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
September 14, 2012
0 Bartlett Woods, Chilmark
00 Bartlett Woods in Chilmark sold for $640,000 on Sept. 5.
19 Plymouth avenue, Oak Bluffs
19 Plymouth avenue in Oak Bluffs sold for $845,000 on Sept. 7.
66 Pond View Drive, Oak Bluffs
66 Pond View Drive in Oak Bluffs sold for $808,333 on Sept. 7.
0 Bigelow Road, Vineyard Haven
0 Bigelow Road in Vineyard Haven sold for $600,000 on Sept. 7.
38 West Farm Road, West Tisbury
38 West Farm Road in West Tisbury sold for $635,000 on Sept. 5.
94 Martha’s Road, Edgartown
94 Martha’s Road in Edgartown $1,500,000 on Sept. 7.
53 Dodgers Hole Road, Edgartown
53 Dodgers Hole Road in Edgartown sold for $630,000 on Sept. 6.
8 Schoolhouse Road, Edgartown
8 Schoolhouse Road in Edgartown sold for $628,500 on Sept. 7.
74 North Road, Chilmark
74 North Road in Chilmark sold for $2,400,000 on Sept. 7.
64 State Road, Chilmark
64 State Road in Chilmark sold for $1,135,000 on Sept. 5.
Readers Bid Adieux to Le Grenier
What follows are edited comments from the Gazette website reacting to the Gazette story last week about Le Grenier going on the market. You will be missed, Jean. My wife Pat and I will forever remember nights at your delicious table . . . especially a night several years ago when we had the absolute…
Of Primaries and Plays
From the Vineyard Gazette editions of September 1942: The primaries for the nomination of candidates whose names will be on the ballot at the state election in November will be held on Tuesday, September 15. Not for many years have the primaries held so much interest to Vineyarders, with two contests for county offices in…
Let Us Now Praise Infamous Grebes
And the cry rings out, “A.P. did it!” I think he’d be tickled. It’s an honor bestowed on each and every one of us on our way down to the cemetery. A.P. built most of the houses on the island. For 40 years he was the town builder, mason, plumber, architect, electrician and building inspector.…
Chief Given Raise, Praise
The Oak Bluffs selectmen Tuesday approved a new contract for chief of police Erik Blake. Town administrator Robert Whritenour said the board unanimously approved a new three-year contract for Mr. Blake, with an annual salary of $111,666 plus a 20 per cent Quinn Bill stipend for education. The total salary amounts to about $134,000. Mr.…
Childhood Education Program Will Close
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School has received approval from the state to officially close the early childhood education vocational program at the end of the next school year. At the district school committee meeting Monday evening, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss presented a letter from the state approving the school’s plan to…
Rainy Days and Saturdays
Because I work outside all week, there’s nothing like a rainy Sunday to put things in order for me. I’m sorry for you folks who count on sunny weekends. I like to wash and prepare produce for the week. This past weekend, I made some refrigerator pickles, cooked and sliced beets to add to salads…
Please Adopt Us
The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has a very special dog named Popi. He is a beautiful, big black greyhound who was given up for adoption because his owner became ill and could not care for him. Poor Popi has not adjusted to living in a kennel and has developed all kinds of medical and…
Tale of the Scale
It’s Derby time and all across the Island, anglers will be spinning fish tales. Some will have only stories, while others with more skill (or perhaps greater luck) will be down at the weigh station. All eyes at Derby time are on the scales, the ones used for official weighing, of course, but also the…
Boys & Girls Tournament Raises $9,000
There were winning golfers — four, to be exact. But the real winners at the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club fall golf tournament, held Sept. 8 at the Edgartown Golf Club, were the children and families of the Vineyard. The annual golf tournament, now in its 28th year, raised just over $9,000 to support…
Walking in Shadow of West Bank Conjures Up Complex Emotions
I missed Angela Davis’s description last month of life on Palestine’s West Bank when she was there on behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace. I did, however, read last week’s letters about her talk and Alan M. Dershowitz’s attack of her view of the inhumanity to West Bank residents. I add to the discussion now…
Two Roads Diverged, I Took the Ferry
Can’t get there from here. Bert and I said it first, but Chappaquiddick truly took the sentiment to heart. Giving (or receiving) directions on Chappy is nothing if not impossible. Sisyphus himself would have said “aw, screw it” after the third run-through of the same direction to the same person. There are markers on Chappy,…
Harvest Moon
Tomorrow is the full moon, called the Harvest Moon. The moon rises in the east at about the same time as the sun sets in the west. The brilliant moon is in the zodiacal constellation Pisces. The Harvest Moon is the nearest full moon to the first day of autumn, which was last Saturday. The…
Final Design Phase Nears for Police Station
The new West Tisbury police station is in final design stages but needs additional funding to complete construction and bid documents, the town selectmen learned this week. At their meeting Wednesday, the selectmen approved placing an $80,000 warrant article for the November special town meeting to fund the last phase of construction documents, prepare the…
In Case of Lightning, Grab a Lama
Last Friday, pressed for time, I took the evening Cape Air flight to Boston, having enjoyed a few days alone after settling my daughters at their colleges on opposite coasts. Summer was over and I was of course sad to be leaving the Vineyard and already missing the people I didn’t have time to see…
Vineyard History Exhibit
Tomorrow, Sept. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Martha’s Vineyard Museum introduces its latest exhibit, Enchanted Isle — The Story of Martha’s Vineyard. The exhibit, as the title says, is about the Vineyard from its geologic beginnings to the present. Through oral histories and objects, visitors get to travel through different eras and…
Air Force Jazz Band
The United States Air Force Liberty Jazz Band is holding a free concert beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, at the Ocean Park bandstand. The musicians are part of the United States Air Force Band of Liberty from Hanscom Air Force Base outside Boston. The band has been performing for 25 years, paying homage…
Growing Threat
Two weeks ago I wrote a letter to this paper in an attempt to raise the level of concern about West Nile fever and other mosquito-borne diseases coming to this Island.
In my letter I urged a program of mosquito control which included aerial spraying and elimination of areas of stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.
Tireless Dedication
The following letter was sent to the board of directors at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.Congratulations on your selection of Hugh Knipmeyer as a recipient of the Martha’s Vineyard Medal. No one deserves the honor more than Hugh.
Film Credit for Ferry
While it would seem that plenty of folks know that James Dean got his first real show business break while on the Vineyard, surprisingly few know that the ferry Governor was in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentlemen with Deborah Winger and Richard Gere.
Electronics Collection
The Realized Dream Project is hosting an electronic waste collection on Sunday, Sept. 16, at the cliffs of Aquinnah. The collection will be from 1 to 8 p.m. and include any electronic equipment that still works but is no longer wanted, including TV’s, microwaves, computers, cell phones and more. On Sunday, Sept. 23, from noon…
Unwanted Notes
To the two people who felt the need to leave notes on my windshield at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital parking lot. I needed to drive myself to the emergency room early Thursday morning which resulted in a five-day hospital stay. I parked my BMW convertible in the closest open spot to the ER. I was…
Studio Tour
This past weekend Featherstone Center for the Arts sponsored an Island-wide tour of artist studios. Seventeen painters and photographers, one tapestry designer and one jeweler welcomed us to their homes and working studios. We met artists we had never met, were introduced to their work, traveled down and explored roads we had never traveled before.…
Songwriting Workshop
The Pit Stop in Oak Bluffs is a great place for listening to music and Saturday, Sept. 15, Marc-Alan Burnette with Kiley Evans and Dawn Kenney (soon to play Carnegie Hall), hit the stage. What makes this evening different, though, is that on the same day, Mr. Burnette will be giving a songwriting workshop at…
Needs Correcting
I have never met Barbara Schlesinger and have no relationship with her whatsoever, yet I am compelled to write to the editor. I have never in my life written a public letter. This woman and her family need our support. She obviously cherishes the Vineyard as we all do and yet our local elected officials…
Meditation Talk, Workshop
On Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., Dr. Elliott Dacher, author of Aware, Awake, Alive, will give a talk at the Vineyard Haven Public Library. The talk will be about the practice of meditation, a subject on which Dr. Dacher is well-versed. The title of the talk is also the title of his latest book,…
Helping Tim Fullin
We are writing this letter with a heavy heart. Recently native Tim Fullin was diagnosed with cancer. Tim is going through chemotherapy treatment; he is the husband of Linda and the father of three children who are all locals as well — Veronica, T.R and Keith. Tim is a grandfather, uncle, brother, son and an…
Memory Screening
Next Friday, Sept. 21, the Edgartown Council on Aging in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Services of Cape Cod & the Islands, Inc. is offering a free memory screening. These screenings help identify people with potential problems who may need more extensive evaluation. Please note, this is a screening not a diagnosis, but participants will receive information…
Different Experience
Glenn M. Zafonte of West Orange, N.J., writes angrily of a frustratingly inconvenient experience he had recently in getting ferry space leaving the Vineyard (Vacation Ruined, Sept. 7). His anger is directed at the SSA, which he believes, “does not seem to care . . . has no heart . . . [and] makes little…
ACE MV and Healthcare
Adult and Community Education of MV (ACE MV) is hosting a series of three seminars focusing on healthcare reform policy. The six-hour class will be taught by Dr. Grace Sullivan and will help participants make more informed healthcare choices. Among other health-related courses, ACE MV is offering six classes sponsored by the American Red Cross,…
What’s in a Name?
The Republican nominee for POTUS, Mr. Romney, has been introducing himself to voters by his middle name, but will that be the name on his line in the ballot next November? Not if he has to fill out a printed three-by-five card like those we use for everything else, with space for a first name…
YMCA Concert Nights
The Base at the YMCA is hosting a community open stage on Fridays in September. All ages are welcome to perform music, dance, spoken word, poetry, comedy (clean, please) and more. Each week, sign up begins at 6 p.m. or call 508-696-7171 to reserve a spot. The Base is an alcohol-free alternative to hear and…
Flowers on Cobblestones
This is a week to remember. On Tuesday a subdued ceremony was held in Lower Manhattan and around the country to remember the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on another sunny September morning eleven years ago that left such deep scars on the American psyche.
Quiet Mission, Public Lands
The low-key green and white signposts that mark properties owned by the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank so often belie the grandeur of what lies at the end of a short trail. Think Aquinnah Headlands, Poucha Pond, Waskosim’s Rock, to name just a few. So the property purchase announced by the land bank last week sounded,…
Let Us Now Praise Infamous Grebes
And the cry rings out, “A.P. did it!” I think he’d be tickled. It’s an honor bestowed on each and every one of us on our way down to the cemetery. A.P. built most of the houses on the island. For 40 years he was the town builder, mason, plumber, architect, electrician and building inspector.…
Angel Flight Fundraiser
They provide invaluable service to people in need, offering free air transportation for patients and their families to medical appointments off-Island. Now, for a small price you can nibble on hors d’oeuvres and support their worthy cause. On Sunday, Sept. 16 Angel Flight NE will host its second annual Martha’s Vineyard Wings of Hope fundraiser…
John Arrives
Amy E. Kirkpatrick and John Petrosinelli of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, John Kirkpatrick Petrosinelli, born on Sept. 8 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. John weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Moffett Race Brings High Seas, Spirits and Storybook Finish
Harry Duane would have loved every minute of it. The late giant in the Vineyard Haven sailing community was certainly present in spirit for the 35th running of the annual George Moffett Race last Saturday, when a robust fleet of sailboats turned out in weather that was even more robust to race in a 20-mile…
Hopps Farm Hops Harvest Yields Brew Local in Every Way
On Wednesday morning, the jungle of hop plants at the end of Hopps Farm Road in West Tisbury stood 20 feet high, well above Alan Northcott’s head. Atop a ladder he sliced the string connecting the vine away from the bamboo trellis that the hop plant had climbed along. Down below he handed the vine…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Sept. 14
Sarah Wilbur’s headstone (April 15, 1792 to March 20, 1875) is in a small graveyard with several unmarked stones just off the Vineyard Haven-Edgartown Road, almost hidden behind the “County Road Oak Bluffs Next Right” sign. I don’t know who Mrs. Wilbur was — or indeed, if in fact she is actually buried there, understanding…
CPA Update
The Oak Bluffs Community Preservation Committee is hosting an Island-wide meeting with Stuart Saginor of the Community Preservation Coalition on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Sailing Camp, located on Barnes Road in Oak Bluffs. Mr. Saginor will present the latest news about the Community Preservation Act, including a review of the new…
Stonewalled Beach Group Looks to Disband
The Dukes County Commission heard this week from members of the Eastville Beach committee that they would like to disband. Eastville Beach is located on the Vineyard Haven Harbor near Lagoon Pond and spans Tisbury and Oak Bluffs. The county owns 5.3 acres of the beach, which includes a shorebird habitat, while Tisbury owns half…
Mr. Keating, Mr. Sheldon Win Primary, Face off in November
Incumbent Cong. William Keating fought off a primary challenger Sept. 6 to secure a spot on the November ballot for ninth district, while a Plymouth businessman was finally named the winner in a narrow GOP contest. The results of the Democratic primary race for the governor’s council are still up in the air, with a…
Tribe Goes to Federal Court In Pursuit of Casino Rights
As the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) presses ahead on various fronts to win the right to build a casino in Massachusetts, a federal judge in Boston has set next Wednesday as the date for briefs to be filed in a complicated case that now involves the state and its gaming commission, a commercial…
Comcast Offers Chappy Service, But at Cost to Homeowners
More than a year after an Islandwide contract with the cable television giant Comcast expired, a proposed new contract that includes service to Chappaquiddick has come before the six-town negotiating committee.A final proposal from Comcast was sent to the Vineyard cable advisory committee on Sept. 6. After months of keeping its cards close to the…
Northeast Fishery Declared a Disaster
The commercial Northeast groundfish fishery Thursday was formally declared a disaster for the coming year by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, paving the way for financial assistance for fishermen who are facing depleted stocks and drastic cuts to catch shares. The disaster declaration comes less than a month after Gov. Deval Patrick and other elected…
Derby Fishermen Make Heroic Catch
Three men were rescued from the waters off Aquinnah on Monday afternoon after the boat they were in sank in heavy seas. The rescuers were three derby fishermen.
Caleb D. Nicholson, 37, of Oak Bluffs was out fishing with two friends when they spotted three men clinging to a cooler in chilly, rough seas.
The…
A Sord of Swallows
It is a spectacular feeling to be in the midst of a large flock of thousands of tree swallows! The birds are flying gracefully around you, making aerial acrobatics to snatch bugs out of the air. They can fly so close to you that you can hear their wings beating the air.
Felix Neck Welcome
Felix Neck Welcome Josey Kirkland has been named the new Education Coordinator and day camp director at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. Ms. Kirkland is originally from Carlisle and graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in environmental sciences, with a wildlife focus. She is familiar with island-living having spent summers on a small island in…
Best of the Fiddle and Whistle
To become an All-Ireland music champion is no easy feat. Ireland may be a small country, but it takes its traditional music very seriously. Throw a rock, or better yet an empty pint of Guiness, and surely you will hit a musician, and not just a part-time dabbler, but a real pro. Now gather this…
Tivoli Day Celebrates Shoulder Season
Tivoli Day is upon us again, for the 35th year in a row. The day is the Oak Bluffs answer for what to do at the end of summer. Celebrate! The party rolls from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15. The town closes down Circuit avenue to traffic of the motorized kind…
Chowder Queen; Mirin Lies the Difference
My Aunt Marie turned 70 this past August. She is still slender, young in most every way and very strong.
Fashion Week Gives Martha a Makeover
Vineyard fashion is often said to be an oxymoron. Barn glamour, beach chic, preppy with a tinge of hippie are frequently used to describe how Islanders dress. But while dress clogs, Muck Boots, a clean pair of jeans, cowboy boots and the reliable plaid shirt may all be staples in many Vineyard closets, a group…
Field Hockey, Cross Country Shine in Fall Season Competition
The varsity boys’ soccer team plays its first home game of the season tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. against Nauset. Girls’ soccer also plays at home tomorrow, taking on Whitinsville Christian at 1:30 p.m. Golf has two home matches this week, and will play Eastern Athletic Conference opponents Bishop Feehan on Tuesday and Coyle-Cassidy on…
Dandy Derby Start as Bluefish Lead the Way, Stripers Follow
Over 2,600 pounds of fish have crossed the scales in the first five days of the 67th Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, and they’re coming from all sectors of Vineyard waters. “It’s been stellar, absolutely stellar,” Amy Coffey, who has volunteered at the weigh-in station for over 20 years, said on Thursday afternoon. “We had…
Lure of the Derby Calls Them All
They came together at the end of the day Wednesday to catch fish. Backed by the glitter of fast-moving water, more than 20 anglers, most of them participants in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, stood at the far end of the Menemsha jetty casting their lures in close quarters. The sun was…
Late Night Lounge Lizard Unmasked
The mystery of a nearly invisible tropical pinkletink which took up residence in an Oak Bluffs greenhouse has been solved. The tree frog, originally a native of Puerto Rico and thought to be a former resident of Hawaii, was captured last week by Gus Ben David of Edgartown.
“You can’t believe how loud it was,”…
Veterans Inch Closer to Island Health Care Contract
With another step completed toward restoring on-Island health care access for veterans, members of the Providence VA hospital are planning an on-Island trip for early October for a town hall meeting with veterans and discussions with Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. This week came word that the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital had signed a new contract for veterans’…
Starry Nights
The clear dry air that covers New England and is giving the Vineyard excellent sunny days is also giving us near perfect stargazing nights. Visibility is excellent. The stars are bright and numerous. The Milky Way is easy to see overhead, and the stars of autumn are rising in the east. For those who are…
No Need for Pen, Paper Tells Own Story
Paper is so embedded in daily life as to be almost invisible. It is a transmitter. The message it bears, whether a scribbled note or a printed contract, is the focal point.
