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
July 29, 2016
Weekend Guide: What’s Happening on Martha’s Vineyard
This weekend Island bookstores will celebrate the return of Harry Potter, and check out performances of an Italian opera, Shakespeare, and Beauty and the Beast, and the annual fundraiser where dreams come true.
Please Adopt Us
Our newest arrival is a potentially feral tabby and white male cat we are calling Will Feral.
Heath Hen Tops De-Extinction List
An effort to bring the heath hen back into existence is now the leading de-extinction project in the world, putting the Vineyard at the forefront of new technology in wildlife conservation.
Tisbury Board of Health Drops Nitrogen Tax, Drafting New Rules
Following a wave of public opposition this spring and summer, the Tisbury board of health will likely abandon a proposed nitrogen tax in favor of new rules that would require denitrifying septic systems in the Lake Tashmoo and Lagoon Pond watersheds.
Meet the Fleet
Meet the Fleet on Thursday, August 4, at the Menemsha Harbor.
Possible Dreams Auction Is an Annual Lifesaver
On an Island known for its generosity, the Art Buchwald Possible Dreams Auction is perhaps the most extravagant example.
Vineyard Friends Add Local Flavor to Mike Nichols Documentary
A longtime visitor and summer resident, Mike Nichols’ love for Martha’s Vineyard is well established among his many friends here. On Thursday, a new documentary about his life screens at the film center.
Land Bank Revenues: July 22
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $266,642.60 for the business week ending on Friday, July 22, 2016.
Hillary Clinton During First Lady Years: An Island Portrait
She has prowled Island bookstores, gone crabbing in the Oyster Pond and pored over old records stored in the vault at the Edgartown town hall. Hillary Clinton’s ties to Martha’s Vineyard were forged well before she sought political office for herself.
Harry Potter Book Release Parties
The bookstores are staying up late on Saturday, July 30, in preparation for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is actually a script of the play by the same name.
Edgartown Town Column: July 29
We are all still waiting for some relief of this heat. The humidity has not helped but we have to be thankful we are not in a city where it is 10 degrees warmer..
On Chappy: July 29
As a youth growing up on the west coast of Massachusetts (great surfing!), I was fortunate to be located within the wheelhouse of the touring version of Up With People! (exclamation point theirs).
Poet Laureate Reads
The poet laureate of Martha’s Vineyard has a new book out and he is looking for you to get engaged with words.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: July 29
In 1787 John Saunders, a former slave, brought Methodism to the Island and preached to the original and other people of color at Pecoy Point’s Pulpit Rock.
East Chop Column: July 29
Dick Sanford, son of Mimi and the late George Sanford, is an American Legion baseball coach in West Hartford, Conn.
Krista Ben David Graduates
Krista Ben David has received a Master of Science degree from the University of New England’s Westbrook College of Health Professions physician assistant program.
Junot Diaz and John Forte
Junot Diaz is a Pulitzer-prize winning writer. John Forte, formerly of the Fugees, is a Grammy-nominated musician and producer.
Chilmark Town Column: July 29
Chilmark movie maker Thomas Bena, who is the executive and creative director of the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, will be screening his movie, One Big Home, on Friday, July 29 at the Chilmark Community Center at 8 p.m.
Real Estate Transactions: July 18 to July 24
Menemsha Pond LLC purchased 267 State Road in Chilmark from Scheuer Family Properties LLC and Cohen Family Chilmark Properties LLC for $7,600,000.
Aquinnah Town Column: July 29
The weather has been the best. Another overnight thunderstorm again this week. The electrical storm at the end of June demolished our home telephones. That is fine with me as I only check my messages once every six months or so.
Welcome, Henry
Lars Sorensen and Kirsten Conroy Sorensen of Marblehead are proud to announce the birth of a son, Henry Winthrop Sorensen, born June 17.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: July 29
Do you have your ticket for the Possible Dreams Auction at Winnetu this Sunday? Don’t forget! This is the most exciting social event of the year on Martha’s Vineyard, providing fun for you and funds for our extensive community services. You just might see me there.
Beauty and the Beast Roars Onto the Vineyard
Beauty and the Beast is coming to the Vineyard, playing at the Performing Arts Center from July 30 through August 6.
West Tisbury Town Column: July 29
The weather for July has been fantastic and the weekend weather great, except for the surprise thunder and lightning storm last Friday night. We sure could use the rain.
Spotlight on Youth
On August 2, the West Tisbury library presents Spotlight on Youth, a concert showcasing the Vineyard’s best young musical talent.
Summer’s Intermezzo
Dawn breaks, flooding the eastern sky with the first burnished light of the day.
Exercising the Mind with Ahab
I first read Moby Dick in a college literature course focused on Melville, Twain, James and Faulkner. Many big books there, but the outstanding one was Moby Dick.
Aging Gracefully Is No Walk in the Park
Lately I have begun referring to myself as the incredible shrinking woman.
Trump Will Not Work for the Workers
Hey, Trump supporters: I get it. The sub-five per cent unemployment figure ignores lots of working people who are suffering.
Inclusion, Not Exclusion, Is the Right Mesage
In November there will be an election that determines who will be running America, the land of opportunity — for some people.
Separated Island
Perhaps at sometime in the distant future, the Island of Martha’s Vineyard may be referred to as Greater Martha’s Vineyard.
More Infrastructure Means More Jobs
The struggling economy is the most significant issue in America that the elected president should address.
Look Up
It’s time for pedestrians to show some courtesy — toward drivers!
Rude Experience
Snobbery, rudeness and a false sense of entitlement have no place in our fund-raising events.
Triangle Traffic Solutions
The following letter was sent to the Edgartown selectmen and planning board.
Foxy Idea
Hats off to Thomas Sullivan for suggesting that we introduce foxes to the Vineyard.
Rogue Drivers
Sunday I saw a vehicle driving north on South Water street in Edgartown through the Cooke street intersection.
Sgt. Searle to the Rescue
On June 6, Joe and I along with our daughter who has Down Syndrome went to Martha’s Vineyard to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary.
Make Pot Legal
There is one sure way to forever stop the DEA’s helicopter and the waste of taxpayer money.
A Better Way
Many towns across the U.S. are trying to resist the proliferation of artificial turf, including Sag Harbor, N.Y., Barrington, R.I. and Hull. Martha’s Vineyard, being a place of interest, is poised to be an example for all. We don’t need to install plastic playing fields manufactured in China using questionable chemicals. Instead, our eco-conscious community…
Composting for All
We have a compost pile at our home in Chilmark, with its advantages (healthier soil) and disadvantages (varmints).
In Vineyard Skies: Amateur Astronomy Time
This is the best time of year to take up astronomy as a hobby. Sit outside at night in an old beach chair and look up.
Visiting Teenager Seriously Injured in Bus Accident
A 13-year-old boy from New York state was in critical condition in a Boston hospital Thursday morning after he fell out of a moving tour bus Wednesday afternoon in the Katama section of Edgartown. Police said he had apparently fallen from an emergency exit window in the bus.
Not Content to Just Enjoy Art, Couple Documents the Process
Visions of Home: the Work of Heather Neill is an intimate portrait of the artist’s life and work.
The Moth Returns With Stories Told the Old-Fashioned Way
The Moth Mainstage on Martha’s Vineyard returns to the Island on Wednesday.
Bringing Opera to the People
Wendy Taucher Dance Opera Theatre’s production of The Barber of Seville will run from July 29 to 31 at Featherstone Center for the Arts.
All-Island Art Show Rocks the Tabernacle
Local artists rejoice. The annual All-Island Art Show returns to the Tabernacle on Monday, August 1.
Alice’s Restaurant Is on the Menu as Arlo Guthrie Visits Vineyard
Arlo Guthrie visited Martha’s Vineyard for the first time as teenager in the early 1960s.
Water Tasting to Benefit Vineyard House
The annual Water Tasting by the Sea benefit to raise money for Vineyard House takes place Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on a site overlooking Katama Bay.
Cicada Days of Summer Bring Tidings of Fall
Annual cicadas have emerged and lore suggests that the first frost occurs six weeks after they begin to sing.
Queen Anne’s Lace and Blue Wild Chicory
I want to complain about the hot and humid weather but given the situation in most of the country I cannot justify it.
Following the Trail of Piping Plovers
Piping plovers have been protected along the Atlantic Coast since 1986, and over the years many people have asked about their wintering grounds.
Zipcar Launches Falmouth Service
Zipcar now has cars available in Falmouth for Martha’s Vineyard residents.
Vineyarders Participate in Pan-Mass Challenge
Seven Martha’s Vineyard residents will participate in this year’s Pan-Mass Challenge.
Vineyard Montessori Announces New Staff Members
The Vineyard Montessori School is announcing two new staff members.
Opening Reception at Sargent Gallery
The Sargent Gallery hosts an opening reception on July 30 for Three Artists: Loving the Land.
Robert Mapplethorpe Documentary
On Monday, Aug. 1, at 7:30 p.m. the Film Center screens the documentary Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures.
Charlie Fenske Is Google Science Fair Finalist
Charlie Fenske, 16, of Edgartown has been named a regional finalist in Google’s worldwide science fair.
Many Mediums, Many Honors, But Still Just the Guy Next Door
James Lapine is working. He looks as relaxed as any other summer resident, bicycling around Edgartown in shorts and T-shirt, but this is no vacation for the Pulitzer, Tony and Peabody award-winning dramatist, theatre director and filmmaker.
Catch of the Day Is Local Fish, Compelling Conversation
The Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard became an outdoor dining room as Islanders enjoyed fresh seafood and a conversation with author Paul Greenberg.
It’s a Boy! Island Alpaca’s Herd Expands
Blue balloons were flying Wednesday at Island Alpaca, where the first baby alpaca (called a cria) of the season was born at 9:05 a.m.
Genetically-Engineered Mice Explored as New Tool in Fight Against Lyme Disease
Scientists at MIT are hoping to prevent Lyme disease on the Vineyard by releasing large numbers of genetically engineered mice into the wild. The project would still be years down the road.
At the Bridge Table: July 29
When you’re dealt a huge, two-suited hand, do you bid an artificial and forcing 2♣?
First Martha’s Vineyard Babe Ruth Classic
The first ever Martha’s Vineyard U13 Babe Ruth tournament will be held this weekend at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Legal Notices Must Now Appear Online
A new Massachusetts law signed this week by Gov. Charlie Baker requires all legal notices published in newspapers to also appear on a statewide legal notice website.
While My Sitar Gently Weeps; Music of India Heads to Chilmark
Abhik Mukherjee plays both the sitar and the surbahar, but only the sitar makes the traveling team for his trip to Martha’s Vineyard on July 30. Which is good news for Mr. Mukherjee, since by all accounts traveling with even one of the instruments adds a few degrees of difficulty to any trip.
Hardy Weed, Tender Treat: Cooking with Lamb’s Quarters
The idea was to harvest lamb’s quarters before the market Saturday. There are sizable plants growing all over the dormant asparagus patch.
Flying Horses to Madison Square Garden, Chadwick Stokes Still Sings a Vineyard Tune
Coming off a European tour with his band Dispatch, Chadwick Stokes returns to his childhood vacation spot for a little down time, and to perform at Union Chapel Saturday.
Back from the Brink, Summer Basketball Heats Up
In danger of missing its first season in 45 years, the Oak Bluffs summer basketball league received enough players at the last minute.
Like Father Like Daughter; Amy Helm Rocks Audience Off Its Feet
At the Union Chapel Sunday evening, Amy Helm captivated an audience with a free-flowing set as hot as the air in the old church.
Stingray Sighting off State Beach
A large roughtail stingray was seen swimming in shallow water about 50 yards off State Beach on Sunday morning. The gentle creatures are common in New England waters but rarely seen close to shore.
Looking at Housing Instability in America
Matthew Desmond’s book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, illustrates how eviction is not only a condition but a cause of poverty. Mr. Desmond spoke in Chilmark Sunday evening.
William Anderson Graduates
William Anderson of Oak Bluffs graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
Town Seeks to Untangle Chappy Ferry Line Problems
More signs and a reservation system for large trucks were among the possible solutions discussed by the Edgartown selectmen this week during a report on problems with the Chappy ferry line.
Kuehn’s Way Clears MVC; No New Hearing Required
The long-planned affordable housing development in the Red Coat Hill section of Vineyard Haven has cleared the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. At a public hearing, passions ran high.
Announcing Ever
Emily and Paul Galligan of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Ever Wilde Galligan, born July 20 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Chilmark Selectmen Say No to Unnecessary Tree Cutting, Reality TV
With hundreds of trees around the Island tagged for removal by Eversource Energy, the Chilmark selectmen have taken steps to prevent any unnecessary tree cutting in their town.
First Honors at Clark University
Jacqueline P. Menton and August A. Welles of Vineyard Haven were named to first honors on the spring 2016 dean’s list at Clark University.
Eva Balboni Named to Dean’s List
Eva Balboni of Edgartown, a medical and molecular biology major, was named to the spring 2016 dean’s list at MCPHS University.
