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
July 6, 2012
121 Carrolls Way, Vineyard Haven
121 Carrolls Way in Vineyard Haven sold for $700,000 on June 29.
2 Alyssa Lane, Vineyard Haven
2 Alyssa Lane in Vineyard Haven sold for $155,000 on June 29.
0 Wooten Bassett Road, Chilmark
0 Wooten Bassett Road in Chilmark sold for $2,300,000 on June 28.
65 Herring Creek Road, Edgartown
65 Herring Creek Road in Edgartown sold for $350,000 on June 29.
63 Herring Creek Road, Edgartown
63 Herring Creek Road in Edgartown sold for $650,000 on June 29.
61 Herring Creek Road, Edgartown
61 Herring Creek Road in Edgartown sold for $350,000 on June 29.
Traffic Diverted on Old County Road
A portion of Old County Road closed to traffic since 6:38 a.m. Monday has been re-opened to one lane. The section of road between the Whippoorwill Farm stand and Hopps Farm Road was closed after a driver struck a telephone pole, West Tisbury Sgt. Jeffrey (Skipper Manter 3rd said. The accident left some homes in…
News Update: Monday, July 9 – Crash Victim Dies
A 21-year-old New Hampshire woman who was critically injured in a Fourth of July car accident on Barnes Road died on Saturday, a spokesman from Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston has confirmed.
Sister Islands
I am a taxpayer on both Islands. All I would say is Vive la différence!! Hey Flint — it’s Oak Bluffs! The view from “America” is much clearer!
Wood or Concrete?
The following comments were posted on the Gazette website responding to a story about the discussion over rebuilding the docks in Menemsha using state grant money received this spring.
Stolen POW Flag
To the low-life miscreants with the alcohol-fueled testicular fortitude who stole the POW flag and bunting from my home on the night of the Fourth: when you land in jail, even if only for a few nights, you won’t be alone. Some of my fellow Viet Nam veterans who could not cope when they came…
Vivid Reminder
I’d like to express my gratitude to the airport staff, and particularly to the JetBlue counter agent on duty Wednesday afternoon. Due to a significant detour via Edgartown through parade-day traffic, my father and I arrived at the airport with just minutes to spare before the scheduled take off. The JetBlue counter was already closed.…
No Concrete Jungle
The following letter was sent to the Chilmark selectmen about the Menemsha dock rebuilding project.
It has come to my attention that you are considering the option of concrete floating docks to replace the transient pier and possibly other parts of the pier. Many people had no idea there were any meetings held to discuss…
Deer Facts
If I understand correctly, if there are no deer, there is no Lyme disease. I have the impression that there are about 5,000 deer on the Island, if the calculation is 100 square miles at 50 animals per square mile.
This is probably not permitted speech in the People’s Republic of Martha’s Vineyard but, from…
146 Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road, Vineyard Haven
146 Edgartown Road in Vineyard Haven sold for $170,500 on June 29.
Land Bank Revenues: June 29
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $313,840 for the business week ending on Friday, June 29, 2012. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions. Much of the land bank revenue last week came from the town of Edgartown, where six transactions…
Tisbury Celebrates Birthday with Street Fair
Tisbury is getting old, but still looks as good as ever. On Sunday, July 8 the town will celebrate its 341st birthday with a street fair, an annual tradition established in 1971. Revelers will throng to Main street in Vineyard Haven starting at 6 p.m. for food, games, music, dunking booths, pony rides and a…
County Manager Pick Declines Job Offer
Katherine Rogers, a New Hampshire attorney who was selected to serve as Dukes County manager by the county commissioners last week, will not accept the position. She informed the County of her decision on Thursday morning.
“She is unable to accept the position due to pressing medical problems that she must deal with…
West Tisbury Is Officially All Wet
The sale of beer and wine has begun in two West Tisbury restaurants. Last Friday marked the first night the Lambert’s Cove Inn and State Road Restaurant sold beer and wine, thanks to last-minute license approval from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
Both restaurants received their permits late Friday afternoon, shortly before…
Harpooning Swordfish: A Lost Local Tradition?
Harpooned swordfish, once synonymous with the Fourth of July holiday and a staple of the Menemsha fishing fleet, are no longer being caught by Vineyard fishermen.
Though prevalent in local fish markets this season, harpooned swordfish are now all being caught by fishermen from afar.
The reason has to do with…
Summer Lineup of Music Planned for Dreamland
The historic Dreamland building in Oak Bluff may soon be more than just a fading facade seen from the street.
JB Blau, a well-known Island businessman and restaurant owner, has announced plans to turn the second floor of the building into a music and entertainment spot. A grand opening is planned for July…
African Americans on Martha’s Vineyard, Then and Now
On a recent sparkling morning at Inkwell Beach, summer resident and retired Boston judge Ed Redd emerged from his daily swim and carefully considered a question: Does Martha’s Vineyard still retain a certain magic for African Americans — longtime residents and new visitors alike? Judge Redd, a barrel-chested, affable ambassador for the Polar Bears, the…
Two-Car Crash Mars Holiday
A 21-year-old New Hampshire woman remained in a Boston hospital with life-threatening injuries yesterday following a two-car crash on Barnes Road that marred Fourth of July festivities on the Vineyard Wednesday afternoon.
The crash left five people injured, three of them seriously, state police said.
The three people were later flown…
Quitsa Pond Home Continues to Stir Talk of Limits
Neighbors to a large house that is now nearly built on Nashaquitsa Pond in Chilmark have asked the town zoning board of appeals to enforce what they claim are zoning violations on the property.
The 8,200-square-foot house being built by Adam Zoia on the former Harrison property has been the subject of widespread…
Revenue Up, Expenses Higher, Hospital Reports Sizable Loss
Citing a decline in use and changes to the health insurance industry, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is reporting an operating loss for 2011, the first unprofitable year in about a decade, the hospital said.
The hospital reported an operations income loss of $591,855 from April 2011 to April 2012. While total revenue was…
Dean’s List
Marcella Andrews of Chilmark, Emma Forbes of Oak Bluffs, Hannah Marlin of Vineyard Haven and Sarah Nelson of Vineyard Haven were named to the dean’s list at the University of New Hampshire for the spring 2012 semester. Ms. Andrews, Ms. Forbes and Ms. Nelson received highest honors; Ms. Marlin received honors.
Dock Holding Tank Source of Gas Leak
A small gas leak at Church’s Pier in Oak Bluffs saw a quick response from the Oak Bluffs fire department on the afternoon of July 4.
Oak Bluffs fire chief Peter Forend received a call from the owner of Nancy’s restaurant at 4:14 p.m. reporting the leak. He said the leak originated from…
Harbor Improvement Plan Heads to Voters
Chilmark voters will decide next month whether or not to endorse a state-funded harbor improvement plan in Menemsha.
At their regular meeting Tuesday, the Chilmark selectmen approved a two-article warrant for a special town meeting on August 6. The first article will ask for approval of a new dock system in Menemsha; the…
Taxes Up, Census Down
From the Vineyard Gazette editions of July, 1970:
The preliminary census report released this week indicates that there are 318 fewer Dukes County residents this year than there were a decade ago.
Oak Bluffs, More Than a Region in My Mind
Throughout my high school years in Atlanta, Ga., in the 1950s, Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard was a region in my mind. I can still remember the image I had of the Island back then — an enchanted place with beautiful green grapevines gracefully covering a landscape with children roaming freely in and around them.…
He’s Always Done More Than He Said
It’s Summer: Enjoy and Engage!
You may have heard Aesop’s quote, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.”
For Sam Feldman, philanthropy and getting involved is a way of life and, when Sam gets involved, it’s always, “when all is said and done, more is done than is…
Title IX Opened Up a Whole New World, On and Off Ice
Title IX went into effect. on June 23, 1972. A few years later when I was a college student in Oswego, N.Y., I saw an ad in the school paper recruiting female students to play ice hockey. The school had both men’s varsity and junior varsity teams, and to comply with Title IX they decided…
Poem: Ferry to Chappaquiddick
Three cars, three minutes
each time, on time, just
in time, to midnight — metronome
for the separate island
releasing triptych cars which drive
twenty-five on one paved road
and less on dirt washboards
where rhythmed bumps punctuate
as…
Chilmark
JANE N. SLATER
508-645-3378
(slaterjn@comcast.net)
Chilmark prepared for the Fourth of July in great style. We had a double rainbow one evening, the appearance of a full moon another, along with beautiful beach days and the arrival of many friends and family members. It should make for many happy…
Vineyard Haven
NANCY GARDELLA
508-693-3308
(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)
What a beautiful and action-packed Fourth Wednesday was!
East Chop
RICK HERRICK
508-693-8065
(herricklr@verizon.net)
Lyn and I went on June 10, our 45th wedding anniversary, to watch the Sharks play the U.S. Military All-Stars in baseball at the high school. Laurie Howick generously provided the tickets. Unfortunately, the Sharks lost in a close game, 3 to 2.
Edgartown
KATHIE CASE
508-627-5349
(kathleencase@comcast.net)
We are celebrating the weather that cooperated with the Fourth of July. There was rain in the morning, and warm sunshine for the rest of the day. The parade was a success and so were the fireworks.
Announcing Anouk
Announcing Anouk
Amber Knowles and Shafiq Khan of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Anouk Nor Ella Bano, born on July 1, 2012 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Anouk weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces at birth.
Welcome Jacob
Welcome Jacob
Shawna and John O’Donnell of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Jacob Charles O’Donnell, born on July 3, 2012 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Jacob weighed 8 pounds, 7.5 ounces at birth.
Baseball for Hospice
Baseball for Hospice
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks — the Island’s own baseball team — will host a Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard night July 15 at 5 p.m. at the regional high school in Oak Bluffs. Supporters of Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard will get to meet the members of the board of directors and…
Gibbous Moon
The gibbous moon rises more than an hour after twilight tonight and appears in the zodiacal constellation Aquarius, which we normally associate with autumn.
More than a Political Stage
Massachusetts senatorial candidate Elizabeth Warren introduced herself to the Vineyard last weekend during a two-day swing through the Island that included public and private fundraisers, visits to Island newspapers and some unscheduled face time with voters on the street and in restaurants and coffee shops. We hope to see incumbent Sen. Scott Brown, too, in…
Separate and Together
The beach, sunshine, family gatherings and the ability to enjoy something like anonymity — these are among the things that draw a variety of high-profile seasonal residents to the Vineyard year after year.
For many prominent African Americans, it is all that and something more: a chance to be part of a close-knit…
With Fireworks, Flare and Tradition, Island Celebrates Independence Day
At 5 p.m. sharp on Wednesday, crowds in Norwich, England, gathered to see the Olympic torch arrive at the Queen’s summer estate. Crowds in front of New England televisions watched the Red Sox play in Oakland. And in Edgartown, a downtown crowd waited anxiously for the first notes of the annual Fourth of July parade.
Washashore Chronicles: He Hopes Letter Writing Is Not on the Wall
Each warm morning I walk down the hill at Owen Park in Vineyard Haven, being tugged by Floyd, my yellow lab who seems hellbent to get into the sea before someone pulls the plug. The other day as we turned the Main street corner into the park, we saw the women of the exercise boot…
Health Care Grant
Health Care Grant
Island Health Care in Edgartown has received a $102,180.26 grant from the Patrick-Murray Administration. It is one of 27 hospitals and community health centers throughout Massachusetts to receive a total of $3 million in infrastructure and capacity-building funds. The money is intended to enhance global payment system transitions, expand access…
After 43 Years Stepping in Time, Grand Marshal Steps Down
“Forward, march!” he commanded for the 43rd year, and the parade began its journey down the West Tisbury Road.
All eyes in Edgartown were on Col. Fred B. (Ted) Morgan Jr., as he performed his last march as grand marshal and chief organizer of the Edgartown Fourth of July parade.
He…
Temperatures
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
June 29 81 65 .00
June 30 82 64 .00
July 1 90 66 .00
July 2 88 64 .02
July 3 83 62 .00
July 4 83 68 .05
…
Vineyard Swimmers Compete in Italy
Three Vineyard swimmers swam for Team USA and the New England Masters Swim club at the FINA World Masters Swimming Championships in Riccione, Italy from June 3 to June 17. The competition brought together from around the world more than 12,000 masters division pool and open water swimmers, water polo players, divers and synchronized swimmers.
Possible Dreams Auction Looks To Make Night Impossible to Miss
Two high rollers in a bidding war to share a peanut butter sandwich with Carly Simon?
Battling the Winds of Climate Change
Bill and Margot Moomaw, two of the world’s major movers and shakers in the field of climate change, are bringing their own personal message to Vineyarders about how to take small steps to make a big impact in combatting global warming:
Live deliberately, make real choices about how you live and what you…
Helping Teens Rock Their Future
All teenagers have to do is show up. Everything else is paid for, and it is state-of-the-art quality. The Alexandra Gagnon Teen Center at the YMCA is entering its first summer at its permanent location. The center has been open for six months, and in that time the bright green walls and larger-than-life Spiderman wall…
Artists in Conversation
Ray Ellis has been painting for over 70 years, much of it on the Vineyard. This year one of his paintings was auctioned off for $120,000 at the Taste of the Vineyard fundraiser for the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust. Two years ago at the same event, a painting by Mr. Ellis went for $250,000. Last…
Biggest Party in Town
Biggest Party in Town
It is the week of two big birthdays. There was that affair of the country on July 4, red, white and blue with flags waving and fireworks bursting.
Closer to home, there is the birth of Tisbury.
This is the 41st year for the street…
Flying Horses Literally Fly In Story of Love and Loss
Many children are instantly enchanted by the Oak Bluffs institution known as the Flying Horses. But a recently published children’s book, When Horses Fly, gives new meaning to the horses’ flight.
One night as a young girl named Caroline struggles to fall asleep, the Flying Horses carousel appears to her outside her house.…
Paying It Forward by Combing History
At 70 years old, Jay Schofield will still be the first one in the room to tell a joke or let out a hearty laugh at someone else’s. And when he shakes your hand and tells you, genuinely, that it’s a pleasure to meet you, you might notice his white “Pay It Forward” bracelet.
Summer Programs
Summer Programs
The high school summer program is now registering for its summer session. Activities taking place at the regional high school include sports clinics, arts and crafts programs, robotics, cheerleading, even vocabulary for life classes.
To find out more, visit mvrhs.org/clinics.
Hoecakes and Whirligigs
Hoecakes and Whirligigs
Hoecakes and Whirligigs Week is about to begin. And what, you may ask, is that?
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum is helping kids get in touch with their inner historian, or at least have a lot of fun, by creating arts and crafts days devoted to the work and…
Tea Talk
Tea Talk
Tea is good for you. Tea tastes good. But have you ever thought about making it yourself? And we’re not talking about dipping a bag in a cup of hot water here.
On Tuesday, July 10, Holly Bellebuono of Vineyard Herbs is heading to Polly Hill Arboretum in West…
Landscape Painting
Next week, each day from July 9 to July 13, Mark Bullen will hold master classes in landscape painting. The classes are from 2 to 6 p.m. and cost $125 per day.
Vineyard Playhouse Shows Variety
The Vineyard Playhouse gets going this weekend with three very different performances, at three very different locations, too.
Meat, Greet Many New Places to Eat
A new season means new food on Martha’s Vineyard. Across the Island, eateries are shuffling chefs, inventing new menus and changing locations for the summer. Other restaurants are starting from scratch.
Restaurateurs are offering an exciting array of new fare from eggs Benedict to lobster as they gear up to serve summer crowds.
Embracing Island Time, Vineyard Arts Project Is Oasis of Creativity
Bekah Brunstetter was feeling lackluster about her play last week. She had already completed a first draft, but there were still kinks to work out.
“I told her to go have a lobster roll with it or something,” said Brooke Hardman Ditchfield, the co-founder and producer of New Writers, New Plays, a part…
Italy Experience Inspired Choir To Hit Some New Notes
When the Edgartown Federated Church choir sang their first notes at a church service in Padua, Italy on April 15, they heard something they don’t usually hear on the Vineyard — their own voices reverberating back to them along the endless walls and high ceilings of the Basilica, sometimes for as long as eight seconds.…
Chamber Music for the Masses
If you need an extra incentive to attend the Chamber Music Society’s first concert of the summer this week, here’s one: It’s free. The tickets have all been pre-paid by Sam Feldman, whose late wife Gretchen was an avid supporter of chamber music.
“I’m trying to help her legacy in continuing the [Chamber…
His Music Puts (Little) People to Sleep
Lullaby CDs, like Fred Mollin’s recently released Martha’s Vineyard Lullaby CD, adhere to their own set of parameters. Most important, the music must be pleasing and consistent so it doesn’t jolt the little one out of the land of Nod.
“It’s interesting and musical, but it’s also calming,” Mr. Mollin said. “It’s almost…
Red Cat Gets Fourth Life, Second With Chef at Helm
The Island is known for its iconic animals. There’s the black dog, the flying horse, the Jaws shark. But long ago, there was also a red cat. According to Island lore, she was a handsome young gal with fiery red hair who tickled the fancy of Stan Hart, Island bibliophile, sailor and author, who died…
Crabby Cottages
The housing crisis affects us all.
While the ups and downs of the Island real estate market are not a major concern for these crustaceans, they do have their own domicile dilemma. A version of the Vineyard shuffle is undertaken by hermit crabs year-round.
Nursery Time
The Vineyard is a huge maternity ward for birds at this time of year. I have e-mails and phone calls galore about young birds in people’s yards, at their feeders and along the roadside. It is a pleasure to hear the youngsters learning to sing their songs and the adults singing, perhaps with pride, over…
Early Arrivals
Everyone in the gardening and landscaping business has been commenting on how weird the season has been. We’ve been talking about the mild winter and super-warm spring. Both seem to be factors in how quickly the summer plants have moved along. I saw some New England fall asters blooming at the entry to the YMCA,…
Realtor Appointment
Realtor Appointment
Peter Fyler, an exclusive buyer’s agent and broker/owner of SplitRock Real Estate, LLC, has been elected to the Cape Cod & Islands Association of Realtors board of directors.
Recent Island Real Estate Transactions
Edgartown
Richard A. Manley Jr and Deborah J. Fanton purchased 8 Garrett Way in Edgartown from Douglas L. and Karen V. Williams for $1,450,000 on June 29.
Harald B. Findlay purchased 4 Beach Plum Meadows in Edgartown from Robert S. and Anne C. Amato for $2,460,000 on June 29.
…
Visiting Reverend
Visiting Reverend
The Rev. Christina Rathbone, Cathedral Missioner at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in Boston, will be priest in residence at Trinity Episcopal Church in Oak Bluffs from July 8 through the July 15.
Reverend Rathbone attended New York University and received her divinity degree from Boston University in…
Rose Styron’s Vineyard Winter of Content
Come May for the past two years, a pair of ducks have come to nest on Rose Styron’s lush lawn overlooking the outer Vineyard Haven harbor. “They eat a lot, at least the mother eats a lot, and the father, a gorgeous green-necked mallard, guards her. And when she’s fat enough, she goes to make…
Striper Season Opens
The local seafood economy is about to get a big boost: The commercial striped bass season opens on Thursday, July 12.
While the recreational angler has been out enjoying the benefits of catching striped bass since before spring, restaurant-goers get their chance next week.
Commercial fishermen are permitted to land and…
Baby Flounder are Progressing Well
The thousands of baby flounder being raised at the Wampanoag Tribe’s Aquinnah hatchery will be released late this summer at Clam Point in Nashaquitsa Pond, part of the Menemsha Pond system, according to the lead scientist of the two-year project to raise winter flounder in captivity and release them into safe waters.
Elizabeth…
June 29: Hot and Sunny
Friday, June 29: Hot and sunny. Dog days of July arrive in June. Oppressively hot at the Triangle in Edgartown. A gentle breeze in Edgartown harbor.
If Her Walls Could Talk, Well, They Used to Swim
Until recently, Janet Messineo never considered herself an artist. Never mind that over the past 25 years Ms. Messineo, the Island’s only taxidermist, has recreated life itself thousands of times over, as evidenced by the glistening fish of all sizes adorning the walls of her basement workrooms. Although there are a few odd birds in…
0 Signal Hill Lane, Chilmark
0 Signal Hill Lane in Chilmark sold for $1,800,000 on June 29
20 Cardinal Way, West Tisbury
20 Cardinal Way in West Tisbury sold for $907,000 on June 29
63 Otis Bassett Road, West Tisbury
63 Otis Bassett Road in West Tisbury sold for $672,500 on June 29
2 Katama Farm South, Edgartown
2 Katama Farm South in Edgartown sold for $1,600,000 on June 29
8 Garrett Way, Edgartown
8 Garrett Way in Edgartown sold for $1,450,000 on June 29
4 Beach Plum Meadows, Edgartown
4 Beach Plum Meadows in Edgartown sold for $2,460,000 on June 29
