Jane Kenyon
I am the stone step, the latch, and the working hinge. I am the heart contracted by joy, the longest hair, white before the rest.-Jane Kenyon
November 23, 2012
33 Pine Tree Lane, Vineyard Haven
33 Pine Tree Lane in Vineyard Haven sold for $630,000 on Nov. 14.
121 Dukes County Avenue, Oak Bluffs
121 Dukes County Avenue in Oak Bluffs sold for $351,000 on Nov. 13.
54 Lighthouse Road, Aquinnah
54 Lighthouse Road in Aquinnah sold for $335,000 on Nov. 13.
Commission’s Role in Big Houses Debated
Citing concerns about the role of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and how it might regulate house size, the Edgartown selectmen and several members of the building community spoke out this week about proposed changes to the commission’s criteria for reviewing developments of regional impact (DRIs). At public hearings Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, the commission…
As Casino Plans Stall, Tribe Faces Internal Issues
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), the first federally recognized American Indian tribe in the commonwealth, is going through a period of significant change as it pursues plans to build a casino in an uncertain economic and regulatory climate. The hope of building a casino in southeastern Massachusetts has been thwarted by state officials,…
Neighborhood Mocha Man Guaranteed to Perk You Up
At 4 a.m. on a cold November morning, Circuit avenue is empty. Not a car or a person is in sight. Just a fierce northeasterly wind ripping down the street. All the shops are closed up tight, except for one: Mocha Mott’s, where a dim light glows from its location below street level. Walking down…
Red Stocking Fund Helps Make Holidays Happy for Everyone
Nearly 75 years have passed since the first six Red Stocking Fund recipients most likely opened Donald Duck pull toys and Snoopy Sniffers instead of today’s more popular Furbys and Barbies. This year organizers Kerry Alley and Lorraine Clark are expecting the Red Stocking Fund to make Christmas dreams come true for approximately 475 children,…
Hunting Regulations Changed to Address Large Deer Population
Next week the deer hunting season shifts from bow and arrow to shotgun. “You are up close and personal when you are in archery season, at 20, maybe 30 yards away,” said Walter Ashley, an experienced hunter on the Island. “With a shotgun, it’s not so critical.” Mr. Ashley has been hunting for nearly 50…
Ladies, There’s a New Stud in Town
Jim Athearn is excited about the genetic possibilities from his new bull Moshup.“We need to get into better breeding in two respects — better percentage of calves each year from the females we have, and have each one grow to be a profitable size,” Mr. Athearn said, looking over his cow herd in Chilmark. The…
Dog Shooting In West Tisbury Is Lawful
West Tisbury animal control officer Joan Jenkinson has confirmed an incident involving a farmer who shot a dog that was killing his chickens last week. Mrs. Jenkinson told the Gazette yesterday that while everyone involved is upset over what happened, no formal complaint will be filed. And it was completely lawful for the farmer to…
Warren House Property Receives No Bids
After more than two months on the market, the Warren House — a dilapidated North Water street building owned by the town — has attracted no bids. Town administrator Pamela Dolby told the Edgartown selectmen the news Monday, although she said she did receive phone calls about the property on Monday, after the bid deadline…
46 High Street, Edgartown
46 High Street in Edgartown sold for $1,900,000 on Nov. 15.
1 Nickle Lane, Edgartown
1 Nickle Lane in Edgartown sold for $280,000 on Nov. 15.
33 Boylston Drive, Edgartown
33 Boylston Drive in Edgartown sold for $650,000 on Nov. 13.
County Manager Airs Salary Discrepancies
The Dukes County commission voted unanimously last week to seek an opinion from a labor lawyer over salary discrepancies between airport non-union employees and other county employees. In a memorandum to the county commissioners at their Nov. 14 meeting, county manager Martina Thornton noted that four airport non-union employees received a 3.1 per cent cost…
Government Presents Five Offshore Wind Options
Plans to develop a wind energy area in federal waters south of the Vineyard continue to move forward with the Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) releasing an environmental assessment and identifying five different configurations for the area. At a public hearing last week, bureau representatives said the preferred option would be to develop an 877…
Possible Shipwreck Remnants Discovered
Shifting sand at both Wasque and Lucy Vincent Beach has uncovered what may be parts of two shipwrecks. Last Sunday afternoon, Andrew Orcutt of Edgartown and Albany was out walking the shoreline near Wasque and the Norton Point breach. He discovered remnants of what appeared to be a ship in the wash.
Land Bank Revenues: Nov. 16
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $106,673 for the business week ending on Friday, Nov. 16, 2012.
Felix Neck Fall Festival
The Felix Neck Fall Festival is turning 22 this year. It takes place on Friday, Nov. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (raindate Nov. 24). The event can be summed up with the words; Migrate, Hibernate, Adapt. There are hayrides, face painting, live music by The Flying Elbows, food, wreath making, crafts for kids…
Holiday Festivities
It may be Thanksgiving weekend but Christmas has a way of elbowing the turkey out of the way. On Saturday, Nov. 24, from 2 to 8 p.m. Oak Bluffs is holding a holiday celebration at Dreamland. From 2 to 4 p.m. there will be Hay Rides by Nip N Tuck Farm, followed by a 5…
Announcing Gideon
Quinn and Stephen Savard of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Gideon Mark Savard, born on Nov. 6 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Gideon weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces at birth. He is welcomed by big brother Eamon, 7, and big sister Nola, 4.
Character Talk
What is Island character anyway? It’s not something easily defined, or even consistent from one place on the Vineyard to another. Yet it is exactly what the voters of Dukes County and the Massachusetts legislature sought to protect nearly forty years ago when they created the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and charged it with finding a…
Washashore Chronicles: Thanksgiving Is Here, Family Is All In
They came from all over the mainland and descended on us. What made this a first was that the Island was the setting. Over 30 years of Thanksgivings, including 25 with a house we had in Menemsha, family members had never joined us to celebrate here. This time, 10 of them decided to come —…
Moving Toward Shore, Paddling Together
For my wife Cathlin’s last day of radiation treatment for breast cancer, the kids and I head into Boston to be with her. Eirene, aka Pickle (age four), decides to dress as the hobbit Frodo Baggins. Her costume includes a pair of blue jeans, a white mesh shirt she says is the elven material mithrail,…
Amidst the Clutter, Never Losing Sight of What Really Matters
In the home of my childhood we had no scissors, no flashlight and no scotch tape. Well, that’s not exactly true. We had them all but when they were needed we had no idea where they were. Everyone has one of the drawers that has three thumbtacks, two double A batteries rolling loose, a refrigerator…
Season of Early Sunsets Shines Brightly
With a gust of wind, November blows the last of the oak leaves from the branches and the clear November light pours down from the emptied gulf of sky above. Now begins the other autumn, the autumn of spare and austere beauty, the half of the season that follows the glorious autumn of September and…
For All
For all we have Not all we think we need For all the mountains Broad valleys, deepest seas For all our dreams Our hopes The friendships that we gain For all our loss Our heartache All our pain For all the love That blesses us with peace We pray for strength Sustain us as we…
Women’s Issues
I was extremely impressed with Elaine Weintraub’s results from her high school classes voting during our last election. The young women’s concerns and interests were so different from those of her young male students! It brought to mind my own experience in the 1980s while taking courses in Denmark. Apparently in Scandinavia, women must be…
Losing a Wager
A week ago I made a wager and lost. I bet an acquaintance that Mitt Romney would win the election. It reminded me of a story I read a long time ago. A woman, waiting in the hallway, approached Benjamin Franklin as he emerged from a meeting of the cabinet. She inquired, “Well, what do…
Lucy’s New Look
After visiting my wife’s childhood home at Rockaway Beach last week in Queens, and seeing how devastated that seaside community was, I was grateful we were spared Sandy’s full fury here on the Island. Of course, there was some damage and major erosion. But I see a silver lining here. All my summer buddies have…
Roundabout Preview
A message to the 75 per cent who voted against the roundabout and others of this community. The construction you see happening at this writing is not part of the roundabout. It is only a pump installation by the Oak Bluffs water department. This is a minor construction preview of what we can expect for…
Outpouring for Pat
Thank you, Islanders and visitors alike, who shared both time and inclination to honor Pat Sayre at Saturday’s Grace Church Memorial Service, filling our memories as well as the place of worship to overflowing.
Bogged Down
From the Vineyard Gazette editions of Nov. 1971: Until killing frosts ravage the scarlet cranberries in Manuel S. Duarte’s six-acre bog at Cranberry Acres off Lambert’s Cove Road, there is profuse picking for industrious jelly and sauce makers. The public has been invited to help themselves.
YMCA Offers Cure for Too Much Turkey
Today, Nov. 23, the YMCA is celebrating its third Annual Turkey Burner Day. Instead of standing in lines all day at Black Friday stores and seeing nothing but the weight of your wallet drop, you can go to the Y for a free workout. The Y will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.…
Shotgun Shoot
Are you ready for shotgun season? Prove your mettle with the metal at the Rod and Gun Club’s annual Shotgun Shot, a marksmanship competition that takes place Sunday, Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., one day before the beginning of shotgun deer hunting season. Participants are invited to compete in a variety of…
Chappy Town Column: Nov. 23
What I like best about Thanksgiving week, other than sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, is that the radio stations start playing holiday music. You may think that I’m being sarcastic but I’m not. I’ve been listening to Christmas music all of my life and hearing it again transports me right back to my childhood.…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Nov. 23
Oak Bluffs was still called Ogkeshkuppe by the original people in the fall of 1621 when King Massasoit and 90 of his Wampanoag men sat down to share a meal in Plymouth with 53 survivors of the 102 passengers of the Mayflower to celebrate harvest, the origin of Thanksgiving. The three-day affair’s meals included ducks…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Nov. 23
I hope you are all well-fed and rested from yesterday. This is my annual Black Friday wish list for holiday giving. Now, I know this has been a very bad economic year for us. If you can, consider sending a check or donating your time to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, Women Empowered, Hospice…
Vineyard Captures Island Cup in Final Seconds of Game
Martha's Vineyard needed a touchdown. Twenty-six seconds left on the clock. Archrival Nantucket up 26-21. First and goal, seven yards to reach the promised land of the Nantucket end zone. Vineyard quarterback Alec Tattersall walked toward the stands of Dan McCarthy Memorial Field, raising his arms over his head — get on your feet, Vineyard,…
West Tisbury Town Column: Nov. 23
Holiday activity is humming at a fever pitch around town. Folks gathered for Thanksgiving, coming from near and far to be with family and friends. The Steamship Authority and Cape Air were busy transporting people to and from the Island. Most of us are still recovering after a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner shared with family and…
Chilmark Town Column: Nov. 23
Chilmark is ready for the party! Happy Thanksgiving to all, and cheers for the whole weekend of family and fun. Seems like the sun will be shining and the boats running — that is always part of the cheer of Island holidays. Remember that the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society will offer their annual concert…
Aquinnah Town Column: Nov. 23
Thank you to Dr. Pieter Pil for his medical care over the past week. I will get the results on my visit next week but the preliminaries sound great and I am confident the end results will be the same. And thank you to nurses Mary Ellen Smith and Donna Beckman who were by my…
Welcome Penelope
Meg and Dan Athearn announce the birth of a daughter, Penelope Louise Athearn, born on Nov. 12, 2012 at 25 Homeward Way in Chilmark at a planned home birth. Penelope weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces at birth, and is welcomed by her Island friends and family, and most of all by her parents and siblings,…
Part-Time Police Officer Training
The Martha’s Vineyard Police Chiefs Association hopes to offer on-Island training for part-time police officers beginning this winter, Aquinnah police chief Randhi Belain said this week.
Driver in Fatal Crash Charged with Vehicular Homicide
One of the drivers involved in a fatal Fourth of July car crash is being charged with motor vehicle homicide. Thomas C. Jones, 53, is scheduled to be arraigned at the Edgartown courthouse Friday, Nov. 30 on two counts of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and one count of negligent operation of a motor…
Edgartown, Chilmark Lead Scallop Haul
Despite stormy weather, the bay scallop season is under way and doing well, local officials and fishmongers report. But while fish markets are moving product, the weather hasn’t helped get either fishermen or consumers to the store. “We’ve got plenty,” said TJ Giegler at Edgartown Seafood, on Cooke and Main streets. The retail price on…
Dressing Up Ocean Park for Christmas is a Labor of Love
The wind blows hard as Mark Crossland and his crew assemble the last of 18 Christmas trees in Ocean Park. Mr. Crossland and Alisson Brasil tie a rope in a knot at the end of a pole, mount the pole in the ground, cable the rope down, and start wrapping Christmas lights around the six-foot…
Doodler to Comic Book Creator, Artist Stays True to His Form
For Daniel Cooney, it began with Superperson. After spending his childhood doodling dinosaurs and imaginary creatures, Mr. Cooney took his first steps towards what would be his eventual career with the 120-issue comic featuring the “stick figure Superman.” He worked on the series from sixth grade right up through high school, penciling his friends and…
Fibershed Demonstration
The Martha’s Vineyard Fibershed is holding a demonstration and sale at Native Earth Teaching Farm on Saturday, Nov. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Fibershed project encourages one to think about local clothing similar to local food. There will be locally-made gifts for sale, and also demonstrations and mini-lessons in spinning, knitting, weaving…
Last Show at Kara Taylor Gallery
On Saturday, Nov. 24, Kara Taylor is holding an opening for her latest exhibit entitled Poetry in Paint, Reflections on Freedom and Confinement. This will be the last reception Ms. Taylor holds at her gallery located at 19 Main street in Vineyard Haven. After seven years at this space she is moving on. She is…
Artisans Festival Marks 16th Year
The 16th Annual Thanksgiving Day artisans festival takes place on Nov. 23 and 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury.The festival is the largest holiday art show by Islanders, featuring hand-made sweaters, hand-made soaps, leather crafts, wood butcher block cutting boards, jewelry, art, the list is…
Small Treasures Exhibit
The Louisa Gould Gallery is hosting its annual Affordable Small Treasures Show. The exhibit and sale began last Saturday, Nov. 17, and continues through Dec. 31. Tonight, Nov. 23, there is an artists’ reception from 4 to 6 p.m. The artists include Doug Kent, Katie Prisco, Donna Blackburn, Vitrix, Maya Farber, John Holladay, Louisa Gould,…
Semi-Pro Hockey Comes to Ice Arena
Hockey fans can find temporarily relief from the NHL lockout this weekend as the Cape Cod Bluefins visit the Martha’s Vineyard Arena to host the Danville Dashers on Saturday night, Nov. 24. The puck drops at 6 p.m. The Bluefins, who play in the single-A Federal Hockey League, last played at the arena in February.…
Documentary Film
On Saturday, Nov. 24, beginning at 4 p.m. the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center (located at the Tisbury Marketplace) is hosting a benefit screening of The Harvest. The event is to help Media Voices for Children, an Island non-profit organization that works to raise awareness of the needs of poor children in the U.S and around…
Meditation
Meditation is Medicine with Wendy Chabot, M.D., begins again at The Yoga Barn on Nov. 27 and continues each Wednesday afterwards from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Zambezi Project
Once again the Zambezi Project/AACDP holiday sales will be conducted in two locations. The pop-up shop to benefit Zambian disabled children and their families takes place at the home of Marsha Winsryg at 20 Road to Great Neck, West Tisbury (follow signs from New Lane) and in Edgartown across from the Wharf Pub. Items for…
Scholastic Book Fair
From Nov. 26 through Nov. 29 the Tisbury School Library is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair. Books will be available for all ages including adults. The Tisbury School Library will use the funds raised at the book fair to purchase print, audio, and video resources to support the library, curriculum frameworks and reading interests of…
Polly Hill Walk Through Imagination
The Polly Hill Arboretum is hosting A Walk Through Imagination, a project by potter Bill O’Callahan and puppeteer Robin Tuck. The tour leads one through the landscape at the Arboretum, now transformed into The Mysterious Forest of Dreams through puppets and sculptures which help tell the tale of Taggot’s quest to learn about the challenges…
Seeing Red
Now I know better. Throughout my childhood, I only recognized cranberries as that deep red gelatinous blob that came out of a can on Thanksgiving Day.
Caved In
Allan Keith and I have birded together or with other Vineyard birders for 50 years. Allan and I made a deal years ago that we would not talk politics and that has sort of worked. We do talk a good deal about birds, what we used to see in certain areas of the Vineyard, how…
To Bed
By the time this is printed, we will be at the beginning of turkey leftovers. I do not mind leftovers, in fact, I’m down right fond of them. The only problem is I’m not crazy about them for many days in a row. It has long been my habit to make too much food. I…
Planets in the Morning
Three planets are in the southeastern sky before sunrise, although only for a short time. The planets are Venus, Saturn and Mercury. Mercury is the errant planet and will only be visible for the next week, possibly a little longer, before it drops back into the glare of the sun. Most people can pick out…
Chilmark Scallopers Husband Resources
Bay scallopers in Chilmark are being asked to concentrate on Nashaquitsa Pond until early next month in order to make the most efficient use of a healthy crop of scallops this year. The Chilmark selectmen voted Tuesday to close Menemsha Pond to scalloping from Nov. 21 through Dec. 3, and increase the daily limit in…
Tisbury Police Officer Injured in Cruiser Crash
A Tisbury police officer sustained minor injuries Tuesday night after the police cruiser she was driving crashed into a tree on State Road.
According to state police Sgt. Thomas Medeiros, police officer Kelly Kershaw was taken to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and later released after the police cruiser crashed a little after 7 p.m. Tuesday night…
141 Waldrons Bottom Road, West Tisbury
141 Waldrons Bottom Road in West Tisbury sold for $975,000 for Nov. 9.
470 Franklin Street, Vineyard Haven
470 Franklin Street sold for $430,000 on Nov. 9.
