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 6, 2015
Escalating Opioid Crisis Hits Home on the Vineyard
New statistics from the state, as well as from local doctors and police, leave little doubt that the scale of heroin and prescription narcotic abuse on Martha’s Vineyard is on the rise.
Cost of Living High But So Is Dying as Cemetery Fees Rise
With plots at Abel’s Hill Cemetery a relative bargain, the Chilmark cemetery commission has voted to gradually increase the rates.
Sons of Gay Head Stood Strong in World War I
When the call to duty came, Gay Head sent 23 of its sons to World War I, a larger percentage of its population than any other town in New England. All able-bodied men volunteered to serve.
Field Hockey Team Shuts Out Opponent in First Round of Playoffs
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School field hockey team beat Mashpee 2-0 in their first post-season game on Thursday during the preliminary round of the MIAA south division two tournament.
Fundraiser for Apple Welch
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, there will be a fundraiser for Neil (Apple) Welch, who is rehabilitating from a car accident that occurred last fall.
Chilmark Special Town Meeting Monday
A 10-article special town meeting in Chilmark next week will focus on projects in Menemsha and around Tea Lane. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at the Chilmark Community Center.
Touch a Truck at Truckin’ MV
The Vineyard Montessori School hosts its third annual Truckin’ MV event on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Midnight Farm Manager Charged With Theft
A manager at the upscale Vineyard Haven store Midnight Farm has been charged with allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise while employed at the store.
Guided Hike to Explore Lake Tashmoo
The Tisbury Vision Council is offering a unique opportunity to learn more about Lake Tashmoo with a guided walking tour this Saturday, Nov. 7.
YMCA Makos Start Strong
Eleven swimmers from the YMCA Makos competed at Pentathlon swim meet on Nantucket on Oct. 24.
Phi Theta Kappa for Rebecca Hodgson
Rebecca Hodgson of West Tisbury has been inducted into the Alpha Upsilon Mu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor society.
Chilmark Town Column: Nov. 6
Chilmark is basking in what I suppose we call Indian Summer. The weather is warm and winds are minor but it all seems surreal when we know how close we are to the real weather of fall and winter. The foliage was at its peak of color last weekend and has since lost some due…
Aquinnah Town Column: Nov. 6
Indian Summer is still very evident on the Vineyard. There’s an abundance of autumn foliage with vibrant colors, especially along Middle Road in Chilmark but virtually everywhere in UPIS LAND.
On Chappy: Nov. 6
Grass waits for no man. Typically by this time of year, I have the Cheetos bag open and am in full recline in my comfortable chair. But there is nothing typical about life on Chappy. The temperatures are now approaching the 70s, and all sorts of flora are making their comebacks, chief amongst them the…
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Nov. 6
Once upon a time on Saturday mornings in the 1950s, my mother would trek to Elmsford to rehearse her choir, my father would be working on his lawn and flowers, and my brothers and I were left to our own devices in the living room with the one television in the house. We watched wrestling…
Edgartown Town Column: Nov. 6
I guess it will be a while before we see some more cold weather. They are talking record breaking heat. The sun has been shining and you only need a long sleeve shirt or T-shirt to wear.
Moon and Planets
Saturday morning a thin crescent moon appears close to the planets Venus and Mars. The three form a tight triangle low in the southeastern sky.
Unconventional Wisdom
Phragmites, the sturdy, towering reeds that populate the shorelines of coastal ponds, have long been considered an environmental pest.
Murky Research
In choosing the next principal of the regional high school, what personal qualities and professional experience should be given priority?
When the Bay Scallops Beckon, Time and Tide Wait for No Man
Hathaway is a big family name on the Edgartown waterfront. And among them all, Dick Hathaway is a legend.
The Fullness of Knowing Just One is Enough
So, every day all summer and even into October when I take my ridiculously embarrassingly short bike ride on Lobsterville, I scan the grasses for the white egret.
Singing an Aria of Thanks for the Library
When I was in college, back in the 1940s, I was not very mature and I hadn’t done any thinking about what I wanted to do with the life that lay ahead of me.
Ancient Ways
Fall descended on Martha’s Vineyard in one fell swoop of standard time and cold air.
Stay Vigilant on Pilgrim Plant Shutdown
Praises to the Vineyard Gazette for again recognizing that the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is a local issue about which Islanders deserve to be well informed.
A Community Rallies
It’s been close to a year since Neil’s accident, Nov. 24, 2014, and his journey toward recovery continues. Neil came home from a rehabilitation hospital in Plymouth on March 12.
Food for Thought
As a new full-time resident of the Island, I thought I might suggest a solution to the ever complex issue of the Stop & Shop expansion plans.
On the Mend
A few weeks ago when my husband was told at Vineyard Medical Care he needed to go to the ER immediately it was a relief, for both of us.
A Call for Letters
World leaders convene in Paris Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 for the critical U.N. climate talks. To help delegates realize how important this is, the U.N. has set up a site for people to write letters to the future.
Love and Support
We would like to thank family, friends and the community for all their love and support for our father, Buzz Blankenship’s passing.
Ecumenical Best
I would like to thank and commend the Rev. Cathlin Baker of the West Tisbury Congregational Church for her generosity, foresight and wisdom.
Get Ready to Dance at Barn Raisers’ Ball
On Saturday, Nov. 7, the 22nd Barn Raisers’ Ball will take over the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury.
Beauty and the Beast Jr. at Edgartown School
The Edgartown School presents Beauty and the Beast Jr. on Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7, both performance from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults; $6 for kids and $25 for families. For more information, call 508-939-0688.
The Peoples’ Portraits at Martha’s Vineyard Museum
Featherstone is unveiling the People’s Choice award winners for its annual Island faces portrait contest.
Wesley Haeselbarth Fundraiser
Save the date on Nov. 14 for a fundraiser at the PA Club for Wesley Haeselbarth, who was injured in an automobile accident several months ago.
Hitting the Trails with Polly Hill
Polly Hill Arboretum begins its winter walk series on Saturday, Nov. 14, and continues on every second Saturday of the month.
State Sen. Dan Wolf Will Not Run for Fourth Term
Cape and Islands state Sen. Dan Wolf announced this week that he will not seek a fourth term next year. He has represented the Cape and Islands since 2009.
Celebrating Art of Loving What You Do at Creative Living Ceremony
The Grange Hall was standing room only on Wednesday evening as the Island community and members of the Permanent Endowment Fund of Martha’s Vineyard celebrated the mother daughter duo of Francine Kelly and Ann Smith.
Resale Planned for Affordable Home in Edgartown
Although a number of questions went unanswered, Edgartown selectmen this week authorized the town affordable housing trust to buy and resell a home on Metcalf Drive. It marks the first resale in Edgartown of a property originally designated as affordable housing.
Jenni Oliver’s Art Graced Covers of The New Yorker
Jenni Oliver, the Edgartown painter and illustrator whose graceful work appeared on covers of The New Yorker, died at home at on Oct. 29. The cause was complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Geraniums in the Greenhouse
This time of year, the vehicles fill with flies during the day. I am a complete maniac trying to get them out of the truck.
Enchanted by the Crabapple
While I like the large, juicy, sweet apples being harvested at orchards this season, I am enchanted by the little (and less well-known) crabapple.
How to Think Like a Migrating Robin
Pretend that you are a migrating robin. You have just arrived at the Gay Head cliffs after a long migration flight the previous night.
West Tisbury Looks at New Approach to Building Maintenance
In an effort to maintain town buildings, the West Tisbury selectmen last week agreed to reexamine how they budget for large maintenance projects. Town treasurer Kathy Logue suggested placing a line item in the town budget for major maintenance expenses on all town buildings and grounds.
Post Season Play: Golf Scores Big, Soccer and Field Hockey Begin
The high school golf team had its best season ever with a second place finish in the state tournament. On Thursday the girls’ field hockey team takes on Mashpee at home in the first round of the playoffs and on Friday the boys’ soccer team faces Seekonk at home.
Aquinnah Approves Projects at Aquinnah Circle, Philbin Beach
Aquinnah voters on Tuesday sped through a 10-article special town meeting warrant — the first of the season on the Island — approving $111,200 in spending proposals.
Land Bank Revenues: Oct. 30
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $199,014 for the business week ending on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015.
West Tisbury Town Column: Nov 6
Friday may be the start of a long holiday weekend for some of us. The post office, school, and all other town and county buildings will be closed on Wednesday in honor of Veterans Day. This holiday was created to acknowledge the armistice that ended World War I.
Real Estate Transactions: Oct. 26 to Nov. 1
Douglas Plotkin and Andrea F. Plotkin purchased 252 Waldrons Bottom Road in West Tisbury from Carl E. Tack 3rd and Martha F. Tack for $1,515,000.
New Arrivals at High School: 51 Rainbow Trout
Fifty-one rainbow trout arrived at the high school Tuesday morning, part of the horticulture program’s unit on aquaculture. The vocational program will use the trout in their hydroponics greenhouse.
Renovations Brighten Future for Mayhew-Meinelt House, Show Glimpses of the Past
The South Road home, owned by eight generations of the same family for more than 300 years, is getting its most complete makeover since it was built in 1713.
Announcing Isabelle
Kristina E. Finley and Nicholas Teixeira of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Isabelle Avery Teixeira, who was born Oct. 29 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Lots of Houses, Nobody Home; Rural Scholars Report on Homeless Study
Once again, the rural scholars program visited the Vineyard to study a pressing Island issue. This year’s topic was homelessness and the housing shortage.
Shellfish Group Receives Funding for Experimental Phragmites Project
The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group on Friday accepted a $135,693 federal grant that will allow it to continue studying the invasive wetland grass phragmites, which it believes could play a role in reducing the amount of nitrogen in coastal ponds.
With Big Donation, Christmas Comes Early for Red Stocking Fund
The Red Stocking Fund got a big boost Friday with a check that was large in size and amount: $13,500 from Safeco Insurance as part of their Make More Happen campaign.
Land Bank Looks to Create Campground on Southern Woodlands Property
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank is moving forward with plans to create a seasonal low impact campground on a two-acre site inside the Southern Woodlands Reservation.
They Came For Brains and Beer: Zombie Pub Crawl Spooks and Delights
A frightening pack of newly-deceased Islanders made the rounds in Oak Bluffs Thursday evening for a Zombie Bar Crawl. They were consistently gory, occasionally inappropriate, and often quite hilarious.
