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
April 6, 2012
News Update: Thursday, April 12 – Edgartown Approves Library, Elects Newcomer to School Committee
Edgartown resoundingly approved funding for a new town library Thursday, voting 480 to 206 in favor of spending $4.9 million on the project. “I’m just so proud of Edgartown — what a great gift for the town to give to itself, for our kids, for our seniors, and also for our future,” said Chris Scott,…
News Update: Thursday, April 12 – West Tisbury is Dry No Longer, Approves Beer and Wine Sales
West Tisbury voters voiced their resounding approval for the sale of beer and wine, a new library and the repaving of most major town roads at Thursday’s election. Voters agreed to the sale of beer and wine at restaurants in the long-dry town by a margin of 499 to 202. “We’re thrilled, and thank you,…
Island Food Panty Ends Season
The Island Food Pantry’s last distribution day for the season will be Friday, April 13. Those in need of emergency food assistance after this date may call the pantry at 508-693-4764 to schedule a food pick-up. The Island Food Pantry will distribute gift cards again in the fall.
News Update: Thursday, April 12 – Incumbent Oak Bluffs Selectmen Retain Seats
In a vote of confidence for the town government, Oak Bluffs voters today re-elected Gregory A. Coogan and Kathleen A. Burton to the board of selectmen. Ms. Burton was the top vote getter with 611 votes, while Mr. Coogan received 580 votes. Challenger Roger Wey, a former seven-term selectman, received 371 votes.
Three Towns Hold Annual Elections Thursday
Three Island towns will hold annual elections on Thursday, April 12, offering up a mix of contentious ballot questions and races.
News Update: Tuesday, April 10 – Record Turnout, Long Night, But Few Upsets in West Tisbury
An overflow turnout of of West Tisbury voters completed a marathon annual town meeting Tuesday night that saw decisions on everything from dredging the Mill Pond to dogs on Lambert’s Cove Beach to paving town roads.
It was a night for debate and at times compromise.
Grant Application Extended
The Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network has extended the application deadline for a small business grant till Friday, April 13. The $2,500 grant will be awarded to a local small business person (man or woman) based on the Vineyard who plans to improve, grow or start a new business. The applicant’s project or program should promote…
News Update: Tuesday, April 10 – Edgartown Backs Funding for New Library
Edgartown voters easily approved $4.9 million in funding for a new town library during a lengthy annual town meeting Tuesday night.
With a gathering of 305 voters at the Old Whaling Church, town meeting members approved most of the items on the 63-article annual town meeting warrant and a 12-article special town meeting…
News Update: Tuesday, April 10 – Oak Bluffs Maps Fresh Path to Fiscal Stability
There were a few fits and starts along the way, but Oak Bluffs voters moved with speed — and even a bit of humor — to overwhelmingly pass a $24.1 million operating budget for the coming fiscal year at back-to-back special and annual town meetings Tuesday night.
News Update: Tuesday, April 10 – Tisbury Voters Reject Connector Road
Tisbury voters defeated the controversial $3 million connector road at their annual town meeting Tuesday night.
A total of 221 voters turned out for the meeting at the Tisbury School gymnasium, completing just half the 33-article warrant before recessing at 10 p.m. for a second evening. The meeting reconvenes at 7 p.m. on…
Town Meetings for Four Towns
Super Tuesday, the politically action-packed day when four of the six Island towns hold town meetings, is upon us. Edgartown voters will gather Tuesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. in the Old Whaling Church for special and annual town meetings. West Tisbury voters will gather at 7 p.m. in the West Tisbury Elementary School. Tisbury…
Fire Warning in Effect
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for critical fire conditions in a broad area of New England that includes the southeastern region and Dukes County. The warning will remain in effect through Monday night, the weather service said in an advisory. Low humidity levels and high wind conditions have combined to…
News Update: Sunday, April 8 – Mike Wallace Dies at 93
CBS newsman Mike Wallace, a longtime resident of the Vineyard who had been coming to the Island since childhood, died late Saturday at the age of 93. The television anchorman was a familiar figure here in the summer months, where he had owned a home on Hatch Road in Vineyard Haven until late last year.…
Flying Horses Opens for Season
Catch the brass ring! By long tradition, the Flying Horses Carousel in the heart of Oak Bluffs opened its doors for the season on Easter weekend. This marks the 137th year of operation for the carousel, the oldest in the nation. Built in 1876 by Charles T. Dare, an amusement park manufacturer and hobby horse…
News Update: Saturday, April 7 – Bunch of Grapes Will Relocate
The Bunch of Grapes, the landmark Vineyard Haven bookstore that has been the go-to place for Islanders and summer visitors alike — including sitting U.S. presidents — to buy their books for more than 40 years, will relocate, owner Dawn Braasch said.
Ms. Braasch has signed a lease with the Hall family to…
News Update: Friday, April 6 – Retired Probation Chief Jailed on Drug Charges
The former longtime chief probation officer for Suffolk superior court was sentenced to three to five years in prison on Friday on drug charges that occurred on the Vineyard.
Milton Britton Sr., 66, pleaded guilty in Dukes county superior court to possessing class B drugs (cocaine) with intent to distribute.
Documentarian to Humanitarian
Last month documentary filmmaker Len Morris of Vineyard Haven accepted the 2012 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor from the U.S. Department of Labor at a ceremony in Washington D.C. But Mr. Morris does not have the luxury of basking in the afterglow of the award ceremony. His Kenyan Schoolhouse program, now…
Daytrippers Concert
Beatles Play Vineyard
Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. the Beatles are playing the Vineyard. Look closely and the Fab Four may resemble some local favorite musicians playing under the auspices of the Daytrippers, but close your eyes and be transported.
The concert takes place at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at the…
Letters to the Editor
BEACH COMPROMISE
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
In November 2011 at a special town meeting, West Tisbury park and recreation proposed a regulation that would allow dogs access to Lambert’s Cove Beach from Sept. 16 to June 14, not allowing them access from June 15 to Sept. 15. The new regulation passed with…
Annual Town Election – Oak Bluffs Incumbents Say Town On Course, Roger Wey Disagrees
Oak Bluffs voters face a choice at the ballot box next week, with three candidates — none new to the town, or to Oak Bluffs voters — vying for two seats on the board of selectmen. Incumbents Gregory A. Coogan and Kathleen A. Burton are running for re-election, while former selectman Roger Wey has thrown…
Beer and Wine Heads to West Tisbury Polls
West Tisbury voters will go to the polls next Thursday to decide whether to allow the sale of beer and wine at restaurants in town and at special events.
The annual town election is April 12; polling hours are from noon to 8 p.m. at the town public safety building. There are no…
Roundabout on Edgartown Ballot
While there are few contested races on the ballot for Edgartown’s annual election next Thursday, voters will be asked to weigh in on the contested roundabout and some expensive town projects.
The first of three ballot questions asks for a Proposition 2 1/2 exemption for $4.9 million for the town’s share of a…
MVTV Airs Roundabout
MVTV Airs Roundabout
MVTV will begin airing a two-part presentation this week with details on the Oak Bluffs proposal to build a roundabout at the blinker intersection.
All About Roundabouts is in two half-hour segments, produced by longtime summer visitor John O’Keefe. It features extensive footage from four existing roundabouts in…
Letters to the Editor
Ebb and Flow of Beer and Wine Question:
Reasons to Say Yes
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
I want to express why Ben and I have decided to support the beer and wine proposal coming up for vote on the ballot April 12.
Restaurateurs:Yes on Question 2
We are writing in support of Question 2 on West Tisbury’s April 12 town ballot. Question 2 authorizes the selectmen to grant beer and wine licenses to restaurants which seat 50 or morepatrons. It also authorizes the selectmen to grant one-day beer and wine licenses to organizers of fundraisers held at venues in West Tisbury.
Why Stock Mill Pond? Remove Dam and Trout Will Swim Home
p> The voters of West Tisbury will get to decide whether or not to approve the Mill Pond committee’s article number 13 on the warrant for the annual town meeting on Tuesday, April 10. The committee would like to pursue grant funding for a dredging project at the Mill Pond, owned by the town.
Town Meeting Season 2012
The sound of gavels banging will be heard around the Island when the annual town meeting season begins with our own version of Super Tuesday, as voters in Tisbury, West Tisbury, Edgartown and Oak Bluffs gather to conduct the annual business of their towns. Town reports and paper warrants will be stacked on laps, the…
Schooners in Sight
From Gazette editions of April, 1937:
Four three-masted schooners crossed Vineyard Haven harbor mouth early Monday, all being in sight from the shore at once. This is a rare sight in these days of steamers, but skippers of these coasters report that strikes of steamers’ crews and freight handlers have brought a number…
A Place of Political Tension, Personal Peace
Israel in recent years has become a travel destination of choice for a number of Vineyarders, Jewish and Christian alike. I am among them and am recently back from Jerusalem. As Passover and Easter arrive, I have been recalling that ancient city’s holy sites. In any season Old Jerusalem on its hilltop is a city…
MVC Workshop
MVC Workshop
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission will cosponsor a stormwater management workshop by the Massachusetts department of environmental protection at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional Transit Authority Building at the airport business park in Edgartown, Thursday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided, with sign-in and coffee at…
Dean’s List
Dean’s List
Trey Rasmussen of Vineyard Haven has been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 semester at Salve Regina University. Trey is a sophomore majoring in business administration.
Salve Regina, a Catholic, co-educational university founded by the Sisters of Mercy, enrolls more than 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students.
Sponsor Hildee Lewis
Sponsor Hildee Lewis
Hildee Lewis of Vineyard Haven will compete on behalf of the charity Grassroots Soccer in the Boston Marathon on April 15. The organization is seeking donations to sponsor Ms. Lewis and other runners as part of its campaign to educate, test and support those infected and at risk for AIDS.
Aquinnah
JUNE D. MANNING
508-645-2574
(lthslnks2004@yahoo.com)
Community Baptist Church of Gay Head invites one and all to attend services during the holy week of Easter. Good Friday services will be conducted this evening at 7 p.m. with worship by the Rev. Ellen Tatreau. Easter Morning Sunrise service will be held…
West Tisbury
John S. Alley
508-693-2950
(alleys@vineyard.net)
People are beginning the task of cleaning up the yard after the long winter, raking the lawn and flower beds. Some have already begun planting peas and other hardy vegetables in their garden. Businesses are reopening for the season, Middletown Nursery and 7a Foods…
Occupy Peace
Occupy Peace
The Martha’s Vineyard Peace Council is meeting on Thursday, April 12, at 101 Chase Road, Edgartown at 6 p.m. Cooperative plans with the MV Occupy group are on the agenda as well as plans for annual summer events. Call 508-627-8536 for Sarah.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
The wind has been blowing and keeping the temperatures down but spirits are still up. The street sweeper was out and doing side streets and the landscapers are going full blast getting the leftover leaves out of gardens and yards.
Chappy
MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
A few changes are happening around Chappaquiddick’s ferry landing—man-made ones, as opposed to the ones made by Mother Nature as she constantly sharpens the Point, carrying the sand out to sea, or uses it to fill in the ferry slip. She’s always playing with us…
Google Workshop
Google Workshop
The MV Women’s Network will hold a three-hour interactive Google workshop from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on April 10 on how to use Google tools to reach and serve more customers. The workshop will be held in the Baylies Room at the Whaling Church on Main street in Edgartown,
Navigation Course
Navigation Course
Sail Martha’s Vineyard is offering a coastal navigation course Monday and Wednesday evenings, April 9, 11, 16 and 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. The course will focus on introducing students to basic chart work, including determining a vessel’s position, course plotting, coastal piloting, familiarization with navigation aids and allowing for…
Baseball at the Plate, Lax Teams Under Way
By IVY ASHE
Spring sports hit their stride this week, with several games taking place on home turf. Tomorrow, boys’ lacrosse plays Falmouth at 11:30 a.m., while the girls’ squad takes on St. Helens/St. Katherines — visiting all the way from Britain — under the lights at 6:30 p.m.
On Monday,…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
March 30 47 38 Trace
March 31 51 37 .10
April 1 47 30 .14
April 2 52 38 .27
April 3 47 34 .03
April 4 55 35 Trace
…
Documentarian to Humanitarian
Last month documentary filmmaker Len Morris of Vineyard Haven accepted the 2012 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor from the U.S. Department of Labor at a ceremony in Washington D.C. But Mr. Morris does not have the luxury of basking in the afterglow of the award ceremony. His Kenyan Schoolhouse program, now…
Please Adopt Us
Please Adopt Us
Martial Arts Awards
Martial Arts Awards
Two Vineyard martial arts students competed recently in the New England Classic at Franklin Pierce University. Julia Bettencourt placed first in Kata and sparring, while Preston Averill took first in sparring. Sensei Timothy Merriman of Blitz Fitness placed fourth in his division, while Team Blitz Fitness took third in team…
Full Moon
Sunrise Sunset
Fri., April 6 6:16 7:12
Sat., April 7 6:15 7:13
Sun., April 8 6:13 7:14
Mon., April 9 6:11 7:15
Tues., April 10 6:10 7:16
Wed., April 11 6:08 7:17
Thurs., April 12 6:07 7:18
Fri., April…
Community Praises Family Center, High School Cites Space Issues
The fate of the Martha’s Vineyard Family Center surfaced again this week, with the center’s supporters urging the high school committee to consider ways to keep the center at the high school.
The high school, citing low enrollment numbers, has decided to phase out its early childhood vocational program. As a result, the…
Lack of Big Mac Attack Gives Island Healthy Rap?
The absence of fast food on the Island rankles some but it may also mean we are healthier. Vineyard residents rank as the healthiest in the state, according to a survey released Tuesday by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Nantucket ranks second, the report found.
Who Is the King Kong of Ping Pong?
A dentist, a rabbi, and a potter walk into the West Tisbury School.
It could be the beginning of a bad joke, or it could just describe a typical Tuesday or Thursday night for the Martha’s Vineyard Table Tennis Club, which draws its players from all walks of life, including the three mentioned…
Bay Scallop Season; Edgartown Is Tops, Oak Bluffs Meatiest
If you are looking for a successful measure of the bay scallop season, which ended this week, the results can be found in large piles of shells in three down-Island towns.
There was a huge pile of shells next to a fish shack at the foot of Skiff avenue in Tisbury last week,…
Wampanoag Tribe Lays Odds on Casino
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has designated three areas in southeastern Massachusetts for potential casino sites and scheduled referendum votes in two of those locations, inching closer to being eligible for a state gaming license.
Energy Stardom
Energy Stardom
Squash Meadow Construction Inc. (squashmeadow.com) recently completed another Energy Star qualified home. The home, owned by Jennifer Slosberg and located on Beech Road in Chilmark, underwent rigorous inspections in order to qualify as an Energy Star home. Squash Meadow Construction Inc., an Energy Star partner and LEED AP (Leadership in Energy…
Seaport Council Grant Aids Repairs After Menemsha Fire
In a boost for the town of Chilmark nearly two years after a devastating fire destroyed the town dock in Menemsha, the Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council announced on Thursday that it would award $629,026 to the town to put toward the rebuilding project in the historic fishing village.
The funds will specifically be…
Oak Bluffs Burglary
Oak Bluffs Burglary
Two safes containing minimal amounts of money were stolen early Monday morning from the Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company in Oak Bluffs, restaurant owner J.B. Blau confirmed. Mr. Blau said he reported the incident to the Oak Bluffs police and added that he has video evidence of the break-in. Mr. Blau…
A Baleen Ballet Dazzles in Local Waters
Until a week ago the waters off of Race Point in Provincetown were a pageant of marine life, with divebombing gannets, 80-foot fin whales slicing the surface, dolphins and porpoises circling like gnats and docile North Atlantic right whales skimming blithely by, mouths agape.
Jurors Notebook: Edifying and Electrifying
A juror in the Cessna plane crash case said Thursday that the case was “a toss-up” and might have resulted in a verdict for either side had it not settled on the eve of jury deliberations.
The female Edgartown resident, who did not want to be identified by name, said the panel bonded…
Dramatic Plane Crash Trial Ends Abruptly With Settlements
The legal saga of Alec Naiman, Jeffrey Willoughby and Jessica Willoughby vs. Cessna Aircraft Company ended abruptly this week, after the three 2005 plane crash victims accepted settlement offers.
Town Warrants
Edgartown Town Warrant
Horse Doctor
Coltsfoot is a horse of a different color. This early spring flower resembles a dandelion, but don’t be fooled. Its resemblance is superficial. The round yellow blossom is at first glance a look-alike, but upon inspection you can see some obvious differences.
March Madness
Flip Harrington and I always plan an escape from March madness and find a good birding area to visit. This year we were glad not to be on-Island after reading the Gazette issues we missed, madness hit the Vineyard with a vengeance this March.
Hot and Cold
I managed to kill quite a few broccoli transplants. It was super hot in the greenhouse two weeks back when we had that lovely, unseasonably warm spell. I hauled out all the perennials, cole crops, and snapdragons. Then we had two extremely cold and windy days. Oddly enough, the snapdragons were the only ones showing…
New Polly Hill Members
New Polly Hill Members
The Polly Hill Arboretum is pleased to welcome two new members to the Arboretum team. Ian Jochems joins as a new full-time horticulturist, and Jaime Morin begins her nine-month collections management internship.
Featherstone
On Sunday, April 1, Ann Smith put the finishing touches on Featherstone’s exhibit — The Art of Intaglio which featured the work of Washington Ledesma, Beldan K. Radcliffe and Nick Thayer. Sharry and Dave Grunden walked to the exhibit through the Southern Woodlands from their home in Oak Bluffs.
Shaking Hands With Herman Melville
Last Wednesday night was a holiday special for fans of the novel Moby-Dick, or any other maritime tale. Nathaniel Philbrick, the Nantucket author of a number of best-selling maritime history books, including In the Heart of the Sea, talked to an audience at the Black Dog Tavern about his most recent work, a 132-page book…
Easter Bunny’s Workshop Looks Ducky
By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL
Elise LeBovit of the Duck Inn has been hosting a Rites of Spring Egg Hunt on Easter for so long she can’t remember when it began.
“I know I have done it at least for the last 20 years,” she said.
Last Sunday afternoon she…
Canine Dance Fever Is Furry Affair
“I started like so many aspiring writers,” author Susan Wilson said recently in a phone interview with the Gazette. “I pounded out a book that seemed exciting to me. In this case, what else, a pirate story.”
Since then Mrs. Wilson has published six well-received novels, and her newest release, The Dog Who Danced,…
Slow Food Movie
Slow Food Movie
Pledging food for the soul and stomach, Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard is presenting a documentary film called The Economics of Happiness along with a soup and bread dinner tomorrow, April 7, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center.
Agricultural Society Spring Dinner Is True Taste of Potluck Heaven
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society welcomed spring last Saturday with their annual potluck supper. Dale McClure, president of the society, said this is one event that requires the least amount of preparation, especially when compared to the organization’s other affairs through the year.
“It is a chance for all of us to get…
Easter Services Around the Island
Aquinnah
Gay Head Community Baptist Church: “Sonrise” services is at 6 a.m. Tel. 508-693-1539.
Chilmark
Chilmark Community Church, 9 Menemsha Cross Road: Sunday worship is at 9 a.m.
Edgartown
Faith Community Church, (Reformed and evangelical) 316 Meetinghouse Way off Herring Creek (Katama): Sunday worship and…
Library Snapshot Day
Library Snapshot Day
National Library Snapshot Day is Thursday, April 12.
And what, you ask, is snapshot day?
It is a day when libraries all over the country take a literal snapshot of what happens at the library. Photos of books being checked out, people receiving help finding a…
Poetry Discussion
Poetry Discussion
During the month of April, the Vineyard Haven Library will be hosting the second annual Common Threads poetry discussions.
Common Threads is a program of MassPoetry.org that seeks to have as many people as possible read and discuss the same nine poems during the month of April, which is…
Brass Ring
Flying Horses Fly Again
The Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs opens its doors for its 137th season tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, at 11 a.m.
With a flick of a few switches, the building will come out of winter hibernation, animated by neon lights and horses and chariots spinning round and…
Flamenco Guitar
Flamenco Guitar
Flamenco guitar master Alberto de Almar performs at the Chilmark Free Public Library on Wednesday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. In addition to playing Mr. de Almar will talk about the history of the flamenco style and demonstrate the techniques.
IMP Anniversary
IMP Anniversary
IMP turns ten and it’s hard to believe. It’s sort of like that little sister, the one who just yesterday could always be seen wearing her underwear on her head, is now all dressed up in a corsage and headed to the prom.
Good thing about IMP, though, is…
All the Music That’s Fit to Print
There can be an aura around musicians, an impenetrable mystique. But for Phil daRosa sitting behind the soundboard at his new recording studio, the Print Shop, humming a tune here and there, spitting a beat every so often, there was none of that.
“I’ve never been down with that approach, both [on the…
