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
February 1, 2013
Island Native Named Legislative Liason
State Rep. Timothy Madden, who represents the Cape and Islands, has appointed Kaylea Moore, an Island native and West Tisbury resident, as his new liaison to Martha’s Vineyard. Ms. Moore will replace Nell Coogan, who had held the position since Mr. Madden was elected in 2008. Ms. Coogan was recently appointed the director of Development…
Featured Home: Woodard
Offered by Tea Lane Associates Set on a hill with waterviews, this breezy and open custom home has three bedrooms, three and a half baths, separate family room and a large outdoor living deck off the great room and kitchen. This home has undergone major renovations recently including the kitchen and all bathrooms.
Fresh Fish and Fresh Perspective, Keeping the Light on Up-Island
For Menemsha Fish Market owner Stanley Larsen, the harbor is a natural wonderland. “I was watching a loon this morning eating a clam right off the dock,” Mr. Larsen said on Monday afternoon in Menemsha as a light snow began to fall. “I had to stop and watch it for a few minutes. It was…
WMVY Lives On Online, Will Leave Dial Next Week
Radio station WMVY, the popular Vineyard station that was endangered after its owners sold its FM signal, will live on through online streaming after having reached its fundraising goal last week. The station’s fundraising effort, which drew support from listeners around the world, was completed just in time: WMVY’s 92.7 FM call signal will be…
Tick Disease Similar to Lyme But Tests Don’t Detect It
A tick-borne disease so new it only has a scientific name has been identified in United States patients for the first time, including at least one person from Nantucket. Borrelia miyamotoi is a relative of Lyme disease with similar symptoms including fever, headache, muscle ache, and fatigue. Unlike Lyme disease, B. miyamotoi presents recurring fevers…
Scientists Use Thermal Imaging to Map Tick-Carrying Deer
In an attempt to quantify the Vineyard deer population, a Mount Holyoke College professor flew across the Island last Friday afternoon taking thousands of aerial infrared photographs for a tick-borne illness study. While a snowy, 20 degree day on Martha’s Vineyard may not be most visitors’ optimal conditions for a flight around the Island, professor…
Last Call for Seasons Restaurant
Seasons Eatery and Pub, the longtime Circuit avenue institution beloved by sports fans, locals and tourists alike, will close its doors on Sunday, Feb. 3, after 27 years.
In a conversation with the Gazette on Wednesday, Robert Murphy, co-owner of the building, confirmed the Oak Bluffs restaurant and bar would close after the Super Bowl…
Chappy Residents Press for Cable, Cell Phone Service
While debate continues about the placement of cell phone towers in other parts of the Island, Chappaquiddick residents continue to fight to bring cell phone and cable service to the small island off the coast of downtown Edgartown.
Town Meeting Ask Voters To Relocate Gay Head Light
Aquinnah voters will decide at a special town meeting on Tuesday whether the town should move forward with plans to take ownership of and relocate the historic Gay Head Light. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Aquinnah town hall. Voters will take up two separate warrants, beginning with a seven-article warrant that failed…
No Jail Time for Probation Violation
Despite previous warnings, an Oak Bluffs man will remain on probation after appearing in Superior Court Tuesday for allegedly violating his probation. In October, Daniel A. Ben David, 50, pleaded guilty in Superior Court to charges of unarmed robbery and larceny more than $250 for his part in a 2011 theft of $85,000 from an…
Land Bank Revenues: Jan. 25
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $113,190 for the business week ending on Friday, Jan. 25, 2012. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Pond Pearls
Consider the lowly oyster, a homely bivalve if ever there was one. It has always seemed unlikely as a culinary delicacy. But it turns out that flavor is only part of its charm. Shellfish constables in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs have proposed a relatively low cost plan to harness the oyster’s exceptional ability to remove…
Change of Seasons
A neighborhood place to get a drink, share some food, watch sports or just relax after a long week. This is the essence of a good pub, one that stands the test of time, or at least a number of decades. Seasons in Oak Bluffs fit this description for 27 years, and for many of…
Face to Face with Strong, Shy Fitz Roy
PATAGONIA — 7 a.m. I wake up to the shrill of an alarm and roll over on my top bunk, releasing the warm pocket of air underneath my big wool blanket. With half of my body hanging off, I manage to pull back the drapes and take a peek out the window at the snow-capped…
When All Else Fails, Take Stock of It All
Around late January the holiday cheer begins to run thin. The harbor might be frozen over which means no boat. No boat!? Damn, I’m out of booze. You’d think that by now a little planning would have been appropriate. Hell no. On the island, planning is just not part of the fun. In Dickie’s case,…
Riding With the Wind, Sleeping in Dark Caves
I recently traveled to Turkey where I floated in a balloon over sandstone fairy chimneys, slept in a cave, tried to eat politely at a table just 10 inches off the floor and climbed and crawled in the pre-dawn up 6,000-foot-high Mount Nemrut to see monumental stone heads carved there more than 2,000 years ago.…
Muddying Mill Pond Issue
West Tisbury’s historic Mill Pond on the Mill Brook has been the subject of considerable attention going on five years now. The scenic pond at one of the gateways to the town has existed since the 17th century and is in the heart of West Tisbury’s historic district. Together with several surviving structures in the…
Moving Tribute
We apologize for the delay in writing this letter to thank so many of you. But the unexpected passing of our father, Joseph B. Gonsalves Jr. has hit us pretty hard. We were totally overwhelmed with the amount of love and support we received from our family, friends and the Martha’s Vineyard Community.
Let Voices Be Heard
Tragedy unfolds in our country from the barrel of a gun every single day. One that will live in our hearts until infinity happened just before Christmas a th Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Sheld Light on Shark Event
The following letter was sent to John Breckenridge, chairman of the harbor management committee: As a long time Oak Bluffs voter, resident and taxpayer, I am writing to ask your help in understanding numerous confusing and seemingly contradictory harbor policies with regard to the annual Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament. I am a supporter of…
Many Happy Returns
Excerpts from town columns of the Vineyard Gazette of January 1890: Gay Head: The fisherman who have been fishing the past season at Noman’s Land have now all returned with good fares. Mr. Wm Vanderhoop was high hook with 1,800 pounds. The season lasts about a month. Steam tug Geo. W. Hunt is expected this…
West Tisbury Debates Future of Mill Pond
Mill Pond, the historic man-made pond in the heart of West Tisbury, was once again the center of debate this week over what, if anything, should be done to address fears that the pond is disappearing and the health of its species are in decline. At a public forum Wednesday, representatives from the state division…
Cold Nights, Warm Community Suppers
Carole Early and Gail Burke have been in a book club together and work out at the same gym, but they were surprised to find out they had something new in common. They both will help cook, serve and clean up for the new Thursday night community suppers. Mrs. Early is a member of the…
Gazette Names New Sales and Marketing Director
Skip Finley, a nationally-recognized broadcast executive, has been appointed director of sales and marketing for the Vineyard Gazette Media Group, which includes the Vineyard Gazette newspaper, Martha’s Vineyard Magazine, Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard travel guide and associated web sites. The announcement was made this week by publisher Jane Seagrave.
Chappy Town Column: Feb. 1
We are saddened to receive word of the passing of Franny Barnard. Her obituary describes a full life and family tree with many new branches. I always enjoy hearing of the earliest years of a person’s life. Without knowing all of the details we can still gain a perspective on Franny’s youth by reviewing a…
Edgartown Town Column: Feb. 1
This week we have had snow, rain, sleet, cold and freezing temperatures — and now it is warming up. We surely are having New England weather. Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Davi Butkowsky, who celebrated his day Jan. 27; Samantha Patnaude, Jan. 28; Audrey…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Feb. 1
The first U.S. Census in 1790 counted 39 apparently free black people on Martha’s Vineyard. Ten lived in Edgartown and no doubt most lived in the Oak Bluffs Farm Neck neighborhood. The most recent census reports 511 on the Island with 220 living in Oak Bluffs, 4.9 per cent of our town’s population.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Feb. 1
Well, I’m not as crazy as I thought I was, but I’ll bet I’m still crazier than you think I am. When I did my mea culpa last week for initially misinforming you of the date of the Robby Burns birthday supper (annually put on by the Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard), I said I…
West Tisbury Town Column: Feb. 1
This is sadly a colder winter than last year so far; perhaps the worst is behind us. The busiest place in town on Sundays continues to be Up-Island Automotive, where gasoline is on sale. Don’t forget to attend Cynthia Riggs’s 26th annual Groundhog Day party tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cleaveland House…
Chilmark Town Column: Feb. 1
Chilmark enjoyed a true winter this past week. On Sunday we were watching skaters on the local ponds and we saw one intrepid winter sports enthusiast trying to sail his iceboat on Squibnocket Pond. But today, mid week, the weather is very warm and mild.
Aquinnah Town Column: Feb. 1
The past week has been an interesting variety of wind, rain, snow, fog, freezing temperatures, and then in the 50s by this midweek. Perhaps spring is just around the corner. Chilmark Chocolates opened yesterday in preparation for the busy Valentine’s Day. It is never too early to buy the heart shaped boxes or the boxes…
Poetry Slam at Alex’s Place
Tonight, Feb. 1, Alex’s Place at the YMCA will host Outloud, an introduction to poetry slams. For those not already in the know, poetry slams are not your Robert Frost type of gatherings. Or maybe they are, as they definitely take the road less travelled where poetry is concerned. Think of it as non-contact verbal…
Grace Church Offers Winter Lobster Rolls
Grace Church knows how to pick up the slack when the Net Result closes and Vineyard Haven goes fishless. They step it up with winter lobster rolls. This Sunday, Feb. 3, they will be serving the filet mignon of the sea from noon until 2 p.m.
Black History Breakfast
The League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard are hosting its annual Black History Month breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Howes House in West Tisbury. The event will feature Dr. Virginius Bray Thornton 3rd. The topic of his talk will be Women of Interest: Past, Present, and Future.
Bette Carroll’s Birthday Celebration
The Vineyard community came to Chilmark Wednesday evening for Bette Carroll's 90th birthday celebration. Friends, family and many local dignitaries came to sing Happy Birthday and enjoy in the fellowship. There was dancing in the Chilmark Community Center to the music of the Stragglers.
PechaKucha Night
PechaKucha night is back! For those who missed it this fall, PechaKucha is not a strain of the flu. It’s an arts presentation where artists show 20 images of their work for 20 seconds each. Consider it speed dating for creativity.
Chilmark School Holds Winter Fundraiser
Save the date for next Saturday, Feb. 9, when the Chilmark School holds its annual winter fundraiser. The party will be held at the Chilmark Community Center. Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish provide the backbeat. The fundraiser is from 7 to 11:30 p.m. That’s way past Chilmark midnight (8 p.m.) but, hey, time to step…
Oak Bluffs Talent Show
Singing, dancing, gymnastics, beat boxing, Tae Kwon Do, drums, harps, clarinets, piano; the list is long and so is the talent. Tonight, Feb. 1, the Oak Bluffs School is hosting its 15th annual student talent show. The evening runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Please Adopt Us
For the first time in a long time the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has three adorable small dogs available for adoption with two more due into the shelter in a few days. At the shelter now are Jerry, a sweet brown and tan Chihuahua, who looks and acts a lot younger than his 13…
Pruning and Winter Walks
The Polly Hill Arboretum is offering two pruning workshops this winter. The first one will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 10 a.m. to noon and focuses on blueberries. On Saturday, March 9, apples take center stage. The cost for the first workshop is $25 or $20 for members. The apple workshop, from 10…
Red Menace
I am seeing red. And shades of hot pink along the shoreline and in shallow pockets along the marsh that edges Felix Neck. Sound the alarm, because this sighting is a true red scare for those in the know.
Bird Count
The inevitable finally happened. Dr. James Riley’s ruby-throated hummingbird in Edgartown was last seen on Jan. 3, after about 48 hours of below freezing temperatures. The other two hummingbirds survived that cold snap but did not survive when winter came on with a vengeance last week, and we had several days where the temperatures stayed…
Flaxing Poetic
As promised last week, I did some reading about Heavenly Bamboo. For starters, there is no relationship with what we know as bamboo. It is from an entirely different family, Nandina domestica. It is very common in the Pacific northwest. The semi-evergreen mid-sized shrub is pink in the spring, light green in the summer with…
Results of 2012 Christmas Bird Count
This year 121 individual species were spotted by the 14 feeder-watchers and 60 official birdwatchers, up from 119 last year. Here is the complete list of species observed on the Dec. 29, 2012 Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count.
Dean’s List
Lauren Bagnall of Edgartown has been named to the dean’s list at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga. for the fall 2012 semester. Laura is a senior majoring in health science.
Welcome Marlin
Nicole Palacios and Myles Goodwin of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Marlin Samuel Palacios Goodwin, born on Jan. 23, 2013 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Marlin weighed 9 pounds, 6.2 ounces at birth.
Announcing Andrew
Andria and Ateoni Otoni of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Andrew Zotte Otoni, born on Jan. 25 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Andrew weighed 8 pounds, 1.6 ounces at birth.
70 Franklin Terrace, Vineyard Haven
70 Franklin Terrace in Vineyard Haven sold for $439,000 on Jan. 22.
Hospice Welcomes Community into Bright New Space
Let there be light. After 22 years headquartered in a trailer with mere slits for windows, the staff of Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard has settled into its new home at the Tisbury Marketplace.
Drug Suspect Sentenced
A New York woman was sentenced to state prison Tuesday in Dukes County superior court on cocaine trafficking charges. Mitefea Kelly, 18, pleaded guilty to trafficking in cocaine, 36 to 100 grams, and was sentenced to four to six years at Massachusetts Correctional Institution-Framingham, a medium-security prison for women, by the Hon. Robert C. Rufo,…
Museum Exhibit Has Game
At the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, a black and white photograph freezes Ben Higgins in mid-air as he twists his body over the high jump bar. “I remember he used to sit in the front row,” said Martha’s Vineyard regional high school history teacher Elaine Weintraub as she looked at the photograph.
Cell Tower Gets Unwelcome Reception
Verizon’s proposal to build a cell phone tower to improve service in West Tisbury came before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week, sparking a long discussion and volumes of correspondence protesting the location of the tower near Tisbury Great Pond. The company has proposed installing an 80-foot tower on a 50-square-foot piece of land on…
Planets
Late tonight, before midnight, the gibbous moon rises in the east. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Virgo, a constellation we more often associate with spring and summer. That bright star near the moon is Spica. Spica is the main star in that constellation and it is one of the brightest in that area…
Former Insurance Executive Pleads Guilty to Child Assault
A prominent Island businessman was sentenced to two years in the Dukes County house of correction Friday for child assault charges.
