Jane Kenyon
I am the stone step, the latch, and the working hinge. I am the heart contracted by joy, the longest hair, white before the rest.-Jane Kenyon
January 17, 2014
Fireball Meteor
A brilliant fireball meteor, as bright as the moon, shot across the sky early Sunday evening. It was seen as far north as Maine and a far south as the New Jersey. David Stanwood, who lives off Lambert’s Cove Road, in West Tisbury, saw it from the backyard of his house. “At first I thought…
As Homeless Numbers Rise, Services and Funding Scarce
They are the Island’s most vulnerable but invisible population. And with an inadequate safety net for the homeless, members of the clergy and county administration are calling for an Islandwide response.
Some Glory Days Never Fade, 1979 Girls’ Basketball Stands Tall
In 1979 the girls’ basketball team won the state championships, the first of any Vineyard team to do so. They repeated the feat two years later, cementing their legacy.
Katama Airfield Hangar Expansion Stalls
Katama Airfield commissioners came before Edgartown selectmen again this week to press for a resolution on the proposed expansion of the hangar at the airfield.
What Lies Beneath? Erosion Uncovers Lighthouse Mystery
An exposed foundation at Gay Head Cliffs leads some to believe it may have served as a base for the second of three versions of the Gay Head Light. Others think it may be the foundation to the lighthouse keeper’s colonial house.
Yes, Dancing is Allowed
Johnny Hoy, plus his Bluefish band, of course, will play at the Yard’s benefit at the Chilmark Community Center Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.
Crossing Town Boundaries
Fiercely independent, financially inefficient and charmingly parochial, the six towns on the Vineyard have a long history of shunning regional enterprises.
Economic Engines, Big and Little
On the Vineyard every aspect of life revolves around the seasons, and perhaps none more so than business life. In summer the Island is bustling with commerce. In winter of course the predominant theme is closed for business.
Land Bank Revenues: Jan. 10
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $80,185 for the business week ending on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014.
Midwinter
At 4:45 the sun edges through a loose nest of branches, sets
behind a snow bank, slipping out early after its brief appearance
in today.
West Coast Model Skews Flood Zone
New FEMA maps mean many home and business owners in the commonwealth must either pay millions of dollars for renovations or shell out for flood insurance premiums that reach beyond $30,000 a year.
Digital Disruption Can’t Stop Reel Time Joy
On New Year’s Day I drove from Chilmark to Edgartown, from Peaked Hill to Main street, listening to Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch alone in my car.
Stop the Spraying
The following letter was sent to NStar:
I just recently heard that the public has until Jan. 15 to write to you in protest the spraying of herbicides on Martha’s Vineyard to save your company the expense of trimming plants by hand. How absurd!
Few Benefits, Many Detriments
Should Ahold-Stop & Shop’s proposal for a greatly expanded store, the subject of a long hearing process before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, be approved or rejected?
Support Plus Critical Skills
On Monday, Jan. 20, trained local volunteers working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will begin a course for family members of individuals with serious mental illness. This is a free, 12-week series of classes on consecutive Mondays, through April 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Vineyard Haven.
Fuzzy Geography
Herb Foster’s article in the Jan. 3 issue of the Gazette has an interesting organization that braids together effectively but sometimes a bit confusingly several different time sequences.
Want to Be a Stowaway? Now Is Your Chance
As a nod to authenticity of voyages of old, Mystic Seaport is holding a contest to put a stowaway on board the Charles W. Morgan, oldest surviving whaleboat, as it heads out this spring on a three-month voyage throughout New England.
Oyster Farm Expansion Allowed at Eel Pond in Edgartown
Roy Scheffer and his son Jeremy Scheffer will put two small farms to keep cages of oysters in the area known as middle flats. Father and son already grow oysters in Katama Bay.
Winter’s White
Time totters on, and almost any day now — the word “day” being used in its Genesis or geological sense — the Islander will stop his car on the shoulder of some road leading away from the ferry slip in Vineyard Haven and take aboard the two young hitchhikers and their baby and their dog…
Nicholas Billingham Named to President’s List
Nicholas Billingham of Edgartown was named to the fall 2013 president’s list at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, N.H.
Aquinnah Town Column: Jan. 17
The polar vortex seems to have gone elsewhere for the moment. I kind of thought those snowy owls were an omen of what was to be. We’ve had grey overcast skies, light snow a week ago and pouring rain all day on Tuesday.
Chilmark Town Column: Jan. 17
Chilmark enjoyed sharing the January thaw with the rest of the Island. However, there were many activities in town to get us out in the mild weather. At Squibnocket Beach, both in the parking lot and in the surf, many boarders enjoyed the waves. Over at Menemsha, the parking lot was at a summertime level,…
West Tisbury Town Column: Jan. 17
Well, this is the start of a long holiday weekend as Monday is Martin Luther King Day and all municipal buildings, including the post office, will be closed. Last weekend’s weather was wet and windy with the temperature in the upper 50s. Gale force winds were so strong that all afternoon and evening trips by…
Chappy Town Column: Jan. 17
This is pretty much as close as we will get to the dead of winter here on Chappy. Aside from the burst of activity at morning and evening rush hour, traffic is light at the ferry. Perhaps this is a good time to take a moment to reflect upon the integral role that the Chappy…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Jan. 17
Phyllis Clair Deitz’s daughter and three of her grandchildren were at her bedside when she died on July 22 last year. Her amazing obituary in the Vineyard Gazette was titled, Phyllis Deitz, 90, Was an Oak Bluffs Girl at Heart.
Edgartown Town Column: Jan. 17
This past week’s storm caused the waves at South Beach to be high and they did some washing away of the little beach we have left. But, you still can’t resist going down to the beach and watching the waves rolling in.
Woman Found Dead on Beach Identified as West Tisbury Resident
Sharon Edell was 64 and had lived on the Island for many years. Her death is not criminally suspicious. Police have been unable to contact relatives; anyone with information is asked to call 508-693-0545.
Please Adopt Us
Like the rest of the Island, the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard is in a post-holiday lull. There is only one canine resident, the bichon frisee named Jackson. He has been transformed by Ellen, the groomer par excellence, into a mass of white curls surrounding his black button eyes.
Gazette Promotes New Sales Manager
Mona Rosenthal, an account executive with the company for the past year, succeeds BJ Yerdon, who retired from the Gazette in December after 12 years.
Winter Mortality Affects Avian Friends
There is a reason why many birds migrate south for the winter! Food can be scarce.
Basking Shark Died of Cold, Biologists Believe
The juvenile basking shark washed up in the surf on Menemsha Beach Sunday, attracting onlookers. Later scientists arrived to perform a necropsy that will contribute to shark research as a whole.
Land Shark
“Open wide and say ahh!” This is one fish that would be a dentist’s dream. It wasn’t a dentist who found a dead basking shark at Menemsha Beach last weekend.
Freshmen Projects Bring African American History to Life
Ninth grade history classes at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School produced more than 100 projects as part of the annual African American Heritage Trail history project. The students traveled the trail, interviewed members of the community and created a wide array of work.
Real Estate Transactions: Jan. 6 – Jan. 12
Clough LLC purchased 211 Meetinghouse Way in Edgartown from John A. Davidson and Carol A. Davidson for $854,000 on Jan. 7.
Liam Wallace Named to Dean’s List
Liam M. Wallace of Vineyard Haven was named to the fall 2013 dean’s list at Hamilton College.
New Leadership for Friends of Vineyard Soccer
David Wallis was elected president of Friends of Vineyard Soccer during the board’s annual meeting on Jan. 9, taking the helm from Richard Bennett, who served the organization for three years.
Star Gazing at the Film Center
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, actors Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga will touch base with the Vineyard—and not hidden away at some secluded enclave.
Music History Comes to Life Through Film Series
The Vineyard Haven Public Library begins a six-week long film and lecture series entitled America’s Music: A History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Charter School Hosts Enrollment Open House
Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School is hosting an enrollment open house on Tuesday, Jan. 28, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
On Cold Nights Finding Solace in Seed Catalogues
It was so warm and beautiful last Sunday that I had to get out there in the dirt. I moved a couple of blueberry bushes. They were too close to my beehives and I would not be able to tend them next summer without protective clothing.
Hockey, Basketball, Swimming Stick to the Winning Side
Girls’ hockey remains undefeated in league play, both basketball teams are racking up wins and the high school swim teams are strong in the pool this year.
Ham and Bean Supper at Edgartown School
Beans, ham, corn bread and desserts are on the menu on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at a special community dinner at the Edgartown School.
Lifeguard Certification Course
The YMCA is offering a lifeguard certification course for those age 15 and older. A pretest is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 10 to 11 a.m.
Sail MV’s Winter Lecture
Sail Martha’s Vineyard winter dinner lecture series begins with Matthew Stackpole from Mystic Seaport Museum presenting, And She Alone Remains: The Past, Present and Future of the Charles W. Morgan.
Honoring Mandela
The Vineyard Haven library hosts a two-part series in honor of the late Nelson Mandela with the film Invictus and a discussion with author and photographer Alan Brigish, who grew up in South Africa.
Felix Neck Summer Camp
It’s not too soon to think about summer camp. Registration is now open for this summer’s Felix Neck Fern and Feather Day Camp.
Winter Gala Is Benefit for Minnesingers
Time to break out of the winter doldrums and break into some fancy or not so fancy footwork. The Sultans of Swing provide tunes for the mid-winter ball and gala.
Calling All Artists
Featherstone Center for the Arts has openings for its upcoming art shows, beginning with February’s For Pet’s Sake. Pets have unique personalities and capturing them through all mediums is the focus of this show.
Shellfish Growers Come Out of Cold for Warm-Water Problem: Vibrio
Oyster farmers want to avoid another bacteria outbreak like the one that forced a temporary shutdown of their business late last summer. State officials are listening.
Vineyard Housing Advocates Honored
Two longtime Island affordable housing advocates will be honored at the State House in Boston Tuesday for their contributions under the Community Preservation Act. Philippe Jordi and Derrill Bazzy are recipients of this year’s Kuehn Community Preservation Award, given out by the Community Preservation Act Coalition.
Oak Bluffs Receives Major Grant to Repair North Bluff
Oak Bluffs received a $3.6 million grant on Monday to help repair the North Bluff. The money brings the total to $7.5 million in outside funding for the town.
Center Ice Belonged to Squirts at Ryan Mone Memorial Tournament
This past weekend the Squirts took center stage at the 24th Annual Ryan Mone Memorial Tournament. It was three days filled with early wake-up calls and late night play (for players and parents).
Case Challenging Casino Law Is Dismissed
The ruling by a U.S. District Court judge clears the way for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to continue its casino plans in Taunton.
9 Old House Road, West Tisbury
This country home is located in a wooded setting close to Lambert's Cove Beach. There are secluded bedroom wings and the master bedroom wing features a library, bath and its own sitting area with a fireplace. The kitchen has custom features and a bay window. There is a fireplace in the dining room and two…
Shaking Hands With Nature, One Step at a Time
On Sunday afternoon about 40 hikers (and several dogs) gathered for a guided walk through the Frances Woods Preserve in West Tisbury. “Fran Woods emailed this morning to say ‘enjoy the walk,’” said Brendan O’Neill, executive director of the Vineyard Conservation Society.
Warming Up to Cold Blast of Winter
Is summer the Island’s true season or is it winter? A meditation on winter, formed during the recent blizzard.
State-Approved Changes Set for High School Equivalency Test
The Department of Education will offer a new high school equivalency test in place of the GED. The Vineyard high school, which has administered the test since the 1970s, is preparing for the changes.
Dead Shark Washes Up at Menemsha Beach
A dead shark turned up in the surf at Menemsha Beach Sunday afternoon, attracting a small crowd of gawkers. Word about the shark first surfaced when Menemsha Texaco sent out a picture via Instagram.
Dan Wolf Speaks of His Trials, Pledges to Press Democratic Agenda
His rocky year with the state ethics commission behind him, the state senator told a gathering of Vineyard Democrats Saturday morning he wants to champion causes for the working class.
Bows Up, Young Strings Students Delight With Winter Concert
The annual winter concert is a showcase for students in the All-Island elementary strings program, from the very young with their pint-sized violins to older students on cello and viola.
Edgartown Takes Ownership of Its Lighthouse
The town is the new owner of the old lighthouse, which has been perched a quarter mile out on the outer Edgartown harbor since 1939. The U.S. General Services Administration announced the transfer in ownership last week.
