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 10, 2014
Squibnocket Beach Grant May Not Be Available After All
A major state grant awarded this year to the town of Chilmark to restore Squibnocket Beach may be in jeopardy because it was tied to a project that voters rejected at the annual town meeting in April.
Funding Will Help Island Youth Groups Work Together
Major funding will be provided by the Peter & Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation to expand services for adolescents at risk. The Island Wide Youth Collaborative will address substance abuse and mental health problems.
Small Fries Are Catching Big Fish
The kids are all right, at least as far as the derby is concerned. Seven-year-old Mason Warburton has held the top spot since the second day for his boat-caught false albacore.
Commission in Transition; MVC Looks to Future as Executive Director Retires
A period of transition begins for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission with the announcement that executive director Mark London will retire at the end of next summer. The commission will soon begin a search for his replacement.
West Tisbury Town Column: Oct. 10
Today is the beginning of the Columbus Day weekend and the end of the extended shoulder season. The last farmers’ market and artisan festival of the year will take place at the Grange Hall tomorrow and Sunday.
State Road Owners Cleared to Purchase Saltwater Restaurant
Jackson and Mary Kenworth, owners of State Road Restaurant, have entered into an agreement with Saltwater owner Reid (Sam) Dunn to purchase the restaurant. The sale is expected to close on Nov. 4.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Oct. 10
Welcome back to Leide DePaula who returned from a whirlwind two weeks in Brazil. Leide has not seen her brother and sister, many friends, lots of relatives and neighbors in 14 years.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Oct. 10
Niantic Park, across from the senior center, was renowned as the home of the annual Oak Bluffs tennis tournament for years and often presided over by Sen. Edward W. Brooke.
Land Bank Revenues: Oct. 3
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $591,993.33 for the business week ending on Friday, Oct. 3, 2014.
Looking Back With Gratitude on Island Life
Shirley Mayhew’s affectionate recollections of West Tisbury chronicle the years from 1947, when she arrived as a bride to a community of 239 residents, to 2013, when the book was written.
Edgartown Town Column: Oct. 10
The dry ponds now have some water in them and the ducks seem to be happy. I hope the deer are happy as people have been complaining about them eating all the leaves.
On Chappy: Oct. 10
Big week for this author and, by obvious extension, Chappy itself. Firstly, I turned 51 — a glorious affair replete with my usual vacant stares and wistful yearnings, but with room left over along the edges of my psyche for hopeful anticipation of life to come.
Fresh Eyes Offer New Mood to Seasonal Shift
Autumn is not my favorite season. And not because it signals the end of summer swimming and sailing, or because it presages the cold weather. For me it’s just that fall’s vibrant colors — the glowing golds and startling crimsons — mark an end rather than a sunny beginning.
Chilmark Town Column: Oct. 10
Chilmark is still enjoying daily sunshine with occasional rain at night — seems like a nice arrangement! We still have many fishermen and visitors to enjoy it all. Fall has been more like summer so far.
The Commission in Transition
With the announcement by executive director Mark London that he will retire at the end of next summer, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has been handed an opening to articulate its mission and reconsider its priorities and the time to do it right.
Feeding the Hungry
Autumn is settling over the Island like so many fallen leaves and for the many people who work long hours in summer, this is a time to pause and savor the quiet season.
Comcast Quotas Met
In the past three years the residents of Chappaquiddick have worked with Pam Dolby and the Edgartown selectmen to bring Comcast to Chappy. We are now two months from realizing this as the mid-December contract deadline approaches.
Recycling Questions
Can someone explain to me why Oak Bluffs does not recycle cereal boxes, orange juice cartons, etc.? They are recyclable. Also, if recycling is encouraged, why is it necessary to have a sticker to bring recyclables to the landfill?
Poor Planning
I couldn’t agree more about the lack of planning which resulted in the insensitive scheduling of a community event which excluded a small but significant part of this Island.
Guided by Winds of Hope and Kindness
A few weeks ago I was invited to join a very special sunset sailing opportunity aboard the Alabama. This time felt different. The occasion was more emotional, heartfelt and personal.
Keep Fluoridating
The most common disease in childhood is dental caries (tooth decay). It can cause pain, infection and early loss of teeth.
Wall Sits
Opening upon South Road, Chilmark, is a private driveway extending northerly to a dwelling site half a mile away or better. There is nothing remarkable about this driveway, except that portion where it enters the highway.
Albie Dance
Rising sun, rising tideRising fish, rising spiritThe birds in the skyStart to chirp, can you hear it?Cut and dip, dash and dive,How can the baitfishEver survive?Shade your eyes, scout the horizonThe fish are breaking, our spirits risingHogy hooked up,At last the chance,To do the lightning Albie dance,Bow to stern, left to rightOne thing I’ve learned,Best…
High School Students Have SAT Success
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School students continue to perform well on the SATs, posting scores higher than state and national averages in all three subsets of the test this year.
Holmes Hole Joins Sail to Tarpaulin Cove
Beautiful October weather and the Holmes Hole Sailing Association fall racing series continued in lock step last Sunday. Eight boats came to the line to take on a sunny Harbor Course 1 in a building westerly breeze.
Flu Vaccines Are Important for All Ages
A total of 528 people of all ages received flu vaccines this weekend through the Island boards of health annual flu clinic.
Permanent Endowment Fund Names New Director
A new executive director takes the helm at the Permanent Endowment Fund for Martha’s Vineyard this week.
Information Night for MVYouth Community Fund
MVYouth, a new community fund established this summer to benefit children, teens and young adults on Martha’s Vineyard, will host an information session about its education scholarship program on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Coloring by Bella
Bella the puppeteer has exchanged the stage for some crayons. Her new activity coloring book for children is called Arakataka and it is a take off on her puppet show.
Avian Eye Soars Artfully on Canvas
Lanny McDowell took a break from painting in 2007 to focus on his bird photography, which appears in a variety of publications and videos. One can often find his work accompanying the bird column or other articles in the Gazette. His photographs also stand alone and are in private collections around the country.
He’s Got Grape; Island Sommelier Prepares for Wine Throw Down
Sam Decker is the sommelier and beverage director at Atria in Edgartown, and one of three wine personalities to face off Oct. 17 at the Sommelier Throw Down!
Fifty Years of Fern and Feather
Felix Neck’s Fern and Feather day camp has shown young people the incredible beauty and wildlife on the Island since 1964 and it celebrates 50 years of family-friendly fun with a big party on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Real Estate Transactions: Sept. 29 to Oct. 5
Kenneth Levy-Church and Jeanne Levy-Church purchased 29 Mill House Way in Vineyard Haven from Kate W. Sedgwick, TRS, and Maltese Falcon Trust for $4,000,000 on Sept. 30.
Local Wild Food Challenge: Where the Wild Things Are Eaten
Hunters and gatherers from around the Island meet and compete at the fifth annual Local Wild Food Challenge on Monday, Oct. 13, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Rod & Gun Club.
Cuckoo for Chocolate
It’s a veritable chocolate weekend from Oct. 10 to 12 at Featherstone Center for the Arts. The annual Art of Chocolate Festival begins with a sneak preview party under the tent on Friday, Oct. 10.
Fossil Fever
The Oak Bluffs library hosts a celebration of history, fossils and earth science from 4 to 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Garden Harvest Festival
Bring the kids and your green thumb to Vineyard Gardens’ harvest festival where you’ll find nature crafts, plant displays, garden tours, a raffle and refreshments from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Memory Loss Support Create Positive Connections
We are responding to the commentary in last week’s Gazette by Polly Simpkins on her father’s 86th birthday. Thank you Polly for your heartfelt and caring article about your dad and those who struggle with memory loss.
Generation Game
Alex’s Place at the YMCA hosts Boomerang Trivia on Friday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. Form your own team of two made up of one adult and one teenager and then together you can answer questions from both generations.
Island Food Pantry Opens
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Island Food Pantry will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Stone Church in Vineyard Haven.
Where is Venus, Goddess of Love?
The brightest planet in our morning sky has disappeared, or is about to. Venus is so low in the southeastern sky at dawn, you probably can’t find it. The planet, which in mythology is a Roman Goddess of love, is both extremely far away and also slipping into the glare of the bright sun. Don’t…
Sailing Off the Rock
Today the areOf things, mere are,Be-drubs us, drubs us drab:A thrusting spile splits this from that,The air unbreathable . . . These shacks attached by noonLack meaning in a butcher’s glare;By their own shadows botched,From were to will-have-beenThey drift in are. A blunt prow snorts and snores;What impresario bids beSuch shrunkeness?Says yes to it, yes…
Island Parents Advisory Council Will Meet
The Island Parents Advisory Council on Special Education (IPAC) will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard.
Exercise Has Benefits
From now until Nov. 1, the Mansion House Health Club will donate $18 to the Island Food Pantry whenever anyone renews or purchases a three month or more membership.
Gazette Wins Award for Coastal Erosion Coverage, Named Distinguished Paper
The Vineyard Gazette won two top awards for excellence in journalism this week, including a Publick Occurrences award for its special section and website called Living on the Edge, the Coastal Erosion Project published in 2013. This is the second straight year that the Gazette has won this award.
Toastmasters Open House
MV Toastmasters is holding an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post in Vineyard Haven.
Residents Concerned About Meeting Chappy Comcast Deadline
The campaign to bring high-speed internet to Chappaquiddick is short the required number of subscribers, with a little more than two months to go before the mid-December deadline.
Tracing the Lineage of Women Healers, Plant by Glorious Plant
Holly Bellebuono’s new book is part biography, part history, part geography and part linguistics lesson, all set against the broad backdrop of healing. Ms. Bellebuono profiles 21 contemporary women, each practicing different healing traditions.
Hello, Bommer
Abbey Gilpin and Blake Gilpin of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Bommer Holcomb Gilpin, born on Oct. 7 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Vineyard Portrait Contest
Beginning Oct. 1, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum began began accepting entries for the second Island Faces contest. Entries will be accepted through March 1, 2015, with the winning portraits debuting next summer on June 12, 2015.
Please Adopt Us
Celebrities abound in the current pet population. There is Harrison Ford, a large black guinea pig and Johnny Cash, a very young tuxedo who will be ready to be adopted once he has been neutered.
Judge Hears Arguments in Disputes Between Airport and County
A superior court judge heard a series of arguments Wednesday morning in an ongoing dispute between the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission and its appointing authority, Dukes County. Among other things, the Hon. Richard Chin will decide whether the county may expand the airport commission.
Learning to Live Again Through Photography
In his new book Fighting for My Life, Michael Blanchard recounts the story of how he hit rock bottom, and how he returned to the living through his pictures. Mr. Blanchard’s numerous photographs evoke the beauty and serenity of the Island.
Seed Saving and Maple Memories
Last Saturday’s Living Local event was a good time had by all. A great documentary, Open Sesame, was presented before a sizable audience. It was about the importance of saving heirloom and open-pollinated seed.
Nothing is Sacred to the Praying Mantis
The Hungry Caterpillar has got nothing on a praying mantis. Praying Mantises have an appetite that is both extraordinary and true to life.
A Temporary Lull in Bird Migration
There were some unusual sightings last weekend, including a Nashville warbler, but my impression of the past week is that birds were scarce.
Welcome, Charlotte
Jennifer Goeckel and Johnathan Goeckel of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Goeckel, born on Oct. 6 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Benjamin Arrives
Rose Margaret Campbell Runner and Ben P. Runner of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Benjamin David Runner, born on Oct. 6 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Off-Season Menemsha Bustles With Building Projects
The new Coast Guard boathouse, designed to withstand fires and 100-year floods, is up and expected to be done by December. Two stone jetties are set to be replaced by the Army Corps of Engineers this winter. Selectmen toured Menemsha this week to see the work firsthand.
Edgartown Hotel Hob Knob Placed on the Market
Hob Knob, the boutique luxury hotel on Upper Main Street Edgartown, has been put up for sale for an undisclosed price. Owner Maggie White said it is time to focus on her other Island ventures.
To Plan for Future, Identifying What Makes Tisbury Great
Last Friday morning, 53 people gathered at the Vineyard Haven Public Library with a mission: identify what makes Tisbury special, and how it could be better.
The workshops are part of a vision planning process that will provide a road map for future town improvements.
Superior Court in Session, Grand Jury Indicts Two
The fall session of Dukes County Superior Court opened Monday in the Edgartown courthouse with a grand jury indicting two men, including a Vineyard Haven man on charges of aggravated rape of child.
High Seas, Stormy Weather Possible Into Wednesday
Minor coastal flooding is possible Wednesday morning in Southeastern Massachusetts, including on the Vineyard, the National Weather Service said. The full moon will combine with strong southerly winds and building seas to produce extreme high tides.
Supporting Families With Care and a Steady Hand
Kathi Hackett has been with Martha’s Vineyard Community Services long enough to have photos of a smiling five-year-old boy who has grown into a handsome 30-year-old man taped to her office wall.
Man Charged with Operating Under the Influence After Boat Mishap
A Manchester man was charged with operating a motor boat under the influence after the boat he was operating went over a dock and crashed into the beach on Chappaquiddick, according to Edgartown police. The incident took place on Saturday evening.
Lagoon Ridge Subdivision Wins Early, Nonbinding Approval from MVC
A complicated housing proposal in Oak Bluffs received a preliminary nod from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week. The plan calls for building for 25 housing units on 32.5 acres off Barnes Road. Nitrogen loading in the Lagoon is the biggest stumbling block.
Freedom Awards Go To Civil Rights Leaders with Vineyard Ties
Oak Bluffs resident Charlayne Hunter-Gault and longtime seasonal visitor Robert Moses will be honored with the National Civil Rights Museum’s annual Freedom Awards.
Hello, Chevy
Rebecca Bonds and Marc LaVergne of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Chevy Blaise LaVergne, born on Oct. 5 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Francesca Arrives
Kyleen Keenan and Daniel (Nacho) Vignolo of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a daughter, Francesca Pierina Vignolo, born on Oct. 4 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Islanders Take Their Place in Winner’s Circle in Gay Head 10K
Vineyard runners took home top medals in the second annual Gay Head 10K held Sunday morning, beginning with Edgartown native Jamie Smadbeck who crossed the finish line first with a time of 40:18. Mr. Smadbeck and his fiancee ran in memory of her mother, who recently died of lung cancer.
Celebrating Autumn on the Island at Living Local Fall Festival
Visitors sporting rain boots and slickers turned out for Saturday’s Living Local Harvest Festival at the Agricultural Hall. The festival celebrated all things local with booths and lectures showcasing local food and educational programs.
Piano Man Finds Baby Grand for West Tisbury Library
An original rosewood Steinway & Sons baby grand piano from 1901, a gift from a group of private donors, will call the West Tisbury library home. A dedication concert is planned for Oct. 12.
MVC Executive Director Will Retire
Mark London quietly announced at the end of a commission meeting Thursday night that he would retire by the end of next summer. Mr. London has been executive director of the commission for the past 12 years.
