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
March 21, 2014
Welcome to Spring
Welcome to Spring Today is the first full day of spring. Spring arrived yesterday at 12:57 p.m. The length of our day and night is about the same and tonight all the constellations we associate with spring slowly parade across the sky. The bright star Arcturus rises in the east at about 8 p.m. Arcturus…
Land Bank Revenue Up for Second Year
Realtors on Martha’s Vineyard and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank are reporting that Island real estate sales are on the rise. For qualifying transactions, revenues per transaction from the last two years are also up.
Counselors See Rise in Student Stress
Visits to the guidance office at the high school are up, and guidance counselors at the middle schools say anxiety and depression is affecting kids younger than previously observed.
VNA Deal Falls Through: Cape Cod Health Care Will Open Its Own Office
The Vineyard Nursing Association announced an agreement to sell its operations to Cape Cod Health Care in January. Last week that agreement fell through.
Trucking, Up to Chilmark, Serving Up Wraps, Falafels and Romaine
Two ovens, two sinks, tortilla soup, hamburgers, cookies and great conversation all inside Josh Aronie’s mobile kitchen, The Food Truck. Parked outside the Chilmark General Store, the Truck feeds anywhere from one to 100 people a day.
Democracy Matters
What can be done to honor public service and encourage more of our citizens to enter into the contact sport of politics? We don’t have the answer, but perhaps our readers do.
Something to Peep About
There hasn’t been a peep yet from the spring peepers. Who can blame the wee frogs, though. Spring may have officially arrived yesterday, but winter hasn’t really ceded much ground yet.
Couple of Farmers Chewing the Cud Grows Lasting Friendship
Donnie used to think of himself as something of a curmudgeon and I wasn’t about to argue the point with him, but somewhere along the way I figured out that it was just a ruse.
Fond Memories of Uncle Louis
I realize now that Uncle Louis’ passing hurts a lot — for the usual reasons like him just not being here, but also because this is the final scene by a remarkable generation of individuals.
New Book Is Wide-Ranging Tribute to a True Scholar and a Gentleman
A new book in honor of Sheldon Hackney features essays of the historian and public intellectual who ended up working in high profile administrative positions, and a southerner who wound up living on an Island north of the Mason-Dixon line.
Stocking the Shelves with Loving Friendship
Looking back now, as we often do when someone important in our lives passes, I can feel the substance of this man and his contemporaries who helped to weave the fabric that is me, that is this whole up-Island community.
An Acronym a Day Keeps Winter at Bay
With winter dragging here on Martha’s Vineyard and holding back early signs of spring, I wonder what is the Islander’s overall mood these days. Lousy? Upbeat? Fair to middling?
Cat Power
How chilly these winter nights be
Life’s a Puzzle With a Couple of Pieces Gone
Charlie has a really good chance of becoming the first honest-to-goodness cancer survivor ever from this isolated little rock, which boasts absolutely no medical attention whatsoever.
West Tisbury Town Column: March 21
To make the coming of spring complete — although it doesn’t feel like it — several robins flew into the backyard and were warmly welcomed by my wife.
Edgartown Town Column: March 21
People are happy that the Wharf is open again after a month of restoration, spring cleaning and some much-needed rest. That means trivia night started on Wednesday and Danny Cassidy and his mom, Pam, have interesting questions and fun categories for us.
Aquinnah Town Column: March 21
Aha! Spring hath sprung. Birds are in full chorus awaiting the pinkletinks. Saws are whirring as tree surgeons operate on the fallen limbs. Landscapers and farmers are tilling the soil.
Chilmark Town Column: March 21
Chilmark is more than ready to welcome spring . . . whenever it decides to arrive! Today started off with a temperature in the teens, but by noon has made it to 40 so we are hopeful for more.
On Chappy: March 21
If you haven’t been in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital lately, I’m happy for you. That’s usually good news, but you’ve been missing out on the fabulous exhibits of photographs and paintings in the main hall.
Solar Array Program Gains New Financial Backing
G & S Solar Installers LLC of New York plans to post a bond for the cost of the entire construction for the Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative, Inc. Island officials said they were pleased to hear the news, which followed a January announcement that the former investor was going out of business.
Aquinnah Addresses Public Safety Services
A vote was taken to create a capitol expenditure committee to look at future planning for town expenditures at the board’s meeting on Tuesday. The town also received one bid for relocating the historic Gay Head Light.
Voices of Democracy
From the “On Circuit Avenue, And All About Town” column by Louise Aldrich Bugbee in the Vineyard Gazette edition of March 8, 1974: It’s no great wonder that I felt at home in New England, by the sea. Town meeting made me realize that without ever having seen the sea and having been away from…
Big Love
Louie Larsen was a man with giant arms and a giant heart full of kindness and compassion. He earned the respect and admiration of an entire Island.
Wide Angle Lens
The commission has helped us maintain reasonable growth while protecting the environment. The world now looks at us as a special vacation destination, with increasing admiration because of our respect for our natural setting.
Defending Mr. Wey
I write in defense of Roger Wey. In all the many years I have known Roger (and particularly when he was a selectman of Oak Bluffs) the Roger I knew was honest, considerate and helpful.
Pond Politics
I invite everyone to come hear Steve Hurley, southeast district fisheries manager for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, talk about the results of the fish sampling survey undertaken on Mill Brook in September 2012.
World Class
With the advent of my granddaughter’s becoming a freshman at our regional high school, my horizon has changed, broadened, expanded and become much more colorful.
Housing Needs
According to the Martha’s Vineyard 2014 Housing Needs Assessment, there are 2,245 households with average median incomes below $68,800 for a family of four. The average price of a home on the Vineyard is approximately $500,000.
Memory Support
As co-facilitators of the Memory Support Group, we are grateful to our group members and their families who graciously agreed to share their stories openly so that Mr. Eville and his readers might become familiar with their world and their challenges.
Screen Gems
In the early 1990s The Vineyard was its own destination, not a presidential vacation spot or a real estate speculation. There were only three things to do on the Vineyard; drink or go to the movies. I forget the third.
Edgartown Dredging Project Kicks into High Gear
Edgartown selectmen signed off the dredge committee’s request to rent an excavator and move about 1,400 cubic yards of sand. The sand needed to be dredged as soon as possible because Edgartown Great Pond has a dredging deadline of April 1.
Going With the Flow, Decades Old Drift Bottle Surfaces
Keith Moreis of Oak Bluffs was out walking on Long Point Beach on a bitter cold December afternoon when he found a small bottle in a clump of seaweed. The bottle had been released in the fall of 1959 from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship Hydrographer.
New Boathouse Takes Shape in Menemsha
After some winter weather delays, construction for the new U.S. Coast Guard boathouse in Menemsha harbor continues.
New Brew: Expanding Business Gives Oak Bluffs Coffee Cred
Beetlebung owners Renee and John Molinari, the newest holders of a seasonal all-alcohol license in Oak Bluffs, plan to cater to a different audience than the typical bar. The Menemsha-based business will fill one of several vacancies on Circuit avenue with a hybrid coffeehouse and bar, to open in May.
Steamship Board Discusses Plans for Terminal Redesign
Final designs for a new Steamship Authority ferry and terminal in Woods Hole are underway. General manager Wayne C. Lamson said the new designs should be ready and presented at next month’s board of governors meeting.
Welcome, Caleb
Carrie Lucier and Bastille Lucier of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Caleb Thomas Lucier, born on March 19 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Please Adopt Us
Spring has sprung at the animal shelter! Everyone knows that new life arrives during this season. It is happening here at the shelter, too.
Hard Acts to Follow
Did you ever wonder what J.M. Barrie did other than create Peter Pan and Tinker Bell? Well, this is the weekend for you.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: March 21
Folks on social media have been buzzing appropriately enough, about the website BuzzFeed that recently proclaimed Oak Bluffs as one of 24 Small Towns in New England You Absolutely Need To Visit.
Edgartown Student Named to Dean’s List
Tayla Kuehne of Edgartown was named to the Fall 2013 dean’s list at Lasell College.
Picture This
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum is searching for photographs taken in the 1960s for its upcoming exhibit.
Sail MV Dinner and Lecture
Author George C. Daughan will speak at the next Sail MV dinner/lecture on Wednesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. at the Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven.
Land Bank Revenues: March 14
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $274,185.66 for the business week ending on Friday, March 14, 2014.
Candidates Forum
The Martha’s Vineyard League of Women Voters invites everyone to the Oak Bluffs library on Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m. to meet Oak Bluffs candidates.
Pathways Team Performances
The creative team behind Pathways Projects Institutes performs at a multi-arts installation event beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 22 at their gathering space at the Chilmark Tavern.
Real Estate Transactions: March 10 – March 16
Marion P. Hogan purchased 82 North Water street in Edgartown from Andrew Loring Rowe Jr., Trs., Barbara Bastien Rowe Declaration of Trust and Rowe Family North Water Street Nominee Trust for $2,200,000 on March 13.
Plaque Pursuit
Sue Costello and some of her students in the Edgartown School are on a mission to find all the historical plaques in Edgartown.
Boycotting the Bottle
Banning bottled water is a growing movement all over the United States. Let’s try to make some waves on the Vineyard with local water.
Selectmen Vote to Continue Investigation of Council on Aging Director
Oak Bluffs selectmen voted 4-0 with one abstention to hire outside experts after a police investigation of Roger Wey, director of the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging, did not find probable cause to bring criminal charges against him.
Learn About Mill Brook
Everyone is invited to a learning session about the Mill Brook at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 23 at the West Tisbury Public Safety Building.
Planting Party
The Dukes County/Friends of Sengekontacket Barrier Beach Task Force has a task for volunteers: dig out spotted knapweed and plant beach grass in test plots on State Beach.
Congregation Cabaret
The Federated Church on Cooke street in Edgartown hosts a benefit cabaret beginning with a 7:30 p.m. curtain time on Saturday, March 22.
Bringing Historical Women to Life
Tisbury School students completed a project that wove together historical women with theatre. The eighth and sixth graders reenacted the lives of women in history.
Hello, Andre
Guinevere Higgins and Gerald Soriano of Charlottesville, Va., and West Tisbury announce the birth of their son, Andre Orion Soriano, born at home on Feb. 24.
Welcome, Hailey
Jessica Townes and Chris Townes of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Hailey Ann Townes, born on March 12 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Announcing Isabel
Anna Chesley Merhalski and Daniel Merhalski of Chilmark announce the birth of a daughter, Isabel Anne Merhalski, born on March 12 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Tisbury Faces Town Budget Override
Last Tuesday’s meeting included discussion on Budgets for the 2015 fiscal year. Also, for the first time in 27 years, Tisbury is facing a general override on its town meeting warrant.
Islanders of All Ages Say Let Us Know About GMOs
A determined 9 year old collected more than 100 signatures to add to the 3,350 that will head to Boston on Tuesday in an effort to require labels for food and seeds that use GMOs.
Spaghetti Face Off
Vineyard Girls Lacrosse will host a pasta dinner at the Portuguese-American Club on March 20.
No Matter the Age, Dancers Take the Stage
Sandy Broyard and Sally Cohn will direct What’s Written Within on Sunday, March 23 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. This will be the dance group’s third annual performance at the Hebrew Center’s arts program.
Tree Swallows Return for Spring
It is no coincidence that we start seeing migrants after we finally have some warm weather. It is about time!
Spring Forward with Usual Traditions
How interesting that our traditions bind us to our past. Most years I try to plant a few potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day to have some sort of connection with my Irish forebears.
That’s a Wrap: Film Festival Finishes, Delights
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival’s four-day event featured 20 movies. In between screenings, filmgoers walked around, mingled with one another and sipped on Chilmark Coffee Company java.
Announcing Mateus
Amanda Silva Ribeiro and Torbelly Mirray Moura DeAssis of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Mateus Silva DeAssis, born on March 15.
Yoga for Youngsters: West Tisbury School Pilot Program Begins
A six-week yoga pilot program aimed to expose students from kindergarten to eighth grade launched this month at the West Tisbury School. Students and teachers will be surveyed along the way to evaluate the new project.
Much to Take Away at Annual Hospital Health Fair
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s annual health fair was on March 15. The event brought out hundreds of people and promoted healthy living by connecting the community with the hospital.
Selectmen Grant Preliminary Approval to Oak Bluffs Oyster Farm
Brothers Greg and Dan Martino plan to grow 50,000 oysters per year in bottom cages off of Eastville Beach in Oak Bluffs as early as next spring. Oak Bluffs selectmen gave preliminary approval as long as the Martino brothers’ equipment does not prevent boats from passing through the area.
Cape Cod Health Care Absorbs But Does Not Purchase VNA
The proposed purchase of the Vineyard Nursing Association by Cape Cod Health Care did not go through as planned, the Gazette learned today. In January, the VNA announced it had signed an agreement to sell its operations to Cape Cod Health Care, a large consortium which owns the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod. But…
Donnie Mills Was Beloved Islander
Donald Robert Mills, known to all as Donnie, died March 13, 2014 in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Donnie was born March 1, 1954 in Providence, R.I. to Dr. Donald R. Mills and Esther Mills of Edgartown. He graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, class of 1972, and later from Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
Polymer for the Win: Edgartown Sixth Grader Heading to National Spelling Bee
Twelve-year-old Spencer Pogue won first place at the all-Island spelling bee on March 14. He will compete in May against the country’s best spellers.
Pairing Beer with Art
Paint Corner Art Bar based in Cambridge is coming to Edgartown on Sunday, March 23.
