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
December 6, 2019
Venus and Saturn
The brilliant planet Venus resides prominently in the western sky just after sunset.
Island Elves at Red Stocking Fund Are Holiday Heroes
In 1938 a group of Island women came together to knit six red stockings, fill those stocking with gifts and distribute them to six families in need just in time for Christmas.
Hospice Confronts a Growing Need
Unlike almost every other hospice provider in the country, Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard is free. The unique model means that no qualified end-of-life patients are turned away.
Tax Matters
Nobody loves a tax, so the news that the property tax rate is going down next year in several Island towns is perhaps cause for small celebration.
Welcome Mr. President
Martha’s Vineyard has long been home to dignitaries and celebrities of every stripe — writers, artists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, politicians, even heads of state.
Chappy and Mom, a Heavenly Combo
My mom, Kris Woodger, died on Oct. 18. She was my confidant, my friend and my Uber driver.
Captain’s Responsibility
Reading about the 174 Steamship Authority trips in October that were canceled (many, if not all, due to bad weather)
An Irish Blessing
I asked Valerie for a list of first names of all staff at the nursing home.
Cheers!
From the Dec. 8, 1933 edition of the Gazette:
Island Clergy Group Responds to Vandalism
The Martha’s Vineyard Island Clergy Group, which represents pastors from Vineyard churches of different denominations, has issued a statement in response to a rash of discriminatory vandalism at Island churches and a Falmouth synagogue earlier this fall.
State Recognition for Island Wide Youth Collaborative
The Island Wide Youth Collaborative was recently recognized by the state as one of the top three family resource centers in the commonwealth.
Human Error Caused Sinking of Tisbury Fire Boat
The Tisbury harbor master’s fire patrol boat sank at its Owen Park slip in an early October storm because a deck hatch was left unsecured, according to a loss and damage survey.
Peter Temple to Retire from Nonprofit Collaborative
Peter Temple will retire as executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative at the end of the year.
Please Adopt Us
Carly has come back. She was adopted with Mr. Softee, but wasn’t playing nice with him, so she has returned.
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending Nov. 29
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $388,840 for the business week ending on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Nov. 29
Michael Vincent Florio and Jill Marie Florio purchased 345 North Road in Chilmark from John L. Diamond and Lucia M. Diamond for $800,000 on Nov. 25.
Oil Spill Cleanup Begins in Edgartown
Work has begun to remediate a heating oil spill that occurred just off Main street in Edgartown this past summer.
Shining Brightly in a Quiet Way
For 20 years, Garrett Brown has been an essential part of the Island Community Chorus concerts. He will be on stage this weekend when the chorus performs its annual holiday concerts.
Potter’s Process Is to Let the Clay Lead the Way
Micah Thanhauser will host a holiday open house this weekend at his pottery studio in West Tisbury. No two pieces are exactly alike, and their colors come from the clay he uses.
Aquinnah Town Column: Dec. 6
The first snowfall of the season surprised us Tuesday morning.
Chilmark Town Column: Dec. 6
For many hunters Monday’s weather wasn’t a deterrent to opening day of shotgun season.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Dec. 6
I owe Martha Dunham three apologies. So here they are.
Chappy Town Column: Dec. 6
I hope our community will rally for Jeff and Becca LaMarche, former Chappy ferry captains, who need our support during a heartbreaking and challenging time.
Edgartown Town Column: Dec. 6
It is raining and the wind has died down as I write this early in the week.
Maxine Arrives
Aela and Sara Mass, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Maxine Vera Hill Mass, born on Nov. 28 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Maxine weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.
Get Your Holiday Engines Racing
In a certain home that will not be named, the tradition following Thanksgiving dinner is to unsheath a large sword and lop the head off a chocolate turkey.
Fall Festival
Felix Neck’s annual Fall Festival is a special event as it (almost) always seems to enjoy fair weather.
Knock Out
Mantis shrimp don’t need anyone in their corner. They come out swinging and leave all prey down for the count.
Snow Stories
Growing up in Rew, Penn., snow was a fact of life.
Eyeing a New School, Tisbury Airs Education Plan
The Tisbury School needs more than classrooms to properly educate and care for children, school committee member Mike Watts told town selectmen.
West Tisbury Town Column: Dec. 6
Well, the Thanksgiving weather turned brisk and cold with a howling wind that forced many boat cancellations that afternoon.
Peter Temple Will Retire From Nonprofit Collaborative
Peter Temple will retire as executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative at the end of the year, the organization announced.
Annual Tree Lighting Draws a Crowd in Oak Bluffs
A merry crowd kicked off the holiday season with plenty of good cheer at the annual Oak Bluffs tree lighting Wednesday night.
Chilmark Voters Back Funding for Public Safety Buildings
At a special election Wednesday, voters agreed 78-22 to exempt $440,000 from the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2.
Short on Funds for Capital Projects, High School Delays Vote on Budget
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School district committee this week postponed a vote on the FY 2021 budget, amid concerns about the lack of a clear policy over how to pay for capital spending projects.
Oak Bluffs Sets Tax Rate
Oak Bluffs selectmen voted Tuesday to approve a tax rate of $7.44 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, a 3.25 per cent decrease.
Aquinnah Opens Menemsha Pond to Scalloping
Menemsha Pond is officially open for scalloping — despite some spirited protestations from the town administrator at a meeting of the selectmen Tuesday.
Susie Wallo Honored With Spirit of the Vineyard Award
A convivial crowd of well-wishers turned out to honor Susie Wallo with the Spirit of the Vineyard Award Tuesday evening at the P.A. Club.
Tax Rate Drops, Valuations Soar to $10 Billion in Edgartown
Christmas has come early for Edgartown taxpayers, who will see an estimated 16 per cent decrease in their tax rate for the 2020 fiscal year.
Quahaugging Ends Indefinitely in Western Lagoon Pond
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has closed the west end of Lagoon Pond to quahaugging due to high bacteria counts.
New Regulations Push Herring Trawlers Further Offshore
As part of a long-term grassroots effort, federal regulators recently passed legislation to protect dwindling Atlantic herring stocks.
They’re Playing My Song on Music Street
I’m just back from a visit to pre-Christmas New York. Fifth avenue was bustling with shoppers.
In Dredge Work, Edgartown Refines the Art of Moving Sand
The geomorphic processes of the Vineyard’s littoral belt are among the most varied on Earth. Meaning the Edgartown dredge has a lot of work to do.
