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
July 26, 2013
Water Tasting Nourishes Vineyard House
The Oyster Pond estate of Richard and Nancy Friedman is the setting for Water Tasting By The Sea on Thursday, August 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The sprawling waterfront location was the summer White House for former President Bill Clinton. Richard and Nancy Friedman are well-known Island philanthropists.
New Novel Explores the Island From an Immigrant’s Perspective
It’s every seasonal resident’s worst nightmare. What happens to your summer home when no one is around? Consider, for example, this passage from A.X. Ahmad’s new novel, The Caretaker.
The Moth Storytelling Hour Returns
Eighty-seven year old Shirley Mayhew grew up in the Depression, remembers two wars, lived on Martha’s Vineyard in the good old days, and has traveled by herself to 27 different countries. “None of my friends and family remember half the things I have experienced,” she said. “The Vietnam War is ancient history to my grandchildren.”…
9 Clay Pit Road, Aquinnah
Nancy Gilson Slate and Ronald M. Slate purchased 9 Clay Pit Road in Aquinnah for $1,550,000 on July 17.
Fight for Oak Bluffs Food Trucks Running Out of Gas
The Oak Bluffs Association has taken a position against food trucks in downtown Oak Bluffs, executive director Christine Todd told the town selectmen Tuesday at what would likely be the last public hearing on the subject.
Film Takes Bite Out of Shark Perception
On Saturday, July 27, the film Sharkwater screens at 8 p.m. at the Katherine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. The documentary directed by Rob Stewart, aims to debunk stereotypes of sharks as vicious killers of the sea. Mr. Stewart’s film travels the oceans of the world exploring the lives of sharks, the people seeking to…
Cyclist Injured After Collision With Truck
A Watertown man was listed in fair condition at Massachusetts General Hospital Thursday afternoon after he became pinned under a garbage truck following a collision with that occurred while he was riding his bike on the outskirts of Edgartown. William Cress, 64, who owns a home on Down Harbor Road in Katama, was transported to…
Savor and See, Don’t Just Sit; Della Hardman Day Still Inspires
In 2002 Della Hardman told the Vineyard Gazette: “When I retired I could have stayed in West Virginia, or gone wherever, somewhere, anywhere, but I chose to come to Martha’s Vineyard. And I didn’t plan to come and sit. I planned to be involved.
Islanders Pitch in to Make Dreams Possible
Newly famous after a second place finish at the World Series of Poker last Halloween, Jesse Sylvia saw the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services as a way to put his talent to good use.
Steamship Authority Mulls Freight Ferry Replacement
With everything from cost and size to lunch counters under consideration, the Steamship Authority this week continued a discussion about vessel replacement alternatives. Meeting on the Vineyard Tuesday morning, the governors heard an update about plans to begin replacing some of the boat line fleet.
Spotlight Casts Sharp Glare as The Vineyard Reality Show Debuts
After months of speculation and vocal criticism of the very concept of a reality television show set on Martha’s Vineyard, the ABC Family docu-soap The Vineyard premiered Tuesday night. While several cast members made appearances on national entertainment shows and tweeted live, cast member and Island resident Cat Todd sat at the Martha’s Vineyard Chowder…
Land Bank Revenues: July 19
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $79,245 for the business week ending on Friday, July 19, 2013. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Medflight Is Critical Lifeline During Times of Trauma
One minute you could be having a heart attack at Cronig’s Market; several hours later you could be in the recovery room following triple bypass surgery.
Thanks to the critical care transport service Boston Medflight, Islanders with acute medical needs that go beyond what the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital can provide are able to receive…
True Spirit of Conservation
The Mill Brook is one of the Vineyard’s great natural treasures, with its clear, unpolluted waters that run from the glacial boulder-strewn terminal moraine of the North Shore to the sandy outwash plain that rims the Tisbury Great Pond on the south shore.
Unreal TV
The only one that comes out looking really good in the new un-reality TV show The Vineyard is the Island itself. Filmed mostly in the chilly month of May, the ABC Family series manages somehow to capture the glorious warmth of a summer day.
Dog Involved in Fight Is Dangerous, Says Town
Edgartown selectmen said this week that an American Staffordshire terrier involved in a dog fight should be considered dangerous, and they ordered that the dog be bonded and must be muzzled when off its owner’s property. Ramune, a rescue dog belonging to Damon Burke, was involved in a July 6 fight with another dog who…
Police Have Hands Full for Shark Tourney
The third weekend in July was again a busy time for the Oak Bluffs police department, which reported a busier-than-normal weekend in light of the shark tournament and festival. But while last year police said they felt overwhelmed, this year the department reported that an increased police presence may have deterred more serious incidents. The…
A Sea of Good Will Helps Harpoon History
Last weekend the Charles W. Morgan was relaunched on her 172nd birthday after a major rebuild; much of her remains original including the keelson. The live oak in her massive double sawn frames was salvaged after a southern U.S. hurricane, and she has been rebuilt absolutely true to her original design and methods of construction.…
What Would Della Say About Today?
The following essays were the top three winners in the annual Della Hardman Day essay contest for students at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. The theme this year was: “Does entertainment such as video games, TV, movies and social media, have the capacity to ‘ruin’ society, as Neal Gabler suggested in his book Life…
Washashore Chronicles: Luddites Unite — In Defense of Real Books
Back in the day, as they say, when a lot was two words and a newspaper lede (which this is right here – the opening paragraph) was a lead, and when a woman was called Jaymie it was spelled Jamie and not Jaime, which should be pronounced Hymay as it is in Spanish, back then…
Seth’s Pond Reopens
Seth’s Pond in West Tisbury has been reopened, health agent John powers announced Thursday. The popular freshwater swimming pond was closed July 9 after water samples revealed high levels of enteroccocus bacteria. The pond was also briefly closed in June due to bacteria.
Barbaric Display
Imagine our shock on Saturday after a lovely family stroll through the gingerbread houses when we came upon the shark tournament. It was a truly barbaric display and the antithesis of the Vineyard we know and love. Adults encouraged children to participate in the dismemberment of the sharks and all celebrated the grisly displays of…
Summer White House
About 30 years ago one law school student could choose to take a break from his academic responsibilities and spend a few days on the Vineyard, where young Barry would be welcomed by his friends. If he came by Cape Air, no one on its flight path would be alarmed. And no one would record…
Disappearing Crosswalk
It has been brought to my attention by a number of people in Oak Bluffs that a crosswalk that was accessible for disabled individuals in wheelchairs was recently painted over, one way of stopping the use of the crosswalk. At first, I didn’t understand this move, but then lo and behold they started to park…
Appeal for Dog Unity
I need to point out some contradictions that exist on the Island regarding dogs. A letter to the editor on July 19 about dogs on the beach generalized dog owners as “idiots” and “irresponsible.” This I take issue with as I would never act in the way the Walkers describe their beach and dog situation.…
Trash on the Beach
One of the reasons I love living on the Vineyard is that almost every Sunday morning, I get up at dawn and go walk on the beach. We have such a variety of different beaches on this Island, and I think they are all beautiful.
Chicken Little
From a 1995 column by Arthur Railton: Nothing good is happening. The sky is falling in. Run for your lives, the dam has burst. Family values have taken flight. We abuse our children, kill our parents, rape our neighbors, murder our ex-wives. Nowhere is the sun shining.
Schools Have Homework: Fill Key Positions
With the school year nearing and many personnel out on vacation, there are still three major regional administrative positions to be filled. The Cape Cod Collaborative conducted a search for assistant superintendent of schools beginning two weeks ago that has yielded five candidates, including three off-Island and two local applicants. None of the candidates are…
Shark All-Stars
Seven players from the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks represented Team Massachusetts in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, held Thursday in Pittsfield. Pitchers Trevor Breton (Western New England University), Matt Calomoneri (University of Scranton) and Bob Carbaugh (Seton Hill) were named to the squad, as were infielders Dylan Tice (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Nick Sell…
Riding the Wind, Vineyard Style
Fifty windsurfers representing four different countries competed in three classes of racing Friday and Saturday at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club. Races were cancelled Sunday due to no wind, but wind conditions for the first two days were gusty, challenging all levels of racers.
Vineyard Inside Out: Vineyard Dogs and Their Owners Stay True to Spirit of Island Life
There are some persisting myths about the Vineyard — such as the notion that this is an easy place to ride a bicycle, that all Islanders know a ketch from a yawl, grow their own tomatoes, think nothing of picking up hitchhikers or picking off ticks, and most important, own at the very least one…
Planets Morning and Night
In that critically short moment of dawn, an hour before sunrise, the planets Jupiter and Mars appear as a pair. They aren’t as close as they were a week ago, but still a sight. Jupiter is significantly brighter than Mars. If you can find Jupiter, you’ll see the red planet Mars under and to the…
Chilmark Town Column: July 26
Chilmark hosted a near perfect summer vacation week just past. The beaches were popular and being out on the water was a good choice. The fish were biting, the sun was hot and it was definitely July. We also hosted an unwelcome bug that someone told me is called the one-day virus. I hope it…
Aquinnah Town Column: July 26
The 35th annual Art Buchwald Possible Dreams Auction will be held on Sunday, July 28 at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown. Tickets are only $25 per person and benefit the largest social services organization on Martha’s Vineyard, serving more than 6,000 people every year.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: July 26
The summer is just flying by and Grace Church tells me so. It seems no sooner do I see the sign up on Fridays for lobster rolls, there it is again on the corner of Franklin and Woodlawn. I usually think, “Oh, they forgot to take it down,” but here it is, yet another Friday.…
West Tisbury Town Column: July 26
This past weekend traffic seemed to increase most everywhere and it is busy all around town. The weather this July was toasty, the way it should be. The heavy rain showers Saturday night and Sunday morning brought with them some relief from the high humidity. Richard Olsen of North Tisbury recently repositioned his herd of…
Chappy Town Column: July 26
Someone has been stealing our whelk shells from the fifth tee. Maybe there is a crime ring of elderly lady crafters, hoarding attractive white shells to decorate and display next to their Hummel figurines. That’s my guess. But I don’t intimidate easily, so I will come down hard with harsh words and stern looks upon…
Edgartown Town Column: July 26
Hazy, hot and humid — we have had it all. Now we just need rain. Who would have ever thought we would need rain after June’s weather, but Mother Nature has spoken. Let’s just hope there is some relief somewhere. Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out…
East Chop Town Column: July 26
The East Chop Association held its July meeting at the East Chop Beach Club last Saturday. Every time I attend, I am thankful for the ECA. Neighborhoods do not remain special without a great deal of care. Can you imagine East Chop without our parks? Crystal Lake is healthy and vibrant because of ECA work.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: July 26
Back in the 60s, those of us teens and pre-teens lucky enough to have been able to stay in Oak Bluffs all summer learned quickly that what was important was to have something to do outside. If not, Mom was going to find something for you to do inside, like chores or reading a book…
Shipwreck Talk
Calling all history buffs: Captain Martin Bayerle brings his book The Tsar’s Treasure to the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 with an author’s talk and a question and answer session. The book is the story of the lost luxury White Star Liner RMS Republic which sank in 1909…
Please Adopt Us
The dog days of summer are here and the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has nary a dog to adopt. It must be doing its job very well as all the dogs have gone to homes. There are a few cats hanging out in the air conditioned cat room. T.C. is a lovely calico, female…
Eggs-citing Event
It’s a celebration of chickens and all they produce during the Coop de Ville tour on Sunday, August 4. The tour begins at 10:30 a.m. with brunch at the Grey Barn in Chilmark. Then everyone heads out to visit the five participating farms for a tour of their coops and a better understanding of local,…
Summer Soul Benefits Cancer Patients
Martha’s Vineyard Summer Soul is coming to the Island on Sunday, August 12. The event is the inspiration of Sharon-Francis Moore a seasonal resident of Vineyard Haven. After several friends were diagnosed with cancer, Ms. Moore decided to create a summer fundraiser to give back to four organizations instrumental in providing care for cancer patients.…
New Exhibit at the Louisa Gould Gallery
The six artists currently involved in the newest exhibit at the Louisa Gould Gallery in Vineyard Haven are Jeff P’an, John Holladay, Fran Dropkin, Nick Paciorek, Joan Rusitzky and Ms. Gould.
Built on Stilts
Built on Stilts is the Vineyard’s homegrown dance festival and it takes root this summer from August 8 through the 11 and again from August 17 through the 20 at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. Choreographers from Martha’s Vineyard and visiting artists from off-Island join creative forces to bring the performances to life. The program…
NPR Talks News
Join National Public Radio host Tom Ashbrook and guest Nicholas Negroponte, founder of One Laptop Per Child and MIT Media Lab, for a discussion of the future of media at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown on Friday, July 26 at 5:30 p.m. The free event will explore how we will get our news in…
Book Festival Branches Out
In past years the Martha’sVineyard Book Festival was a one-day event taking place at the Chilmark Community Center. This year the organizers have added a second day at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown.
Walter Cronkite Awards
Walter Cronkite was the honorary chairperson of the Stone Soup Leadership Institute for many years. His influence in preparing youth as future leaders led to the Walter Cronkite Awards, which are presented to those who use the power of the media to create positive social change. A recipient this year is the Vineyard’s own filmmaker…
Josh Yates Goes Off-Season
Artist Josh Yates has spent decades painting on Martha’s Vineyard and he brings fresh offerings with his exhibit titled Off Season Work. A reception to kick off the exhibit is from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 26 at Gallery 13b, Beach Road Extension at 5 Corners in Vineyard Haven. His seascapes and landscapes…
Two Films and a Workshop
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Center hosts a filmmaker-in-residence event with photographer/filmmaker Lauren Greenfield. Her work chronicles the youth culture, gender and consumerism in acclaimed works including Girl Culture, Fast Forward, THIN and her documentary, The Queen of Versailles. Ms. Greenfield will lead a workshop-style presentation on Thursday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the film…
Faces of Justice Reflect Their Struggles
If you stand in the A Gallery this week, you may notice that you are being watched. Eyes seem to pierce through the glass frames of 30 black and white photographs on the charcoal-colored walls of the newly-opened gallery on Uncas avenue in Oak Bluffs. The eyes follow you as you walk around the room.…
Midway Through Wild Weather Season, Farmers See Mixed Results
As temperatures peaked at 90 degrees on the Vineyard last week, Blackwater Farm owner Debbie Farber worried about her chickens. “Have you ever seen a chicken pant?” she said. “Chickens are not happy in this weather. I’m just trying to keep them cool and give them plenty of water. That’s all you can do.”
Student Achievements
Micah Agnoli of Edgartown and Julie Pringle of Vineyard Haven have been named to the dean’s list at Tufts University for the spring 2013 semester.
Multiple Swimmers Rescued Off Chappaquiddick
In an unusual incident, 13 swimmers were pulled from the water off Wasque Wednesday afternoon after several people were caught in the current and carried offshore. The swimmers were rescued by the Edgartown fire department boat and a town shellfish department boat. There were at least three separate groups of people involved.
Singing Through the Darkness and Light
Lori McKenna is in the backyard of her home in Stoughton less than a block from where she grew up, and she’s laughing. The woman who writes miniatures of the way life happens, who paints a tableau of marital ennui and how thin paychecks stretch is anything but dour.
Friday, July 19: Hazy
Friday, July 19: Hazy. Fog over Edgartown harbor. A hot sun burns through the fog for a warm, sunny summer morning. The sky over Dogfish Bar is filled with avian friends, flying terns. Strong wind at the Gay Head cliffs overlook.
Offshore Fishing Heightens Mystery and Beauty of the Hunt
There are many seasons that go with being a Vineyard angler. For one group, offshore fishing with a rod and reel is the pinnacle of summer. There is perhaps no greater sense of wonder than being 80 miles south of the Vineyard in a boat reeling in a giant tuna.
Cinema Circus Short Films Get Green Light from Kid Critic
Each week the folks at Cinema Circus show a series of short films on Wednesday evening at the Chilmark Community Center. The films begin at 6 p.m. but the circus — complete with jugglers, face painters, stilt walkers, food and music — gets underway at 5 p.m. The short films are programmed each week around…
Evening Aboard Whaleship Essex Explores Universal Tragedy
“People ask me how will you get a boat on stage? What I like to say is — theatrical imagination.” With these words, Joe Forbrich introduced a reading of his new play, The Whaleship Essex, on Monday, July 22. The staged reading was part of The Vineyard Playhouse’s Monday Night Specials series. It was performed…
Going Au Naturel for His Art
Artist Tom Smith is almost breathless when he talks about his work. “I love the line between what is formal, designed, almost constricted — and what is natural and rank,” he said. “I love the border between the cultivated and the wild.”
Stinging Stars
“Because we focused on the snake, we missed the scorpion,” laments an Egyptian proverb. Don’t miss the scorpion. Though it is summer and a busy time for all, take a minute to gaze skyward to see the night’s super stars. Among the most famous is a classic constellation that says summer.
Protecting Piping Plovers
I joined Allan Keith on July 20 and we did the mid-Island area for the butterfly count. The Vineyard butterfly count is organized by Matt Pelikan each year. It was hot and windy but we still were able to find 18 species. The total number seen by the butterfly counters was 31 species and 579…
Fodder for Beans
I gave it my best shot all last week — trying to develop some acceptance of the weather. As an outside worker, I would prefer rain, wind, and/or snow to the heat and humidity. Now, granted, I am grateful to not live in the southwest or a big city but honestly, who would like it?…
Gay Head Light 10K
The Save the Gay Head Lighthouse Committee has announced the inaugural Gay Head 10K road race, to be held Sunday, October 6. The event is a fundraiser to save the erosion-threatened landmark. The committee must raise more than $3 million.
Welcome Tyler
Alexa and Matthew Arieta of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Tyler Mario Arieta, born on July 20 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Tyler weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Hello, Emma
Emily L. Curme and Michael George Curme of Dosewell, Va. announce the birth of a daughter, Emma Ann Curme, born on January 16. Emma weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth.
Commission Says It Will Review New Telephone Poles
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission will review new utility poles placed around the Island as a development of regional impact (DRI). The regional authority voted 13-1 last Thursday that the project merited review by the commission, DRI director Paul Foley said. Edgartown commissioner James Joyce was the no vote.
Shark Tournament Is Opportunity To Study Poorly Understood Predators
While each of the spectators made it home in one piece after the annual Monster Shark Tournament had officially ended, the same isn’t true for the 12 sharks weighed in over the two days. Each fish was cut up and pieces transported to different places. Muscle was brought home to serve — shark steak for…
Not Just a Young Man’s Game, Rock Band Serendipity Keeps the Beat
Chuck a choo choos, shooby doo wop dee wops and wah wah oohs echoed in Merrily Fenner’s basement at a band rehearsal for Serendipity, the Island’s new mostly-female doo wop group. The band features Ms. Fenner on bass or guitar, Christine McLean on rhythm guitar, Chris Seidel on drums, Janis Syslo on tambourine, Mark Mazer…
With Crown, Food and Parade, Feast of Holy Ghost Celebrates Community Coming Together
By the time the celebrants arrived at the Portuguese American club on Saturday, the soup was hot, the chicken was cooking and the ice-cold drinks were ready. Chefs Brian Patrick Hall of Oak Bluffs and Dylan Estrella of Edgartown were stirring their inaugural sopa, made with fresh linguica, beef and cabbage.
Cambridge Comic Jimmy Tingle Brings Laugh Lines to Possible Dreams Auction
Before comedian Jimmy Tingle could start his newest gig, he had to make a visit to the roundabout. Mr. Tingle takes up the gavel for the Art Buchwald Possible Dreams auction this weekend, and he visited the Vineyard last week to meet with event organizers and the staff of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. The auction…
