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 30, 2015
High Court to Review Dismissal of Charges in Local Assault Case
In a case testing the limits of the grand jury system, the state’s highest court has agreed to review the dismissal of charges against a Vineyard Haven businessman who was indicted for child rape solely on the basis of a police officer’s testimony.
Breaches Carve a Path for Pond Management
Man-made breaches at Island ponds help maintain salinity for shellfish and eelgrass and flush out nitrogen that accumulates mostly from septic tanks and runoff.
With Speed at Stake, Kite Sailors Throw Caution to the Wind
The North American Speed Sailing Invitational took place on Martha’s Vineyard this month. Islander Rob Douglas and friendly rival Alex Caizergues of France were top competitors.
Amendment Aims at Saving Chilmark’s Historic Homes
A proposed bylaw amendment aims to preserve pre-Civil War houses in Chilmark by amending the residential building size bylaw.
New Man at MVC, Adam Turner Makes the Rounds on Island
As the new director of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, collaboration, starting discussions, affordable housing — and a few family trips to the beach — have been on Adam Turner’s agenda.
Ten Articles on Agenda for Aquinnah Special Town Meeting
Voters at a special town meeting in Aquinnah next week will decide whether to move forward on projects at Aquinnah Circle and Philbin Beach, along with improvements and repairs at the town hall campus.
Support Group for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren don’t have to go it alone.
Oak Bluffs Conservation Agent Says Character, Not Rakes, Define Beaches
Oak Bluffs selectmen heard from the town’s conservation agent and the chairman of the conservation commission Tuesday, who spoke out against use of a mechanical beach rake to clean and remove rocks from the town’s popular beaches.
Selectmen Feel the Heat, Look to New Furnace for Edgartown Town Hall
Edgartown selectmen Monday began the expensive process of replacing the furnace at town hall.
Please Adopt Us
The shelter has a new arrival. Her name is Beauty and she is a long-haired, frosted-tip adult cat. And she is a true beauty with a delightful personality. She has been vetted and is ready to go to her forever home.
Land Bank Revenues: Oct. 23
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $210,086 for the business week ending on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015.
Holmes Hole Awards Hugh Schwarz Cup
The Holmes Hole Sailing Association’s 2015 season has officially drawn to a close with the completion of post-season fall racing.
Al-Anon Time Change
A beginners Al-Anon meeting/open discussion will now take place on Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Vineyard House.
Time to Register for Sense of Wonder Arts Program
Registration is open for the Sense of Wonder arts program. Art classes for kids are led by Pam Benjamin and held on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons.
Vineyard Notebook
Fall is surely my favorite season for Vineyard walking. The golds in the woods are gleaming, the reds are extravagantly bold, the huckleberry bushes and cranberry bogs are crimson.
Community Celebrates Trudy Taylor
A celebration of Trudy Taylor’s life was an homage to art, family, community, and living life to its fullest without any regrets.
Spirit of the Vineyard Award for Tricia Bergeron, PA Club
Tricia Bergeron and the Portuguese American Club are this year’s recipients of the Spirit of the Vineyard Award.
Vineyard Skies: Return to Standard Time
Sunday brings the end to Daylight Saving Time and clocks will fall back an hour.
I Made Him an Offer He Could Dance To
If I suddenly go missing after this column is published, please express your concern to any handy local law enforcement authority. Thank you.
Not That Long Ago
Not that long ago We walked up On that stage June light shafting Down through the Tabernacle’s multi colored Stained glass rows
Ghost Stories
Vineyarders needn’t look too far to find something going bump in the night. Take, for instance, the ghost who resides at the county jail.
Past Is Present As Class of 1970 Gathers
It seems the class of 1970 likes to be first. Among our class are past selectmen, town administrators, the county treasurer.
Preservation Intelligence
I understand Chilmark is considering a new bylaw to protect historic homes on the Island.
Solar Opportunity Knocks
We have just learned that the HVAC systems at the regional high school must be replaced at great cost.
Future Adult Education
I read with interest Steve Myrick’s account of the presentation of the study of adult education commissioned by ACE MV.
Grocery Woes
Edgartown gets a new addition to Stop & Shop and Tisbury gets to keep a dump because of a small vocal motivated minority.
Drone Idea
Could we make Martha’s Vineyard a No Drones Zone?
Minnesinger Reunion
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Minnesingers and their director want to thank everyone who contributed to a successful and fun Minnesinger homecoming.
Haunted Hayrides, Candy Collecting: Halloween Events on the Vineyard
From dancing at a haunted hospital to hayrides, trick-or-treating to a road race, the opportunities for mayhem and satisfying all matter of sweet teeth are abundant this year.
Meditation Teachings
Scholar and meditation master Lama Jampa Thaye will present a weekend of talks and teachings from Friday, Oct., 30 to Sunday, Nov. 1.
Free Film Screening for Kids
On Sunday, Nov. 1, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society is teaming up with the Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership Initiative to host a free movie event for Island youth.
Holly Bellebuono Honored
Holly Bellebuono’s Women Healers of the World has been awarded the 16th Annual Thomas DeBaggio Book of the Year Award by The International Herb Association.
Goblins, Ghouls, Candy — Doughnuts?
Every Halloween it’s the Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, and all manner of chocolate bars that rule most neighborhoods. But on Pine street in Vineyard Haven, it’s the sugary scent of doughnuts wafting from Hilda Backus’s kitchen that beckons trick-or-treaters.
Luke Arrives Early
Abby and Jared Stobie of Sandwich are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, Luke Robert Stobie, on Oct. 14 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
West Tisbury Town Column: Oct. 30
Well, the weather has been unusually mild all weekend, allowing us time to put down the storm windows without freezing our hands. Cooler weather and Jack Frost are on the way, however. Our foliage, what there was of it, is at the peak of color and leaves are beginning to fall rapidly. Scarecrows and pumpkins…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Oct. 30
Stand in wonder and awe with me at the very large shadow cast by one of our most accomplished and beloved Tisburians, Duncan MacDonald, who will celebrate her 100th birthday on Wednesday, Nov. 4. I have known and enjoyed Duncan over the years but it wasn’t until this brief biography of her crossed my desk…
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Oct. 30
October’s seasonal weather has been spring cool, summer hot and for a couple of evenings almost fireside winter cold. The colors have come out, making a trip down east unnecessary. The skinny squirrels suggest a mild winter, defying the Farmer’s Almanac’s dire predictions. Let’s hope the squirrels are correct. I’m pretty sure I’ve had my…
Edgartown Town Column: Oct. 30
Well I think I have finally figured it out, Mother Nature is having hot flashes. It has to be the answer because one minute you are freezing and the next you can’t stand all the clothes you have on and are stripping down
On Chappy: Oct. 30
The next potluck at the Chappy Community Center is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4. Dorothy and John Dropick will be the hosts, with appetizers beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30. All are welcome. Please bring a dish for six.
Aquinnah Town Column: Oct. 30
Thank you immensely to Katie Tamoshunas Carroll for acting as guest Aquinnah columnist in my absence. Katie certainly did a spectacular job and I am glad she was willing to fill in. Tuesday was a great time for me to start writing once again as it was Katie’s birthday and I felt she really needed…
Pinesap, the Woodland Wonder
Carl Linnaeus, father of the modern scientific classification system, has been called a lot of things: brilliant, poetic, influential.
Grasshopper Sparrow Sighting
If you think sparrows are tough to identify, you are not alone. After all, there is a reason for the expression “little brown job.”
Full and Beautiful Fall Splendor
Last week I mentioned how pleased I was that even though the temperature dipped down to 32 degrees, I did not lose any tender flowers or vegetables.
Land Bank Expands Holdings at Fulling Mill Brook
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank will expand its Fulling Mill Brook Preserve in Chilmark with the purchase this week of 17 acres on Middle Road. The land bank paid $1,775,000 to siblings Emily and Oliver Rothschild for the property.
Real Estate Transactions: Oct. 19 to Oct. 25
Paul Massey and Gretchen Massey purchased 150 East Chop Drive in Oak Bluffs from Sterling H. Ivison 3rd for $2,156,000 on Oct. 23.
Expanded Passenger Service to New Bedford Gets Thumbs Up from Vineyard Crowd
A Steamship Authority hearing Tuesday on a proposal by Hy-Line to expand private passenger ferry service from New Bedford to Oak Bluffs drew support from a handful of Island residents in attendance.
Principal Search Committee Seeks Feedback
As the search begins for the next regional high school principal, the interview committee is seeking feedback from members of the Vineyard community.
Hello, Jack
Lilly and Cal Nannes of Chilmark announce the birth of a son, Jack Robert Nannes, born Oct. 26 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Miles Arrives
Megan and Michael Brown of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Miles Attias Brown, born Oct. 13 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Pipes and Pump at the Ready, Menemsha Harbor Dredging Set to Begin
Three years after Hurricane Sandy struck the Island, flooding roadways and leaving much of Menemsha underwater, the Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to dredge Menemsha Channel. It will be the channel’s first dredging in more than 40 years.
In With the New: Tisbury Acts Quickly to Reorganize DPW
Tisbury selectmen appointed a department of public works advisory board Monday evening in the wake of new legislation placing the DPW under their control. Ian A. Aitchison, George J. Balco, Thomas W. Pachico, Tomar Waldman and David Willoughby will serve through June 2016.
Enrollment Stays Steady in Island Public Schools
Enrollment in Island public schools has remained relatively steady this year, the recent annual school census shows, with Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury showing slight growth and the high schooling showing a slight drop. The school census is conducted every year on Oct. 1.
From Golden Pineapples to Clock Faces, Old Whaling Church Gets Facelift
A tower of scaffolding is going up this week outside the Old Whaling Church as work begins to restore the clock tower of the 172-year-old landmark on Edgartown’s Main street. The project is expected to be completed in late November.
Police Make Arrest in Car Theft Investigation
An Edgartown man is facing charges for the alleged theft of three vehicles in the last two weeks, police said Tuesday.
Welcome, Sofia
Tatiana and Andrew Robinson of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Sofia Nataliya Robinson, born Oct. 21 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Osprey Trackers Report Breeders Up, but Nest Failures High Too
Ospreys have departed the Island, and most of the migratory birds are settling into their winter homes. Back on the Island and elsewhere, osprey trackers are assessing the raptors’ breeding season.
Outpouring of Love for Islander Who Needs a New Heart
More than 100 people gathered at The Seafood Shanty Saturday night to support Olivia Hart, a 22-year-old Islander who needs a heart transplant. The event raised more than $38,000.
Tisbury Considers Lowering Speed Limit on Beach Road
Presented with a petition to lower the speed limit on Beach Road, Tisbury selectmen said this week they would support the initiative and pass it along to the state.
Airport Works to Correct Problems Flagged by FAA
The Martha’s Vineyard airport commission chairman said major strides have been made to correct deficiencies found by the FAA earlier this year. Meanwhile, a protracted legal dispute looms with embattled airport manager Sean Flynn.
West Tisbury Finalizes Special Town Meeting Warrant
Expanding a town affordable housing initiative, making repairs to town buildings and fences and paying old bills are all on the docket for a special town meeting in West Tisbury next month.
