Mary Oliver
The wind wags its many tails. And in the evening the piled firewood shifts a little, longing to be on its way. —Mary Oliver
January 9, 2015
Tribe Expands Holdings With Real Estate Purchase
In its first land purchase in more than a decade, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has added 17 acres to its approximately 480 acres of land holdings. The $1.15 million property abuts the Wampanoag tribal building land.
Always a Moving Experience, Trip Knows How to Deliver the Goods
About the same time Trip Barnes started his business, Clarence A. Barnes Moving and Storage, he found three people dead in three weeks, all out on Chappaquiddick. Fifty-four years later Trip is still moving.
No Barriers to Big Dreams Thanks to Trailblazing Political Rock Star
In summer, the slam of the screen door announced visitors before they called out the name of who they came to see. It was always special company when it was Uncle Ed.
Slice of Island Economy
A Rolling Stone Gathers No Mozzarella — that was the headline for an article about Flatbread, written soon after the restaurant opened on July 3, 2010.
A Legacy of Conservation
Eleven acres and a dream. That was how it all began in 1959 when Henry Beetle Hough and Elizabeth Bowie Hough bought the old ice house property in Edgartown and launched the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation.
Finding Island Inspiration and a Place to Gather
The following is excerpted from an oral history interview done with Edward W. Brooke by Linsey Lee of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in August of 2007. Mr. Brooke was on the Vineyard promoting his autobiography Bridging the Divide: My Life.
Vineyard Remembers Sen. Edward W. Brooke
Senator Brooke was remembered this week as the Island’s own — a man whose summers were spent at his home on Nashawena Park with family and friends, a skilled tennis player and a community steward and role model.
In Praise of a Mentor Whose Heart Was Always With the People
The death of former U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke comes as a personal loss for me. I had the distinct honor of working for Senator Brooke in Washington, D.C., both as a summer intern in 1970, and for two years following my graduation from college.
Flatbread Will Shutter Its Vineyard Operation
Flatbread, the popular wood-fired pizza franchise near the Martha’s Vineyard Airport that has hosted fundraisers, family dance parties and concerts, will not reopen this summer, owner Jay Gould has confirmed. “The season is too short for us. We do very well in July and August, but it’s not enough,” Mr. Gould told the Gazette in…
Large Fire Drill to Take Place at Lampost
If you see smoke billowing out of the Lampost on Sunday, do not be alarmed. The Oak Bluffs bar and nightclub will be the site of a major fire drill Sunday morning from 8 a.m. to noon involving three Island fire departments.
Dancing in the Space Between the Notes
Think of the infinite spaces between the past and present, the present and the future. If we took a breath, slowed down, we would enjoy “the music of the spheres” in our daily living.
Win-Win Solution
I attended a presentation of the Squibnocket committee’s recommendations on Dec. 18 regarding the Squibnocket Farm Association’s causeway proposal.
Community Cooperation
The holiday season has come and gone and I hope everyone was able to enjoy family time and the festivities. However, it seems as though the Edgartown water department had one last problem to contend with as we closed out the year.
Ringing in New Year
Please pass on our thanks for an absolutely awesome New Year’s Eve 2015 at the Harbor View.
Feathered Friends
From the Vineyard Gazette edition of Jan. 7, 1966: Although the number of species seen on the day of the annual Christmas Count fell 10 below last year’s total, this year’s bird census was nevertheless a conspicuous success.
Land Bank Revenues: Jan. 2
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $91,360 for the business week ending on Friday, Jan. 2, 2015.
Real Estate Transactions: Dec. 29 to Jan. 4
J. Christopher Drew and Kimberley Kiesewetter Drew purchased 44 Longview Road in West Tisbury from Michael A. Smith for $735,000 on Dec. 30.
The Moon and Brilliant Giant Planets
The gibbous moon makes its way through our late evening sky. You’ll see the moon rising in the east around 10 p.m. Tonight, the moon resides in the zodiacal constellation Leo and is near the bright planet Jupiter. These two celestial objects will make a pleasant showing together if you are up late. Jupiter, the…
Oak Bluffs Braces for Financial Squeeze from High School Budget
A substantial increase in the regional high school budget and town assessments for the upcoming fiscal year has drawn concern from town leaders in Oak Bluffs.
Chilmark Town Column: Jan. 9
Skiers have a saying, “Skiing is a dance and the mountains always lead.” Bella Thorpe had the pleasure of dancing with Telluride, Colo., this past week.
Surprise: Lucy Marries Bart
Lucy Bliss Whittemore and Barton Heywood were married Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Lucy’s late mother’s house. Joe Sollitto officiated.
Aquinnah Approves Measures to Close Budget Gap
Aquinnah voters opted Wednesday to fix a budget shortfall without resorting to department budget cuts. About 50 voters braved the cold to convene a special town meeting.
Changing of the Guard at Tisbury Fire Department
Tisbury fire Lieut. Joseph K. Tierney was sworn in as assistant fire chief by the selectmen Tuesday, taking over for Russell Maciel, who is retiring from the department after 44 years of service. Capt. Daniel Feeney also is retiring after 24 years.
Billy the Bard Gives Richie the Third a Boost
Now is the winter of our discontent. These classic lines from Shakespeare’s play Richard III will presumably be said by Chris Roberts when he stars as the legendary hunchbacked king at this weekend’s performances.
Please Adopt Us
It looks like Halloween in the cat room at the shelter. Black cats everywhere!
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Jan. 9
Nothing, I mean nothing, has been put away. The menorah is still out, the stockings and greens and tinsel — did I say tinsel? — I haven’t used that since I started keeping dogs and cats!
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Jan. 9
In financial trouble caused by a national downturn in 1881, the Oak Bluffs Land & Wharf Company was unable to sell as many plots as it needed to survive.
West Tisbury Town Column: Jan. 9
Well, the weekend weather was cold and damp with a little thunder Sunday night. We received our first snowfall on Tuesday, with miserably cold temperatures to boot.
Edgartown Town Column: Jan. 9
Oh, the weather outside is frightful! Every time I hear that song I think of the Campbell soup commercial with the snowman that melts into a little boy after a bowl of soup.
Aquinnah Town Column: Jan. 9
Winter is upon us. A light dusting of snow on Tuesday remained overnight. Be careful on the roads, bundle up when you go out, or just stay warm at home with a good book.
On Chappy: Jan. 9
Gossip has reached my ears that Bart Heywood has tied the knot. I wouldn’t want to besmirch the bride’s good name by mentioning it in this column, but I hear that she’s a Cottage street gal, Edgartown that is.
Winter Is Perfect Time for Planning Summer’s Garden
Here we are! The start of another brand new year. Now is the time in the garden year to plan, order seeds and wax eternally hopeful.
NStar, National Grid Sever Contracts With Cape Wind
The future of the Cape Wind project on Horseshoe Shoal was thrown into uncertainty this week when National Grid and NStar announced they had terminated their contracts to buy power from the private wind developer.
Welcome Gabriel, First Vineyard Baby of the Year
The first baby of the new year was born Monday morning at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Gabriel Cardoso Oliveira weighed seven pounds at birth. He was welcomed by parents Karlla and Douglas Oliveira of Oak Bluffs and big brother Guilherme.
Superintendent Interviews Begin Wednesday
Oak Bluffs School principal Richard Smith and assistant superintendent Matthew D’Andrea have been named as finalists in the search for the next superintendent. They will both be interviewed by the all-Island school committee this week; interviews are open to the public.
Foul Weather Makes for Daunting Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count was a lackluster event this year. All the teams had to work hard to find birds. The total is 121 species.
Jetty Rebuilding at Menemsha Set to Begin
A project to rebuild the two jetties at Menemsha harbor is expected to begin in the next two weeks, while a more controversial project to dredge the channel to Menemsha Pond has been delayed until next fall.
Cedar Tree Neck Expands With Gift From Hough Family
More than 31 acres at Cedar Tree Neck have been donated to the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation by members of the Hough family. The land will be called the George A. Hough preserve.
Sail MV Lecture Will Focus on Underwater Vehicles
Sail Martha’s Vineyard features Megan Carroll, a research engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, at its first winter 2015 dinner-lecture series at the Black Dog Tavern.
King Celebration Applauds Local Efforts
The Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the NAACP hosts its annual celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs.
Poetry Explained
Poet Fan Ogilvie leads a discussion series on How Poetry Does What It Does at the West Tisbury library.
Island Abolitionists Highlighted in Opera
Jack Schimmelman, executive producer and director of the opera-in-progress, 1854, will lead a community discussion focusing on issues that inspire his folk opera.
Middle School Groove
A DJ will spin the records for middle schoolers at Alex’s Place at the YMCA on Friday, Jan. 9, from 7 to 10 p.m. at a dance party especially for students in grades sixth through eighth.
Honoring Dr. King
The Shabbat service at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Friday, Jan. 16, at 5:30 p.m. will pay homage to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his friend and colleague Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Comic Book Workshop
Comic books have their place, even at the library. If you’re nine or older, join Daniel Cooney at the West Tisbury library on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Survivor Stories
Author Demaris Wehr discusses her new book, Making It Through: Bosnian Survivors Telling Stories of Truth, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Vineyard Haven library.
Coffeehouse at the Playhouse
It’s like mother, like son when Willy Mason and Jemima James flex their musical muscles on stage at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Online Petition Opposing SSA Rate Hikes Gathers Steam
Islanders are speaking out against a set of rate hikes which take effect this week at the Steamship Authority. An online petition had collected almost 2,400 signatures by Thursday morning.
Hello, Gabriel
Karlla Oliveira and Douglas Oliveira of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Gabriel Cordoso Oliveira, born on Jan. 5 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sundog
Hot dog, I found the perfect pup! This dog won’t hunt. It also won’t shed, drool or bark, and never has to be taken out for a walk. Sundogs live in the sky.
Kenon Veno Named to Dean’s List
Kenon Veno of Edgartown was named to the fall 2014 dean’s list at Keene State College in Keene, N.H.
Film Center Call for Artists
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Center opens its lobby to display Island artists’ work again in 2015.
Falmouth Academy Announces Head of School List
Falmouth Academy has announced its head of school’s list for the first trimester of the 2014-2015 academic year.
Chicken Alley Closes for Maintenance
The Chicken Alley Thrift Shop will be closed Friday, Jan. 23 to Saturday, Feb. 7 for building maintenance. Leading up to the closing date, the shop will not be accepting donations and all items are being drastically discounted. On the evening of Feb. 7 there will be a re-opening party free to the community to…
Regional High School Announces Honor Students
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School has announced its honor roll for the first quarter of the 2014-2015 academic year.
Birders of a Feather Flock Together for Christmas Bird Count
Lots of birders, but fewer birds, showed up on Saturday for the 55th annual Christmas Bird Count. The historic tally tracks how species increase or decrease each year.
Chilmark Potluck Jam Provides Winter Warmth
Held Saturday evening, the third Chilmark Potluck Jam of the season was the biggest yet — with the onset of winter, the jams provide a venue for much-needed socializing and entertainment.
Archaeological Survey Complete, Path Cleared to Move Gay Head Light
The relocation of the Gay Head Light is scheduled to proceed this spring after an archaeological survey around the Aquinnah lighthouse found nothing of significant historical interest.
Remembering Mario Cuomo: A Look Back at a 1997 Vineyard Interview
Editor's Note: In July 1997, Mario Cuomo took time out of a Vineyard vacation for a wide-ranging interview with the Gazette. Mr. Cuomo, a three-term governor of New York, died Thursday at age 82. According to the New York Times, the cause was heart failure. It is the morning of July Fourth, the birthday of…
