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
October 11, 2013
Head of Stage to Foot of Lagoon, Her Life Has Bridged the Gap
When Charlotte Holloman was a little girl, only eight years old, she and her parents visited the summer home of Harry T. Burleigh on Martha’s Vineyard. Mr. Burleigh, best known for his instrumental role in arranging and publishing African American spirituals and bringing the songs to a wider audience, had long vacationed on the Island.
Penumbral Eclipse
The eclipse will occur on the evening of Friday, Oct. 18, when the moon passes through the edge of the Earth’s shadow and loses some of its brightness. The peak moment when the full moon is most covered will be just before 8 p.m. The actual eclipse begins at 5:48 p.m. and is finished by…
Lagoon Pond Drawbridge Set to Begin Next Phase This Fall
After nearly 10 years as a work in progress, the final phase of construction on the Lagoon Pond drawbridge in Tisbury is slated to begin this fall. “It’s been a long journey, I would say,” said Tisbury Department of Public Works director Fred LaPiana. “It’s nice to see it come to fruition.”
Manning the Front Lines of Health Care Confusion
National health care reform rolled out Oct. 1, leaving some confused about if and how things will change, and others lost in the details of premiums and health insurance exchanges. On the Vineyard, the staff at Vineyard Health Care Access is at the front lines, fielding calls from residents, receiving training on the new law,…
Reeling in the Derby Years, He Only Let One Get Away
This year is the 68th anniversary of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. Stephen Amaral, 78, of Oak Bluffs, has fished in 67 of those derbies. Sometimes people don’t believe him when he says he’s fished in every derby but one, he said on a recent Wednesday afternoon, seated at his dining room…
Car Accident Claims Life of Young Athlete
A 25-year-old West Tisbury man was killed Monday when the car he was driving collided with a tree on Old County Road. David S. Campbell, often called Davey, was a 2007 graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, where he was remembered this week as a gifted athlete who was “universally loved.”
Artist Ray Ellis Leaves Behind Vision of Vineyard Beauty
Ray Ellis began every painting as though it would be the best painting he ever did. It was with this spirit and enthusiasm that Mr. Ellis approached his life and his more than 80-year career as a painter on the Vineyard and beyond. Mr. Ellis died on Friday at the age of 92 from complications…
Katama Bay Oyster Farms Reopened
Katama Bay oyster farms reopened for business last Saturday, about three and a half weeks after the area was closed to harvesting because it was linked to cases of Vibrio bacteria. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced the reopening Friday afternoon,…
Three Arrested in Oak Bluffs Drug Raid
Three Island men were arrested Thursday following a raid at an Oak Bluffs home that turned up more than $50,000 in drugs and cash. Police arrested Ryan Dunbar, 20, and William Rogers, 20, both residents of 7 Sea Glen Road, where Oak Bluffs officers executed a search warrant.
High Winds, High Stakes Mark Final Days of Derby
The strong persistent northeast wind this past week has made fishing especially tough the last few days. Seas are high and waters rough from East Beach on Chappaquiddick to Dogfish Bar in Aquinnah. The forecast for the weekend isn’t much better. To catch fish, an angler has to be more strategic about where he or…
Brick and Mortar Plan Supported for Oak Bluffs Lot
An Oak Bluffs business owner’s months-long battle with the town to generate income on his property may be nearing resolution. At meetings spanning the spring and summer, Bill Coggins asked selectmen to support various plans for a Circuit avenue lot he purchased in April. The board discouraged him from pursuing options that included food trucks…
Supermarket Shuffle
Originally an A&P, the Vineyard Haven Stop & Shop was built years before anyone on the Island ever contemplated problems with overcrowding. Water street once hosted a modest ferry terminal, a hot dog stand for tourists and the Smith, Bodfish and Swift farm and feed store.
Vineyard Inside Out: Eclectic, Erudite and Inclusive: Ingredients for Great Conversation
It’s still where’s-my-coffee early and all is quiet at Howes House in West Tisbury. In 15 minutes though, the Council on Aging’s long-running Tuesday morning discussion group will convene. For those who have visited parents after they retired to a condo in South Florida and sat around the pool listening to a group of seniors…
Land Bank Revenues: Oct. 4
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $269,460 for the business week ending on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Luckless Caster Is Friend to Fish
Now that it is derby time, I have been thinking (and eating) fish. I like fish, but I don’t like to fish. As a child, I would drop a line off the Edgartown wharf or the Menemsha dock with my brother John and we would catch scup.
Ooh Barracuda, I’ve Got Boxes in My Basement
When you’re a kid, there are monsters under your bed. When you’re an adult, there are boxes in your basement. The spookiness never stops, does it? It happens every time we move. No matter if we are going to a larger space or a smaller space, nothing can stop the proliferation of unopened and unemptied…
Record Store Kept Island in Tune
I’m not exactly sure how long ago it was that Aboveground Records earned my undying loyalty. It might have been nearly 10 years ago after the Christmas dinner at which my Edinburgh-based brother in law asked me about a young blues singer from the Vineyard named Willy Mason.
Back to Business
As restaurant owners, operators and food professionals, our number one concern is always the safety of our guests. A key component is safe drinking water and we have our water tested regularly in accordance with local, county and state regulations.
Gridlock Lockdown
The recent budget deadlock, shutting down many government operations and services, can be blamed on adherence to principle on both sides. The Democratic winners of the last election claim that under the Constitution they are trying to do what the voters elected them to do.
Congressional Report Card
As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Well, the Congress is broke and it needs fixing.
Appeal to Stop & Shop
Editors, Vineyard Gazette: Despite the many Stop & Shop hearings over the past few months, little has been said about the proposed building’s contribution to climate change and the need to make it green. Haven’t we heard enough about the CO2 that comes from buildings, and its impact — the rising seas, acidification, monster storms,…
Fair Play
As part of the membership committee at Mink Meadows Golf Club we want to comment on the recent article by Jim Kaplan on shorter distances for golf play.
Searching for Ruthven Todd
I am currently carrying out research for a biography of the Scottish-American poet and writer Ruthven Todd who lived on Martha’s Vineyard during the second half of the 1950s.
Bowing to Her Light
We, the yoga community, suffered a loss last week when MJ Bindu Delekta left her body.
Magic Man
From the Vineyard Gazette edition of October 12, 1849:
The schr. L.M. Yale, of Holmes Hole, is now ready and will sail for California in a day or two. Below we give a list of her company:
Vineyard Open House
Vineyard Open House real estate celebrated a grand opening on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2. The new real estate firm is owned by David Lott and is located in Vineyard Haven on Union street, across from Murdick’s Fudge.
Coast Guard Rescues Two Fishermen Off Wasque
Two lobstermen were rescued off Wasque early Thursday morning after their boat began taking on water. The 44-foot lobster boat Bill B II grounded around 5 a.m. near Muskeget channel due to an unknown cause, according to Coast Guard reports. No injuries were reported.
Aquinnah Town Column: Oct. 11
The autumn air is beginning to cool after many wonderful days. We wondered how long the warm weather would last and knew it would not be too much longer, but it was certainly enjoyable while it lasted. The foliage is spectacular, especially up-Island.
Chilmark Town Column: Oct. 11
Chilmark mourns the death of another of its senior citizens. Marguerite Cottle died at her Menemsha home on Oct. 7. Her long life allowed her to see many transformations of Chilmark.
West Tisbury Town Column: Oct. 11
Today is the beginning of the Columbus Day holiday weekend and the end of the extended shoulder season for the tourists. That was the old school of thought, but now with decent weather it will last until Veterans Day weekend. All town buildings, schools, library and the post office will be closed on Monday. The…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Oct. 11
Leigh Smith and her daughter Pam Brock have just returned from a terrific weekend in Salisbury, Conn. They were there to attend the wedding of Leigh’s oldest grandson, Charlie, to his long intended, Cath.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Oct. 11
I love the picture above our column that evokes so many positive memories, particularly at this poignant time of year when Columbus Day marks the end of the season for so many Oak Bluffs homeowners. If you squint, the stylized Cottage City cottage looks remarkably like Dorothy West’s, the original writer of what was called…
Edgartown Town Column: Oct. 11
We have been having the best fall weather. The wind has been blowing a lot, but we can handle that compared to the alternative. We still need the rain. I am getting nervous because people say that if the ponds are not full, the winter will give us a lot of snow.
Chappy Town Column: Oct. 11
Fall has always been my favorite season. The air dries out, the bugs stop biting and you don’t have to get up so early to see the sunrise. The pressures of summer are behind us, there is little chance that a hurricane will hit the Vineyard and as long as I’ve got a year’s worth…
Film Soars to the Vineyard, Circa 1957
The film comes from 1957, so the colors look elemental and crayon bright. The music is jouncy and insistent, like something you’d hear in an old-time Friendly’s Restaurant. The men wear neckties and smoke, pretty much no matter where they are or what they’re doing.
Harbor View Chef Leads Way at Food and Wine Festival
Nathan Gould is on a mission to prove that all hotel food is not created equal. The bland chicken breast is out and a sous vide Good Farm chicken roulade is in.
“We’re continuously moving towards sourcing locally, which a lot of hotels don’t,” Mr. Gould said walking through the doors of the Harbor View…
Go Native, Go Wild for Food Challenge
Summer is the best season for foraging, when beach plums and wild grapes are ripe for the picking, and black walnuts fall from the neighbor’s tree. Violet Cabot would know. She spent much of the summer foraging with her family, scouring the landscape for rare berries and searching the swamps of Aquinnah for watercress.
A…
Readying for Winter
What a welcome relief to get a tiny bit of rain over the weekend. I was pleased to read in last week’s paper that September was the driest one in 67 years. I felt validated in my opinion. I was feeling quite a bit of anxiety over the droughty situation.
Caspian Terns Return
Birding on the Vineyard and elsewhere has changed immensely with the invention of the cell phone and iPad. A good example occurred Oct. 5 in the late morning when Lanny McDowell, Pete Gilmore and Ken Magnuson spotted three Caspian terns on South Beach from the west side of Chilmark Pond.
Groundsel’s Last Stand
Groundsel tree isn’t shy about waiting for the right time to make an entrance.
Yard Falls for the Arts
The Yard in Chilmark is having a full program for Fall for the Arts. On Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. YardWorks presents Scott Crawford’s reading of My Fathers House, a tale of a father and his two children overcoming their differences.
Wind Festival Returns to Oak Bluffs
The annual Martha’s Vineyard Wind Festival is blowing into Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs on Saturday, October 12. Wind power will set kites to flying, frisbees to sailing and boats to floating as folks gather at the park. A free kite-making session for children is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with flying competitions beginning…
Seeking Memories of WWII
Vineyarders who have memories, experiences or photographs from the Vineyard during World War II are sought for interviews for a book about World War II on Martha’s Vineyard.
Ready, Set, Run for Vineyard House
Vineyard House invites all to its 24th Annual Columbus Day 5K Road Race and 1 Mile Fun Run on Sunday, Oct. 13. The race begins at 10:30 at Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs, continues along New York avenue, to the East Chop bluffs and back to the finish line in front of the Wesley House…
Youth Tennis Roof Raising
Youth Tennis Roof Raising The Vineyard Youth Tennis program is raising the bubble roof on Saturday, Oct. 19, to prepare for the winter tennis season. The bubble raising begins at 8:30 a.m. and 30 people are needed to help with the project. All classes except for the tournament team will be cancelled that day. If…
Hope HouseCalls
Hope HouseCalls, a division of the Hope Health hospice and palliative care, has expanded its service area to include Dukes County.
Native Earth Popcorn Festival
Native Earth Teaching Farm in Chilmark invites everyone to its annual Popcorn Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone gets the chance to fill up the poultry and goats with popcorn while also playing games, watching fiber demonstrations and coloring T-shirts. For more information, call 508-645-3304 or visit nativeearthteachingfarm.org.
Calling All IMPs
Improv (IMP) for Kids invites children in grades one to five to try out an afterschool class for free this October. Classes meet on Tuesdays for grades one to three and Wednesdays for grades three to five. All classes start at 3:30 p.m. and are held at the BASE at Alex’s Place at the YMCA.…
Tisbury School Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival The Tisbury School invites the community to its annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, Oct. 13, from 3 to 5 p.m. The festival includes a potluck supper, hayrides, pumpkin decorating and more. All games and activities are free but bring a dish to pass for the supper.
Blast from the Past at Fossil Day
Fossil Fred wants you to take a trip to the past and he’s bringing along a bunch of friends to make the journey extra special.
Judith Campbell Talks the Truth Behind Fiction
Join author Judith Campell at Bunch of Grapes bookstore on Main street in Vineyard Haven as she talks about her book A Predatory Mission. Her talk is titled The Truth Behind the Fiction and Ms. Campbell will serve up some of her character Olympia Brown’s deadly fudge. To make sure you get a piece of…
Please Adopt Us
The weather is turning cooler. Wouldn’t having a snuggle bunny be welcome? The Animal Shelter has the perfect pet for that. She is a brown and white rabbit with helicopter ears and fur that defines the word soft. She loves cuddling and petting.
Staying Solid Underfoot, Floors Are Keepers
Scott Dawley has done it all: electrical work, sheet rocking, carpentry, flooring, diving for coins. “I’ve been in the trades ever since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” he said. Mr. Dawley owns Dawley Flooring and Tile and also offers handyman services.
Living by the Light of His Own Doing
Pasted in the corner window of the door that leads into Lamplighter Corner is a sign that reads: “You need a lamp, Billy got a lamp.” It was written in blue crayon by the daughter of craftsman Billy Hoff, who has been at the helm of the Island business for the past eight years.
Water Order Lifted, State Road and Chilmark Tavern Okay to Open
Owners of two up-Island restaurants said they were complying with state regulations following a bad water test that led to their closure late last week. The state department of environmental protection ordered the drinking water shut off at the Chilmark Tavern and State Road Restaurant after total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria were found…
Scores Are In: Class of 2013 Set SAT Record
The same high school class that set records on the MCAS tests two years ago has made history on another standardized test. The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High school class of 2013 show they outperformed all previous classes as well as many of their peers statewide, Director of Guidance…
Ada Arrives
Erin and Daniel Lashnits Herman of Vineyard Haven and Berkeley, Calif., announce the home birth of their daughter, Ada Frances Herman, on August 10 in Berkeley. Ada weighed 8 pounds at birth. Her grandparents are Annette and Ken Herman of New Zealand and Connecticut, and Carol Lashnits of Vineyard Haven and the late Kevin Coughlin,…
Announcing Lillian
Nicole and James Hayes of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Lillian Christine Hayes, born on Oct. 6 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Lillian weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Welcome John
Ila Briggs Halby and Peter Halby of Vineyard Haven and Lincoln, Vt., announce the birth of a son, John Briggs Halby, born on Sept. 22 in Vermont. John weighed 7 pounds at birth. John joins his big brother Truman at home.
School Enrollment Shows Slight Increase
Enrollment at Island public schools increased slightly for the 2013-2014 school year, according to data collected on Oct. 1. This is the fourth year in a row that enrollment at the six Island schools has held relatively steady, reversing a nine-year trend of decreasing enrollment numbers.
Grand Jury Hands Up Child Assault, Trafficking Indictments
A Oak Bluffs man charged with allegedly injuring his infant daughter was indicted Monday by a Dukes County grand jury. Shaun A. Sicsico, 19, was indicted on charges of assault and battery on a child with substantial injury and permitting substantial injury to a child.
West Tisbury Man Killed in Car Crash
A West Tisbury man was killed Monday when the car he was driving collided with a tree on Old County Road, according to the West Tisbury police.
David S. Campbell, 25, was traveling northeast on Old County Road in a green 2004 Honda Accord when the car went across the roadway near Skiffs Lane and…
Leaves’ True Colors Now on Display
I will readily admit that fall is my favorite season of the year. The fact that I work at the Polly Hill Arboretum (a tree museum!) makes it possible for me to see the collective fall color of over 1,300 different trees and shrubs.
No Sticky Wicket Here, Cricket Comes to the Vineyard
If you want to play pickup soccer all you need is a ball and a field.
If you want to play pickup cricket you need a bit more.
A tennis ball (or four, in case one bounces away) will do in place of the hard leather ball typically used in games. Wooden spikes will do…
Renowned Artist Ray Ellis Dies at 92
Ray Ellis of Edgartown died at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on Oct. 4 of complications from a stroke. He was 92. A nationally recognized artist whose paintings are in the permanent collection at The White House and museums around the country, Mr. Ellis sought out beauty in everything. He was an unwavering optimist and a…
Debate Continues Over Tisbury Stop & Shop Expansion
Questions of size and character dominated discussion at a Martha’s Vineyard Commission public hearing Thursday night, the third such session the commission has held on plans to renovate and expand the Stop & Shop Vineyard Haven store.
Diary of Two Sisters Provides Portal to 19th Century Martha’s Vineyard
If we want written accounts of Island life before the Gazette began to publish in 1846, we must usually rely on letters, town records, deeds, wills and diaries, many kept at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, some at the newspaper office, others at the county courthouse.
