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
December 28, 2012
60 Pepperbush Way, West Tisbury
60 Pepperbush Way in West Tisbury sold for $1,055,000 on Dec. 21.
28 Dolan Avenue, Vineyard Haven
28 Dolan Avenue (formerly 24 Dolan Avenue) in Vineyard Haven sold for $357,500 on Dec. 18.
58 Pine Tree Road, Vineyard Haven
58 Pine Tree Road in Vineyard Haven sold for $401,000 on Dec. 17.
196 Spring Hill Road, Vineyard Haven
196 Spring Hill Road in Vineyard Haven sold for $540,000 on Dec. 17.
49 Prospect Avenue, Oak Bluffs
49 Prospect Avenue in Oak Bluffs sold for $150,000 on Dec. 21.
49 Springfield Avenue, Oak Bluffs
49 Springfield Avenue in Oak Bluffs sold for $480,000 on Dec. 17.
20 Nunpaug Street, Oak Bluffs
20 Nunpaug Street in Oak Bluffs sold for $450,000 on Dec. 17.
100 Edgartown Bay Road, Edgartown
100 Edgartown Bay Road in Edgartown sold for $1,050,000 on Dec. 21.
52 North Neck Road, Edgartown
52 North Neck Road in Edgartown sold for $1,100,000 on Dec. 19.
80 Schoolhouse Road, Edgartown
80 Schoolhouse Road in Edgartown sold for $625,000 on Dec. 19.
493 Katama Road #E2, Edgartown
493 Katama Road #E2 in Edgartown sold for $584,000 on Dec. 21.
35 Dunham Road, Edgartown
35 Dunham Road in Edgartown sold for $12,600,000 on Dec. 21.
18 Trustees Lane, Chilmark
18 Trustees Lane in Chilmark sold for $905,000 on Dec. 21.
9 Hotchkiss Lane, Edgartown
9 Hotchkiss Lane in Edgartown sold for $1,800,000 on Dec. 21.
Pohogonot Road lot, Edgartown
Pohogonot Road lot in Edgartown sold for $5,050,000 on Dec. 19.
21 Tilton Road, Chilmark
21 Tilton Road in Chilmark sold for $3,700,000 on Dec. 21.
108 Hammett Road, Chilmark
108 Hammett Road in Chilmark sold for $2,350,000 on Dec. 21.
28-B Howell Lane beach lot, Chilmark
28-B Howell Lane beach lot in Chilmark sold for $352,800 on Dec. 20.
14 Yardarm Lane, Chilmark
14 Yardarm Lane in Chilmark from Gale S. Pasternack and Sam Pasternack for $1,250,000 on Dec. 20.
Quansoo Beach lot 4, Chilmark
Quansoo Beach lot 4 in Chilmark sold for $310,000 on Dec. 20.
2012: Looking Back to Look Ahead
After the years following the recession that began in 2008, when the Vineyard as well as the nation remained mired in day-to-day survival, 2012 felt like a shift in a new direction. There was a slight uptick in economic optimism and a move toward planning for the future. Questions of character and big house debates…
22B Ocean View Farm Road, Chilmark
22B Ocean View Farm Road in Chilmark sold for $355,000 on Dec. 19.
Something to Talk About: The Weather
If you want to know how the year in weather was on the Vineyard, ask the farmers, who had plenty of warm sunshine during the day and just enough rain at night for their crops. Ask the swimmers, who were in their element in the warm ocean water all summer. Ask Island children, whose sleds…
97 Pasture Road, Chilmark
97 Pasture Road in Chilmark for $5,244,000 on Dec. 18.
20 Chappaquoit Avenue, Chilmark
20 Chappaquoit Avenue in Chilmark sold for $2,100,000 on Dec. 17.
97 William Street, Vineyard Haven
97 William Street in Vineyard Haven sold for $1,100,000 on Dec. 11.
Voters to Decide Next Step For Gay Head Light
Aquinnah voters will decide in February whether the town should begin steps to take ownership of the historic Gay Head Light. The town selectmen said at a meeting last week they would schedule a special town meeting for the first week of February. “We should have permission from the town to spend time on this,…
Land Bank Revenues: Dec. 21
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $1,009,098.24 for the business week ending on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Seasons Go Round and Round
Selected from nature writings published on the Gazette editorial page in 2012: No winter to speak of — at least so far — at least not what we have steeled ourselves for with the harsh weather conditions in the last few years.
Tales from Gosnold: On an Island No Man Is an Island
You probably want to know a little more about the hermit, Alfred. From the start I’ll tell you that it’s very hard for the islanders to talk about Alfred, although we all carry him on our conscience. On the day that Alfred died just about everyone on the island passed by his house and saw…
Charter School Field Trip to the Farm
An Illustration by Paul Karasik
While the Cat’s At Home the Mice Will Play
The mice were back. The other night I watched in peeved frustration as the scrabbling noise behind my tiny dorm-sized fridge grew louder until finally a little brown shape darted the three feet or so into the coat closet. There was another sound, more scrabbling, another dart. I counted three before I texted my friend.…
Fragile Wings Carry Important Message
Summer seems in the distant past as the New Year approaches, yet some of us are still thinking about the wildlife that frequents the Vineyard in the warm summer months. For the past two summers I wandered through the fields and forests of the Vineyard, planting the seeds for a study I would later conduct.…
Picture of Innocence
Thank you to the Vineyard Gazette for publishing the beautiful photo of Grace on the front page. As our children grow, we tend to forget the sweetness in the faces of the little children who are so filled with wonder and joy of the world around them.
Carving New Paths
’Tis the season to offer gratitude for the generosity of others. Those of us who have the privilege of working in Martha’s Vineyard Community Services New Paths Recovery Program want to give our thanks to Island businesses and community members who have been integral to the success of this program.
Gun Control at Home
In the aftermath of what is arguably the most horrific, emotionally impactful mass homicide in memory, nearly every commentator in both print and digital media has evoked the specter of the NRA. Its history of successful campaigns to deter, deflect and defeat every effort by governmental authorities throughout the United States, whether local, state or…
Second Amendment
This I believe: Whoever takes it upon himself individually to fire an armed weapon at any one or more persons is by definition violating the Constitution of the United States, specifically the Second Amendment, and should be punished by the proper authorities for doing so, for as the amendment states, he has not shown that…
Yard Sale Success
Thanks to Tucker Hubbell, Erik Lowe, Ernie Mendenhall, John Powers and Mark Mazer for making the West Tisbury yard sale a reality. They raised over $2,300 for the town of West Tisbury. Thank you!
Gull Swooping
The year 1977 will be remembered for its great winter freeze and as a time when the Vineyard tried and failed to secede from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There were large events during the past year and small, quiet ones. Millions of gallons of spilled oil from the wreckage of the Argo Merchant missed the…
Federal Tax Code Uncertainty Fuels Year-End Real Estate Rush
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank got an early Christmas present last week when weekly revenues spiked to just over $1 million due to a flurry of real estate transactions at year’s end. Total land bank revenues for the week ending Dec. 21 were $1.09 million. There were 117 total transactions for the week. The heavy…
New Year’s Eve on the Vineyard
The Vineyard may not have a ball to drop, but that doesn’t mean New Year’s Eve Island style doesn’t compare with standing cheek to jowl in the Times Square mosh pit. Far better, really, to dance 2012 right out of the picture and welcome what is to come with a sweaty, hell yeah. The Harbor…
Chappy Town Column: Dec. 28
With all of the major holidays behind us, we finally have a chance to catch our breath. I recommend naps for everyone. In my lines of work I never know when I will have to stay up all night. Both the ferry service and the fire department experience events that can cause me to miss…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Dec. 28
Less remains of Prospect House than many of the fabulous Cottage City hotels that beckoned middle class America to Martha’s Vineyard’s great seaside resort and watering place. The halo of Erastus Carpenter, the impresario of the Oak Bluffs Land & Wharf Company, was still glowing after building Cottage City, and other developers thought to strike…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Dec. 28
I have become accustomed to downward mobility, diminished dreams and disappointing occurrences. Therefore, my usual lengthy and optimistic New Year’s resolution list is shelved this year. My wants and needs are smaller. But this one hope for the new year is in your hands and you can make it happen for me. I want NO…
West Tisbury Town Column: Dec. 28
On Christmas morning folks in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts awoke to a blanket of fresh white snow. It was the first appreciable snow of the winter, but as the day wore on the temperature warmed up and the snow disappeared.
Chilmark Town Column: Dec. 28
Chilmark welcomed Santa on Tuesday last with rain and wind, however the festive holiday was little dampened by the weather and homes were lit and warmed with many family reunions and celebrations. As I write, the sun is shining brightly promising, I hope, a cheery new year in the offing. At least, now is the…
Aquinnah Town Column: Dec. 28
The Aquinnah holiday party was a very community-spirited event from the youngest Nanawusuwee at six weeks up to the eldest. We will not have to mention any names as there were a few of us tied for that category. Thank you to Nonie Madison for organizing the event with the assistance of some of her…
Photography Contest
The deadline for the Martha’s Vineyard Magazine’s photography contest is Dec. 31. Everyone is invited to enter the competition; the only rules are that the photograph was shot on or around the Island, be the original work of the person submitting the entry and not have been digitally altered (minor color correcting is acceptable). Photos…
Tisbury Award
On Tuesday, Dec. 18, Tisbury School eighth-grader Amanda Bernard was presented with the Tisbury Business Association’s Twelve Days of Tisbury Season of Giving and Sharing Award. The award was given in recognition of Amanda’s dedication to community service. Jane Chandler, Beach House manager and leader of the Tisbury Business Association’s Christmas activities, presented the award…
Bridging Gaps One Jabuticaba at a Time
Cord Bailey stood in the doorway of the regional high school culinary arts dining room, aviator shades on, arms crossed. Tantalizing smells of chicken and bacon floated into the hallway. Inside the dining room the annual Brazilian American Friends lunch was taking place. Only 42 lucky students were granted access.
New Year’s Eve Benefit Run
On New Year’s Day there will be a 5K run/walk to benefit the family of Jim Moore who is battling cancer. The run begins at 11 a.m. at Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company in Oak Bluffs. The cost is $20 in advance or $25 day of race and $5 for children under 12. For information, call…
Ring in the Moonlight
When the stars come out on New Year’s Eve, you can expect the gibbous moon to rise in the east at 8 p.m. The moon will dominate the sky for the rest of the night. It is in the zodiacal constellation Leo, near the bright star Regulus. For those who are up and outside at…
Please Adopt Us
The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard would like to wish everyone a very happy, safe and healthy new year. The shelter has three adult cats and two young kittens who need homes. The cats are Rex, an old lady and shelter long-timer who is a black and white tuxedo; Brody, an old gentleman tabby who…
Wreath Relief
I seem to go round and round on this. My conundrum, like its source, is never-ending. I love wreaths. Certainly they are very natural, very creative, and very beautiful. However, for me, the wreaths we see decorating homes and businesses have an interest apart from any religious significance that might be attached to them. The…
SSA Governor H. Flint Ranney Was Friendly Island Advocate
Nantucket Steamship authority governor H. Flint Ranney died Dec. 21 at home surrounded by his family following a brief illness. He was 77.
Big City to Small Town Is Good Story
Years ago, when Lisa Sherman took a part-time summer job at the Edgartown Library shelving books, she did not anticipate how this short break from her harried New York city lifestyle would play a large part in her future. This past fall, more than a decade later, Ms. Sherman became the head librarian at the…
Christmas Bird Count
The Vineyard birders will be up at O’dark-hundred tomorrow for the annual Christmas Bird Count. Sunrise will be at 7:08 a.m. and we have to have eaten breakfast, organized our optics, bins (binoculars) and scope (spotting scope on tripod), made lunch to include all the Christmas cookies so we won’t eat them later, fill plenty…
Egg Sitting
This is the sixth Christmas column I have written and I must confess I do not have much for you. Here it is Christmas afternoon and I sit here hoping for some sort of inspiration. My family gets together on Christmas Eve. We eat a big meal, open gifts and attend church. This year we…
Almunae Hockey Game Rekindles Team Spirit
Some hadn’t played in years, since they had graduated from the regional high school. Others were still playing in college. But all were happy to be back on the ice of the Martha’s Vineyard Arena for the 14th Annual Ryan Mone Memorial alumni games Wednesday night. “I haven’t played since I graduated [in 2005],” alum…
Winter Sports Warmup, On Court and On Ice
High school winter sports teams took a brief holiday break before resuming play in a flurry of action. Three teams compete in tournaments over the weekend, with boys’ hockey traveling to New Hampshire and the basketball squads duking it out with Cape Cod teams in the Stripes Tournament. There are no home games this week.…
Announcing Cooper
Brooke and Derek Avakian of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Cooper Michael Avakian, born on Dec. 19 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Fallon Arrives
Kelly Canning and Jason McAleavey of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Fallon Aubrey McAleavey, born on Dec. 20 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
