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
March 1, 2013
Three Teams Advance in Tournament
In a rough, penalty-laden game in front of a packed house at the Martha’s Vineyard Arena Thursday, the boys’ hockey team skated to a 5-3 victory over Dedham to advance to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament. Three Vineyard teams have now advanced to the section quarterfinals. Boys’ basketball will take on rival Bishop…
Federal Cuts May Impact Elder, Education Services
Vineyard programs that depend on federal funding are expected to see little impact, at least in the short term, from the much-publicized automatic budget cuts set to take effect in Washington today. But leaders in Island education, elder and health services said next year could be a different story.
Four Years On, Shaggy Puppy Still A Cut Above
Ron (Puppy) Cavallo is one of Jane Leaf’s best customers. Puppy, as everyone calls him, has been getting his hair cut by Jane for nearly 30 years, long before she opened Wavelengths Hair Salon in 1989. And yet he’s also one of her worst customers. In the last 12 years he’s been to the salon…
Town Hears Plan to Move Schifter House
A planning board hearing next week will address plans to move two homes on Chappaquiddick. Plans have been filed with the board to relocate Richard and Jennifer Schifter’s home at Wasque Point, which is threatened by rapid erosion. When the house construction was completed in 2007, it was 220 feet away from the bluff; today…
Hospital Hires New Orthopedic Surgeon
With Dr. Rocco Monto’s impending relocation to Nantucket in May, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is taking immediate steps to expand orthopedic services on the Island, including emergency orthopedic services. Dr. Mark Scheffer, an orthopedic surgeon at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Clinic in Concord, New Hampshire, will join the hospital staff this summer. He is expected to…
Island Commuter No More, Dr. Monto Is on the Move
For the past 10 years, Dr. Raymond (Rocco) Monto’s morning commute has been out of the ordinary. Three times a week the orthopedic surgeon, one of just two on Martha’s Vineyard and the only one on Nantucket, drops off youngest son Rocco at school while daughter Siena boards a bus to Nantucket Elementary (older sons…
County Budget Decreases, State and Towns Will Pay More
The Dukes County commission voted this week to approve a $1.5 million budget for the coming fiscal year. The budget marks a 17.9 per cent decrease over last year due to the state takeover of administrative affairs for the county sheriff’s department. Last year the sheriff’s portion of the county budget totalled $300,000. Under the…
Windemere Nursing Home To Undergo $3 Million Renovation
Thanks to funding from Partners HealthCare and Massachusetts General Hospital, Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will be getting $3 million for exterior building renovations. “We’re very excited,” Windemere administrator Ken Chisholm said Thursday. “We have a lot of needs on the outside of Windemere.” Through a $2 million grant from Massachusetts General Hospital and a…
Up by the Creek, Without a Boathouse
It takes five minutes for the crew at U.S. Coast Guard Station Menemsha to walk from main headquarters to the search and rescue vessel. Five minutes may seem like a short time, but add drysuits, anti-exposure and flotation coveralls, boating tools, supplies, artillery and sometimes protective vests, and a five-minute walk can feel like a…
Reality Is Whatever You Make It, Say Potential TV Cast Members
As the controversy over a reality show hitting Vineyard shores swirled around the Island last week, potential cast members defended their decision to audition for the docu-soap in order to depict “the real Vineyard.” News of the slated reality show, which goes by the working title The Vineyard, spurred pointed criticism on social media and…
Food That’s Good for You, Better for Sea
What do oysters and seaweed have in common? “Both remove nitrogen,” Woods Hole marine scientist Scott Lindell told a large group that attended his recent talk at the Chilmark Library about a two-year exploratory effort to cultivate seaweed in Waquoit Bay. The $150,000 project will continue through this summer and is funded through the Woods…
Dozens of Rare Whales Gather off South Beach
About 20 North Atlantic right whales were spotted south and southeast of the Vineyard on Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed. This is the second report of right whales seen near the Vineyard in a month. On Feb. 15 six right whales were seen from the air halfway between the Vineyard and Nantucket.…
Unusually Wicked Weather Not So Unusual After All
It’s been a real New England winter this year, and as February comes to a close, numbers tell the story. One day before the end of the month, records from the National Weather Service station in Edgartown show that total snowfall on the Vineyard is 25 inches for the year to date. Nearly all of…
Quiet Island
The ferries can sometimes can be the best indicator of life on the Vineyard, and certainly this was true last Friday when outgoing boats were jammed to the gunwales with children and adults of every description. Standby lines resembled an August day minus the tourists. A visitor from another country might well have concluded that…
Soundings
They come for the sun, sea and rich plankton that occurs in the ocean waters around the Island. This is the season when North Atlantic right whales migrate north to Cape Cod from their wintering grounds off Florida and Georgia. Last month eight of the endangered marine mammals were spotted near the Vineyard and Nantucket.…
Wisdom Gained From a Wounded Heart
I teach a writing workshop here on the Vineyard and often I begin the class by saying: “We are alchemists. We can turn garbage into gold. We can take what happened to us, the trauma, the hurts, the tiny murders, and we can transform them into something beautiful. But the most important thing we have…
Black Summer Theatre’s History Retold
Editor’s Note: Olive Tomlinson spoke with Linsey Lee, oral history curator for the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, about her recollections of Liz White’s Shearer Summer Theatre, one of the first summer theatre groups on the Island after World War II. An actress who felt stymied by the stereotyped African American roles available to her on Broadway,…
Orthopedist Departs
I was concerned to learn that a popular medical facility, Dr. Monto’s office in West Tisbury, was planning on ending their services on the Vineyard. My understanding is that a lack of cooperation between the hospital and Dr. Monto’s facility was the cause.
Storm Surge Protection
In Saturday’s Boston Globe there is an article about sea level rise in Boston. Mayor Menino is taking proactive steps to fortify parts of Boston. On the Vineyard, like Boston, we have had several storms this winter season where if the storm surge had occurred at high tide there would have been substantial impact.
Pollution Concerns
I am writing because I am very concerned about pollution on Martha’s Vineyard. The asphalt plant located near the blinking light has been enlarged to accommodate the new roundabout project that is being built. It should be noted here that all the towns on Martha’s Vineyard except Oak Bluffs did not want this roundabout.
Cruel Tournament
My family has owned a gingerbread cottage overlooking Oak Bluffs harbor for several generations. As a longtime lover of all God’s creatures, I have been upset to learn of the cruelty and horrors wrought by the annual Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament.
Cell Tower Dilemma
In Verizon’s application for a cell tower in West Tisbury the Vineyard is facing a dilemma that is of growing concern and action across the country. Simply that people like cell phones — but don’t like to see cell towers. Sophistication and market size of cell phones is growing rapidly. Each step up of capability…
Island All Our Own
From the Feb. 1989 Just a Thought column by Arthur Railton: Let’s give a cheer for the winter people — that’s us, the folks who rattle around this place when off-Islanders ask: “What on earth do you do out there all winter?” We’re here when the days are short, when the wind is out of…
49 Grovedale Road, Oak Bluffs
49 Grovedale Road in Oak Bluffs sold for $495,000 on Feb. 19.
Winter Constellations Slip Away
The ringed-planet Saturn rises late in the evening. On Sunday night, the planet is accompanied by the gibbous moon. Both rise in the east at about 11 p.m., and are in the zodiacal constellation Libra. Early Tuesday morning, two days later, the last quarter moon appears low in the southeastern sky. The moon rises after…
Ten-Week Boat Safety Course Begins in March
There’s still space available in Martha’s Vineyard Coast Guard Auxiliary boating skills and seamanship course. The 10-week course begins Wednesday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and will continue through May 15.
Academy Scholarships
Two Martha’s Vineyard students have been offered merit scholarships to offset the cost of their first-year tuition at the Falmouth Academy on Cape Cod. Sue Cranston of Vineyard Haven and Devin Waite of Edgartown were among four students to be offered $3,000 grants based on their scores on the academy’s annual scholarship exam. Falmouth Academy…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: March 1
Tuesday, March 5 marks a moment in black history; on that day 243 years ago Crispus Attucks, part black, part Wampanoag, became the first person killed in the American Revolution. Seventeen years later, in 1787, the former slave John Saunders, with his half-white wife Priscilla, brought Methodism to Oak Bluffs, 48 years before its was…
Chappy Town Column: March 1
It’s been a quiet week on Chappaquiddick — in fact, the quietest week of the year. School vacation, February, and living on an island add up to a trip to somewhere else, either warmer or one with more snow. But for those of us who didn’t go anywhere, this was the week you didn’t have…
Edgartown Town Column: March 1
Well, we are waiting for yet another storm. I know it has been dark and gloomy and snowy and rainy, but I am glad we are not watching the TV for tornado warnings like a few of my friends in Florida. Good luck to all.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: March 1
Did you catch all three seconds of me on television Tuesday night? Remember Warhol said, “In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes?” Well, my three seconds of that was in the wonderful three-hour documentary on PBS about women’s progress in America in the last 50 years.
West Tisbury Town Column: March 1
JOHN S. ALLEY 508-693-2950
Chilmark Town Column: March 1
Chilmark was favored with a mostly clear evening and bright full moon this weekend. It was a treat to see it between storms. As I write midweek it is raining hard and our poor mainland friends and families are getting more snow.
Aquinnah Town Column: March 1
JUNE D. MANNING 508-645-2574 (lthslnks2004@yahoo.com) At long last, March has arrived. The light snow on Sunday evening was not as bad as earlier predictions had scared us with. It was all melted by Monday morning and we enjoyed warmth in the mid-40s on Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday was a full day of rain and…
Winter Lobster Rolls
It’s school vacation week on the Island; all is quiet, cold and a bit heavy with the near-constant threat these days of evermore snow. Those unable to escape to warmer climes may be in need of a pick-me-up. And even those happily stay-cationing are entitled to a bit of indulgence.
Raccoon Romance
Valentine’s day may be just a memory of roses and chocolate for some; however, love is still in the air for the raccoon. Raccoon romance reconnaissance is underway as males look for love. Mating for this species is at its peak in February, spurred on with the increase in daylight that has been noticeable over…
Seabird Mortality
We have had a spate of dead seabirds along our shores. Most recently, Lanny McDowell found five dead razorbills and one dead common murre along a half-mile stretch of Cow Bay on Feb. 23. This is in addition to the several other similar reports from Lucy Vincent, Menemsha and Nantucket. What is going on?
Remembering Mom
Here I am in Rew attending to the affairs of my mother as a result of her recent death. Like so many before me, it is quite an adjustment to become orphaned. We are taking apart my childhood home — no small or emotionally easy task. Elizabeth (Betsy) Irons was born in Bradford, Pa., in…
Chronic Care Program
The Vineyard Nursing Association, Vineyard Health Care Access Program and Island Health are collaborating on a pilot program for people who are living with or are at risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and COPD. Called The Martha’s Vineyard Partnership for Health, the free program aims to help people connect with…
Dean’s List Collegiate Honors
Cody Coutinho of Chilmark has been named to the dean’s list at Merrimack College for the fall 2012 semester. Samuel Donegan of Vineyard Haven has been named to the dean’s list at Bryant University for the fall 2012 semester. Anna (Zen) Hughes of West Tisbury has been named to the dean’s list at Rensselaer Polytechnic…
United Way Grants
The Vineyard Health Care Access Program and Island Elderly Housing, Inc. have been named recipients of Cape and Islands United Way community investment grants. A total of $600,000 has been allocated to 35 local programs on the Cape and Islands that serve the needs of children, families and aging and vulnerable populations. The Vineyard Health…
Please Adopt Us
The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has two animals waiting for adoption. Jerry is a little brown Chihuahua whose buddy Millie was adopted a couple of weeks ago. He is a little afraid of young children and would do best in a home with adults or children over 15.
Welcome Willow
Lizzy Kent and Spencer Binney of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Willow Frances Binney, born on Feb. 26, 2013 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Willow weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Boys Roll Over Bourne, Advance to Quarterfinals
They hadn’t played a game in two weeks, but the Vineyard boys’ basketball team brushed off the rust to overpower Bourne and advance to the quarterfinal round of the division three state tournament Wednesday night. The final score of the game, played at home in the Sancy Pachico Gymnasium, was 77-44. Senior captain Jack Roberts…
Tisbury Town Administrator Signs on for Three Years
Tisbury selectmen signed a three-year contract this week with their new town administrator John W. Grande. Mr. Grande, who is 53, will begin work in the top town administrative post on March 13. At a selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, board chairman Tristan Israel said the selectmen had met twice in executive session to review and settle…
Fire Destroys Oak Bluffs Home, Claims Life of Dog
An overloaded electrical cord and power strip are believed to be the accidental cause of a blaze that destroyed a single family home in Oak Bluffs Tuesday morning and claimed the life of a dog, Oak Bluffs deputy fire chief Tony Ferreira said Thursday.
Girls’ Hockey Eliminated; Postseason Home Games Begin Wednesday
The girls’ hockey team fell to Latin Academy 4-2 in their first round of postseason play Monday afternoon, eliminating the team from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament. Three Vineyard teams now remain in the tournament. All play at home beginning Wednesday.
Red Cross Will Honor Heroes’ Catch
They were seeking to reel in stripers and bluefish for the annual derby. Instead, Caleb Nicholson, Neal Farrell and John Thomas (JT) Maher reeled in three stranded fishermen whose boat sank miles off the coast of Aquinnah and were clinging to a cooler in the chilly, rough seas.
Vineyard Playwright Brings ‘Mom’ Musical to New York Stage
“My Mom is trying to ruin my life!” The phrase has been uttered, screamed and moaned countless times through the ages. And now it’s being sung from the stage of a New York city theatre — by way of Martha’s Vineyard. On Feb. 16, the WorkShop Theatre Company in Manhattan began performances of My Mom…
Orange, Purple, Sweet or Stamps, Island Grown Puts Potatoes to the Test
“What is it?” a student asked at an Island Grown Schools taste test this month. “It’s a potato,” said the IGS school coordinator, who was giving out little samples of roasted potatoes with rosemary for the students to try. “A what?” asked the student. “You know, French fries are made out of them,” said his…
Senior Day Honors Past, Present, Postseason to Come
The back wall of the Martha’s Vineyard Arena received extra decoration on Friday. First up were the seven posterboards, bedazzled with sprinklings of glitter and announcing the names of the senior girls on the junior varsity and varsity hockey teams. Next up came the 10 cardboard T-shirts, painted to look like the jerseys of the…
