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
December 7, 2012
Edgartown Sees Tax Uptick
Tax bills are set to go up slightly in Edgartown, as the selectmen Monday approved an estimated tax rate of $3.55 per thousand dollars of property valuation, a 12 cent increase from last year’s rate. Principal assessor Jo-Ann Resendes said the average single-family home value in Edgartown decreased by about $15,000, going from $1,131,700 to…
WMVY Radio Investigates Alternatives to Stay On-Air
More than a week after radio station WMVY sold its signal to a Boston public radio station, Friends of MVY was busy fundraising to keep the station going as a nonprofit, as it continued to look into acquiring a new FM signal. One potential signal could come from a newly-licensed Island-based startup owned by Dennis…
MVC Drops Proposal to Review Developments Based on Community Character
Facing criticism from town officials and members of the building community, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission decided last Thursday to remove a controversial “community character” clause from its checklist for developments of regional impact.
MVC: Island Gatekeeper or Tool for Towns? Both, Says Executive Director
Thursday night meetings in the Olde Stone Building in Oak Bluffs have been well attended in recent weeks, perhaps a little reminiscent of 10 or 20 years ago when the Martha’s Vineyard Commission was reviewing development plans at a steady clip. But the crowds this time around, mainly made up of town officials and members…
Southern Sailboat Migration is Rite of Fall
When Scott DiBiaso and his crew sailed the 65-foot schooner Juno out of Vineyard Haven harbor on Wednesday, Nov. 14, they had a single reef on the mainsail along with a fore staysail. Even with a conservative amount of sail exposed to the cold wind, the 25 knots of northeast breeze pushed the vessel from…
Annual Christmas in Edgartown Plays Host to Holiday Traditions
Along the streets of Edgartown, garlands twist up the lamp posts, lights string along shrubs and wreaths hang on the stores’ front doors. For 31 years the town has celebrated Christmas with a Main street parade, and come Saturday morning, the sleigh bells will be ringing and the children singing as Santa makes his way…
Moving Through the Stars
On Tuesday morning a thin crescent moon appears low in the southeastern sky before sunrise near the bright planet Saturn. Saturn, the ringed planet, resides in the zodiacal constellation Virgo, where it has been for more than two years. It usually takes Saturn two years to move from one zodiacal constellation into the next. The…
Pond Futures
Thanks to the years-long work of the Massachusetts Estuaries Study, a clear picture has begun to emerge of the biological profile of the Vineyard’s saltwater ponds and embayments. And the picture is far from pretty: left unchecked, nitrogen overload threatens to upset and eventually ruin the fragile ecosystems in many Island ponds. Estuaries study reports…
Through the Dark Lightly
The sun began setting at 4:11 p.m. on Dec. 2 and will continue to say good night, locked down at this same time, until next Friday. On Saturday, Dec. 15, bedtime for daylight nudges forward to 4:12 p.m. Not a major shift, and yet for many a reason to celebrate. The days are getting longer,…
Before Ice-Over
At dusk, one by one, hundreds of gulls fall out of the leaden sky onto the lake, already beginning to close its lid for winter. We call them by their names, recognize bill color, molt, age, species — see everything but living beings — finding their spots for the night, calling out to kin, to…
Help Keep the Dead Air at Bay at MVY
I was worried. What had I gotten myself into? I was moving to Martha’s Vineyard to become a deejay on WMVY. I knew about WMVY. I knew its prestigious standing within the radio world. I knew that joining their staff would be a big professional leap for me. But something I heard on the air…
Washashore Chronicles: Sing, Choir of Neighbors, Sing in Exultation
A few weeks ago I was making coffee when I heard what sounded like a stunned owl hoo-ing for help. Sounded as if he might be trapped behind a storm door or in a room on the other side of the house. As I got closer to a closed door, I realized the sound was…
Protecting the Island Requires Planning
The following was submitted as testimony for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission public hearing on its development of regional impact checklist.
The Vineyard Conservation Society is an advocacy organization. Our focus is on environmental, land use, and growth and development issues on this Island. We have over 1,000 seasonal and year-round members, and we have…
Inhaling the Spirit of Cuba Is Beautiful and Complex Journey
A year ago I was in Cuba. I have been reminded of my visit by a picture a fellow traveler has just sent showing me readying to puff a Cuban cigar. One puff was enough for me, but I defied U.S. Customs officials and buried another in the depths of my suitcase to bring into…
Pond Health Requires Collaboration
I appreciate the response from Camron Adibi. Yes, let’s all keep thinking and talking about this issue, so vital to our economy and our health. Together we need to truly examine and compare all the many options that are available for solving this horrendous problem. And for those with their own on-site Title 5 septic…
Red Kettles Critically Needed
Some of you may be aware of a longstanding concern that The Salvation Army practices employment discrimination against gays and lesbians and that campaigns have been launched to boycott the holiday red kettles in response. Recently this debate has surfaced in Island social media networks and we are writing to share our understanding of the…
Sale of WMVY Fallout
As co-chairmen of the Red Stocking Fund of Martha’s Vineyard, we are distressed to learn of the recent sale of WMVY. Greg Orcutt and the entire staff at WMVY have been stalwart supporters of Red Stocking’s efforts to provide food and clothing to Vineyard children and their families. For over a decade, the radio station…
Mystery Crash Landing
Upon returning to our home on Aero avenue this past Tuesday, I was startled to see that a small, single-engine plane had crashed on our front lawn. It was white with a five-foot wing span and no military or commercial markings. We have no idea where it came from.
Memo to Vandals
To the person who vandalized the information station at the Caroline Tuthill Preserve: What kind of person are you? The conservation groups work hard to raise money to preserve our Island’s beauty. Don’t you appreciate that?
Future Scrutiny
The following letter was sent to the Chilmark board of health for its Dec. 5 meeting on the Zoia development project: I am sorry I cannot attend the board of health meeting today but I underwent knee replacement surgery last week and am confined to home and still in significant pain. In addition to the…
Kudos to Vineyard Vines
On behalf of both the Tisbury and the Edgartown School eighth grade classes I would like to thank Vineyard Vines of Edgartown for hosting their Shop for a Cause events. On two separate days Vineyard Vines offered shoppers a discount, while giving a portion of their sales to each eighth grade class, respectively. Vineyard Vines…
Community Tree Lighting
There is no better feeling than “community” and nowhere is it more alive and real than at the Oak Bluffs tree lighting. This small event comes together because so many people make it happen.
Holiday Haven
From the Vineyard Gazette edition of Dec. 1954: And now comes Christmas! Heralded by the stringing of colored lights and standards along the village streets, the dressing of the store windows, and the appearance of the bundles of Christmas trees outside of the grocery stores, the “gladdest season of the year” is at hand.
Low-Income Fuel Assistance Application Available
South Shore Community Action Council Inc. is accepting applications for fuel assistance, a program that helps with fuel deliveries and utility shutoffs. Anyone who did not receive an application in the mail and feels they may qualify is encouraged to apply.
Aquinnah Scallop Season Opens, Tax Rate Proposed
The Aquinnah selectmen approved the start of the commercial bay scallop season, appointed members to the new Gay Head Lighthouse committee and set next year’s tax rate at their meeting Tuesday. Commercial scalloping begins in Menemsha Pond in Aquinnah Dec. 10; the daily limit is two level bushels. Shellfish constable Brian (Chip) Vanderhoop said there…
Sepiessa Affordable Housing Expansion Approved
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission has approved a plan to expand the Sepiessa Affordable Housing development in West Tisbury. The application from the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority and the Island Housing Trust will add three affordable housing units with six bedrooms to the housing development on Clam Point Road. Right now, the housing complex consists…
Tisbury School Expansion Comes Due
Architects presented five design options for renovation and expansion of the Tisbury School this week, ranging from $43 million to $45 million.
Boch Home Helicopter Landing Is Denied by Zoning Board
The Edgartown zoning board of appeals Wednesday upheld a cease and desist order prohibiting helicopter landing at the Boch home in Katama. While an attorney for Barbara Boch cited Massachusetts law that allows Mrs. Boch, the widow of car dealership owner Ernie Boch, to land a helicopter on her property, the board cited neighbor concerns…
Land Bank Revenues: Nov. 30
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $125,430 for the business week ending on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Town Tries New Tack to Sell Warren House
The Edgartown selectmen are ready for Take Two in trying to find a buyer for the Warren House. The town purchased the circa-1690 North Water street house for $3.5 million in 2004, with the idea of expanding the Edgartown Public Library, located next door. But this proved unfeasible, and the mansion, now in disrepair, was…
Tax Rate Set In West Tisbury; Sale of Farm Lot Discussed
West Tisbury selectmen this week approved a new tax rate and discussed whether to intervene in the sale of a prime lot at an old farm. At a public hearing Wednesday the board voted to approve a single tax rate of $5.26 per $1,000 valuation. The rate is an increase of 0.34 over the fiscal…
Top Gun Keeps Crown for Second Year
For the second year in a row, Richard Carlson of Oak Bluffs has been named Top Gun at the Rod and Gun Club’s annual Fall Shoot, held Sunday, Nov. 25. Past winner Cooper Gilkes III earned second place; Michael Ferry captured third. Participants were ranked based on their participation in three categories of competition. Prizes…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Dec. 7
The Dec. 5, 1862 Vineyard Gazette issue included the humorous homily: “‘You had better ask for manners than money,’ said a finely dressed gentleman to a beggar boy who had asked for alms. ‘I asked for what I thought you had the most of,’ was the boys reply.”
Chappy Town Column: Dec. 7
This past Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., there was not a single car parked in the tar lot at the ferry on the Chappaquiddick side — a sign of how quiet the island has grown as we head into the darkest stretch of the year. Although the days keep getting shorter until Dec. 21, the…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Dec. 7
Short days, short season, short column. Welcome back to M.V. Tile Company! They have relocated to our town, where they started 17 years ago in a 300-square-foot space behind Rainy Day. Find them now at 123 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, just next to Vineyard Scripts. This is a gallery-like shop. They say they are thrilled…
Tile Company Relocates
Martha’s Vineyard Tile Company has relocated to 123 Beach Road in Vineyard Haven, next to Vineyard Scripts. The new showroom is set up much like an art gallery, with more than 2,300 square feet of showroom space all on one floor that features more than 500 lines of tile and stone from around the globe.…
West Tisbury Town Column: Dec. 7
Well, the weather record is now complete for November and for the first time in over a year it was a colder-than-average month. The month seemed to fly by and we are approaching our shortest day of the year. December was off to a warm start with T-shirts the preferred clothing on Sunday, Monday and…
Chilmark Town Column: Dec. 7
Chilmark is a busy place and most of the activity has nothing to do with seasonal holidays. Many of our friends and neighbors are hard at work on committees and commissions that are meeting nightly at the town hall to deal with town business. This is the month when the deadlines for real estate taxes,…
Aquinnah Town Column: Dec. 7
We have enjoyed warmer weather this week with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Rhododendrons appear ready to bloom. Many new families have moved to Aquinnah for the winter, making it perhaps a sought-after winter paradise. We have no idea what the weather will be but many of us are hoping it will be a…
Reaching Across the Ocean to Lend a Hand
In 1999 Marsha Winsryg traveled to Africa with her two daughters. In Victoria Falls in Zambia they passed through the Mukuni village, which had a bustling craft market.“The people are all wood carvers and famous for it,” said Ms. Winsryg. “It’s all they do, but nobody makes a living from it. They just can’t sell…
To Farm This Crop, Island Couple Must Subtract, Not Add Water
The newest crop at Down Island Farm in Tisbury wasn’t planted. It doesn’t need pruning or watering, and it’s not susceptible to disease or pests. But as with any crop, it needs a little help from the sun. Actually, a lot of help from the sun as sunlight does the hard part, baking the small…
Art Exhibit Is Decidedly Deciduous
That’s just part of what artist Peter Eaton Gurnz, of Edgartown and Los Angeles, wants people to think about when they view his new exhibition, “Five Leaves Left,” in Miami at the annual Art Basel art fair, which opened Thursday and runs through the weekend.
Son Plays Tribute to Playwright Father
On March 19, 2011 Jonathan Lipsky, a noted Island playwright and professor, died at the age of 66 from a rare form of cancer. Mr. Lipsky was known for his plays, his skills as a teacher and his books and ideas on how to use dreams to further creativity. Before he died, Mr. Lipsky was…
Seaworthy Stories for the Season
With the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the northeaster that followed still readily visible, it seemed like I should include some books that spoke of severe weather to my annual list of the best nautical books. A must-read hurricane piece is The Eye of Edna by E. B. White. This essay is included in his…
Giving Gift of Reading
Reading is good for you and good for others, too, this winter, as the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters to help provide books to Island kids. Little brothers and sisters in the mentoring program have created wish lists of book titles at the store and everyone is invited…
Digging the Library
It may be a year or more away, but anticipation is already building for the new version of the West Tisbury Library. On Wednesday, Dec. 12 at noon there will be a groundbreaking ceremony at the building site. At 3:30 there will be a children’s groundbreaking ceremony. Both events will include food and live music,…
Holiday Screening
As part of Christmas in Edgartown, the Island Theatre Workshop will be showing How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman at the Whaling Church. Note, this is not a live performance but a screening of the actual television classics.The show takes place on Sunday, Dec. 9, beginning at…
Edgartown School Announces Honor Roll
The Edgartown School has announced its honor roll for the first quarter of the 2012-2013 academic year. Eighth grade high honors go to Mary Morano and Josh Tate Da Silva.
Honor Society Award
Justine Tucker of West Tisbury has been inducted into Ithaca College’s Oracle Honor Society. First-year students who maintain a grade point average that puts them in the top 10 per cent of their school throughout their first full academic year are invited into the society. Ms. Tucker is majoring in English in the college’s school…
Dean’s List
Oliver Filley, Margaret Hibbard and Taylor Stone of Edgartown, and Alexander Dimovich and Janelle Fortes of Vineyard Haven have been named to the dean’s list at the Savannah College of Art and Design for the Fall 2012 quarter. Students must achieve a grade point average of 3.5 in order to receive the recognition.
Honor Society Award
Vincent DeGregorio of Vineyard Haven has been inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society at Salem State University. Mr. Vincent is one of 216 students at the school to receive the honor.
Be Here Now, One Stitch at a Time
Ronni Simon sits in the gallery she shares with her photographer husband, Peter, at 54 Main street in Vineyard Haven, and knits. She knits quite a lot. “It’s such an easy way to express your creativity,” she says. She also practices more challenging ways: the jewelry she fashions from sterling silver, gold, pearls and semi-precious…
Twelve Days of Tisbury
The town of Tisbury is getting set for their own Twelve Days of Christmas celebration. The events begin on Wednesday, Dec. 12, and continue each day through Dec. 23. The events are as follows:
Church Greens Faire
The West Tisbury elves are throwing their annual Christmas Greens Faire this Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the West Tisbury Congregational Church. The elves are actually the ladies of the church who for weeks beforehand forage in the fields for the freshest greens to make wreaths, centerpieces, boxwood kissing balls…
112 William Street, Vineyard Haven
112 William Street in Vineyard Haven sold for $1,359,000 on Nov. 28.
Please Adopt Us
With Christmas just a few short weeks away, the shelter is happy to let you know that adoptions have picked up and all the young kittens have found their forever homes — just in time to bring joy to some happy families. The two tuxedo brothers have gone to the same home where they will…
Announcing Wynter
Jordan Rebello and John Thomson of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Wynter Poppy Lane Thomson, born on Dec. 2, 2012 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Wynter weighed 6 pounds, 13.6 ounces at birth.
Welcome Jena
Elisabeth and James Cleary of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Jena Isabella Cleary, born on Nov. 28 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Jena weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces at birth.
Hello, Hugo
Shelyah and Brock Callen of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Hugo James Callen, born on Nov. 29 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Hugo weighed 9 pounds, .16 ounces at birth.
Mary Arrives
Jane and Humberto McGroarty Sampaio of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Mary Grace McGroarty Sampaio, born on Nov. 30 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Mary weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces at birth.
Welcome Emmett
Welcome Emmett Jessica Donnelly and Josiah Sylva of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Emmett Ryder Sylva, born on Dec. 3, 2012 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Emmett weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces at birth and joins big brother Cai and big sister Josey.
Om of Motion Winter Training Program
A little over a year and a half ago, Om of Motion opened its doors on State Road in West Tisbury. The premise was a spinning class that brought a meditative aspect to a normally inert form of exercise. What could be a grind — pedaling in one place while staring at a wall or…
Caterpillar Conundrum
Sue Silva has a lifetime of experience with bugs. In some ways, she is a bug whisperer, as insects seem to flock to her side and her greenhouse, and she is often sharing with me the more interesting and unique ones that cross her path.
Humdinger
This has been an especially exciting fall for birders, both regionally and on the Vineyard. Since the last Bird News, the bird of the week, year and possibly the decade showed up at the always-birdy home of Penny Uhlendorf and Scott Stephens, off of Lambert’s Cove Road. Recognizing their visitor as a hummingbird, and not…
Black Powder Shoot Celebrates the Old Ways
As one hunting season goes out with a bang, another begins. The Martha’s Vineyard Rod & Gun Club will host its 13th annual Black Powder Shoot on Sunday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., one day before primitive firearm deer season opens on the Island. The muzzle-loading marksmanship competition gives Island black powder…
Rew the Day
I love a typographical error in the columns. Oftentimes it gives me some ideas for the following week. Last Friday’s paper misread my hometown of Rew, Penn. as Rue. It is easy to misread my handwriting. That’s right! I still put pen to paper, and my editor is kind enough to enter it into the…
79 Beach Road #C11, Vineyard Haven
79 Beach Road #C11 sold for $280,000 on Nov. 27.
20 Deacon Vincent Way, Edgartown
20 Deacon Vincent Way in Edgartown sold for $733,500 on Nov. 30.
90 Herring Creek Road, Edgartown
90 Herring Creek Road in Edgartown sold for $1,900,000 on Nov. 30.
29 Flamingo Drive, Edgartown
29 Flamingo Drive in Edgartown sold for $899,000 on Nov. 27.
Sports Illustrated Recognizes Vineyard Quarterback
Regional high school senior Alec Tattersall is one of six amateur athletes featured in the Dec. 10 issue of Sports Illustrated in the magazine’s popular Faces in the Crowd column. Tattersall is the first currently-enrolled Vineyard student to appear in the column. Field hockey alumna Liane Dixon appeared in Faces in the Crowd as a…
Fixed Costs, Salaries Drive High School Budget Increase
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School district committee voted this week to certify a $17.6 million budget for the coming fiscal year, an increase of $732,927 or 4.3 per cent. “Much of the budget is driven by things we cannot control,” high school principal Stephen Nixon said during a public presentation of the budget last…
Full House at the Ritz for Jesse Sylvia
Poker star Jesse Sylvia joined friends and family on Monday night for a hometown celebration at the Ritz Cafe in Oak Bluffs. In late October Mr. Sylvia won second place in the World Series of Poker Main Event, earning $5.29 million. Biggie Shorty provided the tunes and a crew of two camera men followed Mr.…
Coast Guard Enlists Newest Recruit, Buddy the Dog
Beneath a billowing American flag and light breeze off the harbor, Buddy sat in salute at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Menemsha early Monday morning, chest proudly puffed, ready for his next treat. The three-year-old golden retriever was sworn in as a seaman recruit by Senior Chief Jason Olsen at a special enlistment ceremony. With…
Living History, Honoring Its Teacher in the Present
Meverell Good thought he was coming to the high school for a small delivery.Earlier in the week his wife, Anne Good, suggested they visit the school to give secretary Inez Montanile a gardening book.
