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
November 7, 2014
Islanders Rally for Injured Painter
Fundraisers are underway for Enrico Holley, an Island painter who was seriously injured last week when he fell off a roof.
After Debate, Aquinnah Approves Purchase of Land Near Lighthouse
After a lengthy and emotional debate Thursday, Aquinnah voters narrowly approved the purchase of two properties near the spot where the Gay Head Light is expected to be relocated next spring.
Boys’ Soccer Keeps Rolling in Postseason
Rainy weather and a slippery, muddy field made little difference to the Vineyard boys’ soccer players Thursday night, as a hat trick by the team’s leading scorer and a strong showing from both veterans and newcomers powered the team to a decisive 4-1 postseason win over visiting Old Rochester.
He’s Not Running, Really! Lenny Jason Is Elected Again
Leonard Jason Jr. seems destined to serve on Island boards. The longtime building inspector for both Edgartown and Chilmark was re-elected to another two-year term on the Dukes County Commission, despite his intention to step down after 20 years.
By Learning to Share Experiences, Veterans Help Each Other Heal
Once relatively scare, services for veterans on the Vineyard are expanding in a number of ways. At Community Services a counseling program has long been in place, and a new program began in October on post traumatic stress syndrome. Island vets say they are finding common ground.
Win or Lose, Sports Travel Is Big Effort
Sports travel for an Island school takes what is already a complicated endeavor — ensuring that hundreds of student athletes and their coaches get from Point A to Point B and back safely — and throws in a seven-mile wide obstacle in the form of the Vineyard Sound.
In Garage versus Pagoda, Town Intervenes on Behalf of Tree
Renovations at a private home have put a spotlight on a historic shade tree that graces South Water street and is likely the largest of its kind in the state.The majestic pagoda tree was brought to the Vineyard as a seedling in a flower pot by a sea captain more than 175 years ago.
Island Veterans’ Officer Is Tops in State
Jo Ann Murphy was named Massachusetts Veterans’ Services Officer of the Year for her work to support veterans in the Vineyard community.“It was a shock,” she said this week.
Tisbury Police Carry Narcan to Counteract Overdoses
The Tisbury police will now carry Narcan, a medication that counteracts opiate overdose, in their police cruisers.
Sand Talk
With the release of the draft Massachusetts Ocean Plan two weeks ago, Islanders should be alert to a discussion now unfolding in the Island community about sand mining.
Youth Collaborative Unveils New Building Plan
An Islandwide youth collaborative formed last year to enhance programs for adolescents at risk unveiled plans this week for a new building to house their group.
Replaying the Hollywood Blacklist
It was November 1974. Forty years ago. I was meeting an award-winning writer for lunch at the Black Dog Tavern. A great excuse to come to the Vineyard.
From Helicopter to Ferry Boat, Veteran’s Trip Home Is Delight
During the nine months Army pilot Wender Ramos was deployed in Afghanistan, he flew Black Hawk helicopters around the eastern part of the country.
Bad Idea
Bad Idea Editors, Vineyard Gazette: The following letter was sent to Bruce Carlisle, director of the state Coastal Zone Management program. The Chilmark board of selectmen is strongly opposed to any proposal for sand mining in Vineyard Sound.
Healing Ourselves, Our World
I read with interest and appreciation the personal stories of Nelson Bryant and Bill Eville in the Oct. 17 Vineyard Gazette. Mr. Bryant’s memoir and Mr. Eville’s essay share unusual self-disclosure, not often modeled in our corporate media-entranced world.
Vineyard Windsurfer Leads the Way
Rasmus Sayre, a senior at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, took home the championship title in the Kona One class on Wednesday, after five days of racing in Islamorada, Fla. Sayre, 17, won six of 12 races.
Online Resource for Teachers
Are you an Island teacher in need of classroom materials, or do you know of a teacher who needs supplies? Teachers from the West Tisbury School have posted classroom projects on the website DonorsChoose.org and would like to share this opportunity with other teachers on the Island.
Cornucopia
Last Saturday, Music street was the scene of a good old-fashioned husking bee, or at least the scene of the first half of it. Twenty people turned out to help Jimmy Athearn strip the field corn that he had planted in the half-acre field next to his father’s house.
And Then There Was One, Boys’ Soccer Still Kicking
The week of Halloween proved to be action-packed with great contests across the board for Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School athletes.
Land Bank Revenues: Oct. 31
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $354,638.75 for the business week ending on Friday, Oct. 31, 2014.
Bay Scallop Moon and the Whale
Tonight’s full moon is the bay scallop moon and it appears in the zodiacal constellation Aries. It rises in the east when the sun sets in the west. Aries, the ram, is one of the least visually distinct constellations in the zodiac. It is made up of a less than six stars in fairly close…
New Testament Meets New Novel
A new novel by Rick Herrick arrives with a weighty yet straightforward title — A Man Called Jesus.
Holmes Hole Season Ends After a Full Slate of Competitions
The Moffett Race, run the first Saturday after Labor Day, has been the traditional season-ending race for the Holmes Hole Sailing Association. But with beautiful fall weather and eager skippers on hand, that tradition has been firmly scuttled.
Dredging for Bite-Sized Nuggets of Gold
At around 6 a.m. Wednesday, Cooper Gilkes and his son Daniel were in their kitchen in Edgartown wearing orange and yellow waders, getting ready for another morning on the water. The longtime fishermen have been enjoying an especially strong start to the commercial bay scalloping season.
Soccer Season’s End
On Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Tisbury School, the MV Youth Soccer organization is hosting an end of the season party, including a pie eating contest and barbecue. Soccer games will erupt, too, throughout the morning.
Guidelines for 2015 Learning Disabilities Grant
The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation is accepting inquiries for its 2015 Learning Disabilities grant cycle. To be eligible to apply, organizations must be located in Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, or Nantucket Counties.
Paying Homage to Those Who Served
Veterans, merchant mariners and others involved in past and present service will be recognized at the 16th annual service honoring veterans at the Shabbat service at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Friday, Nov. 14.
Hoofing It at the Barn Raisers’ Ball
Saturday at the Barn Raisers’ Ball everyone and everything will be hitting the dance floor in celebration of the anniversary of the raising of the new Agricultural Hall 20 years ago.
Aquinnah Town Column: Nov. 7
Congratulations to Theresa Kistner Manning upon her first election to a political office, with almost 400 Upis Land votes Theresa, my most favorite daughter in law, has offered to serve on the Up-Island Regional School Committee.
Aquinnah to Decide on Land Purchase Near Lighthouse at Town Meeting
Voters will decide tonight whether to approve a $590,000 purchase for two parcels of land near the site where the town hopes to relocate the Gay Head Light. The special town meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the old town hall. A quorum of 37 voters is needed to convene the meeting.
Please Adopt Us
Visitors to the animal shelter are greeted these days by two lively new tenants, Teddy, a six-year-old male Chihuahua and Bella, a miniature apricot poodle who does not look her official age of nine.
Firefighters Quell Tuesday Night Brush Fire in West Tisbury
West Tisbury volunteer firefighters spent several hours on election night dousing a brush fire in a stump pit at John Keene Excavation off Old Stage Road. About 30 firefighters responded to the scene, which was cleared just after 1 a.m.
Plant Talk
Wow! It was quite a storm last Sunday. My friend, Sharlee, registered a 54-mile-an-hour gust on Chappy. I will say it made quick work of stripping the rest of the leaves from several varieties of trees.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Nov. 7
Well, I am writing from my Old Country as Nonna could not take one more minute away from her friends, family, neighbors and beloved Good Counsel. My doctors cleared me to drive and I did so last weekend, leading a Conestoga Toyota consisting of Teri, Nonna, Silvio, Lil’Bit, Teddy, et moi.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Nov. 7
Of all the structures in America built specifically as movie theatres between 1894 and 1915 when our Island Theater opened as the Eagle, only about four others remain, Oak Bluffs’ Island being the fifth oldest.
On Chappy: Nov. 7
You know those days when it is just plain awful to travel the 20 yards from the awkward exit of the Stop & Shop to your car in the lot? The days when it is raining and blowing so hard that you feel a primordial fear for your safety?
Vineyard Voters Back Coakley, Keating
While Massachusetts voters elected Republican Charlie Baker as the state’s next governor, the Vineyard largely backed Democrats in the state election Tuesday, including Mr. Baker’s challenger, Martha Coakley.
Chilmark Town Column: Nov. 7
Chilmark rocked under the winds and rain of Sunday, and under the election results on Tuesday — the week that was, we used to say.
High School Art Teacher Recognized by National Geographic
Chris Baer, who has taught photography and technology at the regional high school for nearly two decades, was singled out for his work in documentary photography exchange projects that connect students to their peers from all over the world.
White Woodpecker Shows His True Colors
Artist Aldro T. Hibbard, a Falmouth native, was noted for his winter landscapes, but suggested that artists “Never use pure white; it doesn’t exist in nature.” G.K. Chesterton would have vehemently disagreed: He wrote “White . . . is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as…
Hebrew Center Hosts Scholar-in-Residence
The Hebrew Center is hosting a scholar-in-residence this weekend. Jacob Siegel is a student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, an open and modern Orthodox rabbinical school.
Edgartown Town Column: Nov. 7
Mother Nature surely showed us who was boss this past weekend. Wind, rain, wind, and more wind. It was pretty much like a hurricane.
Police Investigate Break-In at Alley’s
West Tisbury police are investigating a break-in and theft that took place at Alley’s General Store sometime Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Police chief Dan Rossi said a little more than $800 in cash was stolen.
Blowing In the Wind
Birders everywhere grab their binoculars and head out to look for birds during a storm. The blow we had last weekend was no exception.
West Tisbury Town Column: Nov. 7
Last weekend the weather was wild. The combination of two northeast storms whacked us. All boats but one were cancelled on Sunday due to the strong wind that reached nearly 60 miles an hour in gusts.
Vineyard Boys Advance to Quarterfinals
A rough and scrappy contest before a raucous home crowd ended in a win for the Vineyard boys’ soccer team as they defeated visiting Bishop Stang 2-0 in the first round of the postseason tournament. The next game is Thursday against Old Rochester at home.
Meet WMVY
WMVY offers an opportunity for volunteers to gather and discuss ways to help the non-profit radio station on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Visioning Vineyard Haven
Tisbury’s second workshop to help draft a visioning plan for the town takes place at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, at the American Legion Hall, 34 William street, in Vineyard Haven.
Little Mermaids On Stage
The Edgartown School presents the Disney classic The Little Mermaid Jr. on Nov. 7 and 8, at 7 p.m. The 60-minute musical is led by music teacher Kelly Sullivan and theatre teacher Donna Swift.
Taking the Stage
Two one-act plays take the stage at the Katharine Cornell Theatre the next two weekends when Five Moon Theatre presents James McClure’s Laundry and Bourbon, along with his play Lone Star.
Community Health Fair
The Martha’s Vineyard NAACP hosts its community health fair on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the regional high school.
Walk on the Wild Side
Felix Neck is hosting a stroll through the sanctuary grounds to admire the changing seasons from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Edgartown House Is Homage to English Heritage and Family Ties
I think the little house at 342 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road looks like Mr. McGregor’s cottage in Beatrix Potter’s story of Peter Rabbit. The house makes me remember the sweet years that our family spent in England.
County Seeks to Settle Differences With Airport Out of Court
Tensions between the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission and the Dukes County Commission are showing little sign of abating, despite an invitation from the county for the two groups try to resolve their differences out of court.
Davi Arrives
Samanta Magalhaes and Wilian Magalhaes of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Davi Wilian Almeida Magalhaes, born on Nov. 3 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Plans Emerge for Beach Road Improvements
Narrowing the road, adding sidewalks and building a shared-use path are all part of an emerging plan to re-engineer a portion of Beach Road that runs along the waterfront in Vineyard Haven.
Real Estate Transactions: Oct. 27 to Nov. 2
Michael A. Bass TRS and 49 Kuffies Point Way Nominee Trust purchased 49 Kuffies Point Way in Vineyard Haven from Judy Blume TRS, George Cooper TRS and 49 Kuffies Point Way Nominee Trust for $2,450,000 on Oct. 30.
Fourth-Seed Vineyard Boys Begin Tournament on Home Turf
The boys soccer team takes on Bishop Stang at home today in a rematch following a tough forfeit last Monday. Game one of the south sectional D-3 state tournament begins at 4:15 p.m. at the high school field.
Two Men Found Not Guilty in Assault Case
A jury of 10 women and two men deliberated for less than three hours Monday in the Edgartown courthouse before returning not guilty verdicts for Patrece L. Petersen and Darryl B. Baptiste. The case stemmed from a bar fight that took place outside the Ritz Cafe in March 2013.
Sail MV Finds New Home Port
Sail Martha’s Vineyard will change its headquarters to the Tisbury Marketplace next month. The new offices will be on the second floor of the building occupied by Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard. The nonprofit provides instruction to Island youth.
Sloop Runs Aground During Weekend Storm
The effects of the coastal storm this weekend could be seen Monday morning in Katama Bay, where a sailboat ran aground Saturday night. The Mass Transit, a 105-foot racing sloop anchored in the Edgartown harbor, was carried by winds to the upper bay.
Welcome, Emanuelly
Miriam de Oliveira and Carlos de Oliveira of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Emanuelly Mateus Paiva de Oliveira, born on Oct. 30 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Sweeping Rule Changes for Striped Bass Take Effect Jan. 1
New regulations aimed at increasing the coastwide population of striped bass have been approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The rules will reduce recreational catch limits by half and commercial quotas by 25 per cent.
Ferries on Trip-by-Trip Basis as Coastal Storm Subsides
Late ferries were cancelled Sunday as a storm that battered the Island with high wind, drenching rain and sleet began to subside. A sunset broke through late-day storm clouds, but gusty winds and high seas kept ferries from running.
From Pig to Table, Teaching the Fine Art of Butchery
Led by Vineyard chef and farmer Jan Buhrman, Porks and Knives is a four-day culinary farm-to-table adventure that brings together chefs, farmers and butchers from around the country. This year the event featured master butcher Kari Underly.
Judge Finds Misconduct by Prosecutor in Jury Trial
A judge hearing the trial in superior court took the unusual step of halting proceedings and admonishing the prosecutor for misconduct, but declined to dismiss the case. The Hon. Richard Chin said assistant district attorney Laura Marshard had improperly hindered the defense.
Rural Scholars Say Isolation Has Huge Impact on Island Elder Population
Five medical students spent the past two weeks on the Island studying elder care and services as part of the rural scholars program. Neglect by a caregiver and self neglect were cited as the top two types of abuse facing Vineyard elders.
