Swimmers Compete Across the Pond
Four members of the Martha’s Vineyard masters swim team traveled to the Boston University aquatics and athletic center for the 2011 New England short course metres swim championships in December. The meet saw several New England and national records set. Nearly 400 swimmers from all over the country competed. Leslie Craven and Les Cutler swam…
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
Now that the holidays are over, the “crowds” have left and we have the Island to ourselves. It’s a quiet time of year and the Chappaquiddickers still here are settling in for the duration, getting out those indoor projects, big spy thrillers, 1,000 piece puzzles…
Lauded Elder Lawyer
Lauded Elder Lawyer
Certified elder law attorney R.J. Connelly 3rd, a longtime seasonal resident of the Vineyard, has been awarded the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care’s Hero Award for his dedication to protecting elder rights.
Mr. Connelly has practiced elder law for more than 16 years and maintains offices in both…
Welcome Pablo
Welcome Pablo
Nicole DerManelian and Mark Begle of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Pablo Ganesh DerManelian Begle, born on Dec. 30, 2011 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Pablo weighed 9 pounds, .5 ounces at birth. Pablo is welcomed by big sister Arjuna Inez.
West Tisbury
JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
Well, December has gone into the record books as the third warmest ever recorded. The only snow was a few scattered flurries on two occasions. Last year this time we were dealing with several inches of snow that had stacked up and froze solid.…
Cold Moon
The Ice Moon, the first full moon of the year, rises and dominates the eastern sky after sunset on Monday night. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Gemini.
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
Normally this is the time of the year when we make messes in our checkbooks, writing in the old year, then wondering how long it’s going to take to key the brain to the proper date. Not so this year: 2012 is so rich a…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Dec. 30 45 26 .00
Dec. 31 54 45 Trace
Jan. 1 55 37 .14
Jan. 2 52 43 .06
Jan. 3 47 28 .00
Jan. 4 36 13 .00
…
Oak Bluffs
HOLLY NADLER
508-274-2329
(hollynadler@gmail.com)
Normally this is the time of the year when we make messes in our checkbooks, writing in the old year, then wondering how long it’s going to take to key the brain to the proper date. Not so this year: 2012 is so rich a…
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
Happy New Year! As I sit here writing this article, the temperature is 23 chilling degrees. After being in the 40s and 50s it was quite an awakening. But by weekend they are saying we’ll back into the 40s again. It will be interesting to…
Announcing Charlotte
Announcing Charlotte
Susan Kimberly Anderson and Nicholas Charles Bologna of Aquinnah announce the birth of a daughter, Charlotte Anne Brodie Bologna, born on Dec. 29, 2011, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Charlotte weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
Center Honors the Scots
Center Honors the Scots
The Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living will continue their cultural luncheon series by honoring the Scottish influence and contributions on the Vineyard. Save Saturday, Jan. 14 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Grill on Main, in Edgartown to hear speaker Steve Ewing and bagpiper Howard Wall, while enjoying…
Hello Eloise
Hello Eloise
Emily and Benton Coulter of Vineyard Haven announced the birth of a daughter, Eloise May Coulter, born on Dec. 26, 2011 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Eloise weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth. She is welcomed by big sister Madeleine.
Samara Arrives
Samara Arrives
Erica Oliveira and Geraldo de Oliveira of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a daughter, Samara Lara Assis de Oliveira, born on Dec. 29, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Samara joins siblings Larissa Lara, Schmeichel and Schnyeder.
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA
508-693-3308
(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
How about that game last Sunday? What a great way for Pats fans to welcome in the New Year.
Winter Strings Concert Features Vineyard Youth
Time to rosin up those bows as the elementary strings program gets ready to take the stage at the Winter Strings Concert this coming Thursday, Jan. 12, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The program takes place at the Performing Arts Center at the regional high school.
Gardening in the New Year
Here it is the first morning of another brand new year. So far I’ve eaten no sugar, cut no one off in traffic, had a positive and grateful attitude, and kept my opinions to myself. Of course, I haven’t left the house yet so we will see how it all works out.
Look to the Lore
Weather watchers wonder and wait, when will we see our first snow?
English novelist and playwright J.B. Priestley thoroughly enjoyed its coming: “The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite…
Alcoholics Anonymous
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…
Christmas Bird Count
The 112th annual Christmas Bird Count has been completed nationwide. The Vineyard started participating in the count years later, so conducted its 52nd annual CBC on Jan. 2.
Carly Simon Biography, Talent and Determination
Carly Simon, especially for those who live on or visit Martha’s Vineyard, is a bold-faced name. In fact, she has been famous for so long it is as if she were born famous; biding her time in the womb, say, by humming the first bars of Anticipation. Such is the price of fame, this distorted…
The Copperworks of Martha’s Vineyard
Last month Scott McDowell worked late into the night to meet his Christmas orders. For those wandering the waterfront, along the Menemsha Basin Road, there was the familiar ringing of the Menemsha Bight buoy in the distance but much closer came the continuous sound of a tapping hammer. Mr. McDowell runs a workshop and store…
The Rap on Kid Critics Tristan and Charlotte Scott
The Rap on Kid Critics Tristan and Charlotte Scott
Name: Tristan and Charlotte Scott
Ages: 7 1/2 and almost 5
School: Second grade and kindergarten at the Chilmark School
Pets: Two cockatiels named Nelly and Mary, a hamster named Chalissa, plus chickens, ducks, guinea hens, cows, sheep…
Films and Feast
Films and Feast
This Saturday, Jan 7, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival throws open the doors of the Chilmark Community Center for another night of films and food. At 5 p.m. there is a program of short films for kids and at 6:30 p.m. Chris Fischer takes the stage with a farm fresh…
Kid’s Rate Slate of Kid’s Films
The folks at Cinema Circus are hosting another winter screening to be held on Saturday, Jan. 7, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. The event includes food, activities and, of course, a series of short films. Earlier this week a screening of the films was arranged with two young Island cineastes to…
Friendship on the Water, Rowers Find Joy and Exercise in Pre-Dawn Ritual
At dawn on the last Friday of the year there were just a few ripples in the waters off Owen Park in Vineyard Haven. The temperature hovered in the low 40s as the morning sun first peeked out from behind the treetops on the banks of the Lagoon.
Just then six women rowing…
Winter Walk Goes in Search of Otters
Winter Walk Goes in Search of Otters
The Vineyard Conservation Society is hosting a winter walk on Sunday, Jan. 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. and they are looking for otters. The walk will be led by wildlife biologists Luanne Johnson and Liz Baldwin along the protected lands around the Wakeman Conservation Center,…
Ink Just Dry at New Tattoo Parlor
When thinking about tattoos the old cliché of the tattoo dive in a port-of-call and the drunken sailor who staggers inside is never far away. The sailor wants an anchor emblazoned over his bicep on top of a heart with the inscription “Ruthie,” and he wants it now. And while seedy tattoo joints still cluster…
Film Society Feature Is Moving Father, Son Story
Tonight the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society is screening The Way at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyerd Haven.
Al Hurwitz Reception
Al Hurwitz Reception
Al Hurwitz is a world-renowned art educator. He has won numerous awards including a National Art Educator award, a Sir Herbert Read award from the International Society for Education through Art and, most recently, the Eisner Lifetime Achievement Award. He also holds the Chair Emeritus of the Center for Art…
Creative and Business Jolt, Care of Women’s Network
January, a time of darkness and deep winter. Time to hibernate? Think again. It’s time to reenergize. At least that’s the feeling of the folks at the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network. But they also realize that energy is best harnessed in a group and led by a creative wonder.
