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
February 21, 2020
Moonless Nights
We’ve got mostly moonless nights ahead. The moon is a thin crescent low in the eastern sky before sunrise tomorrow morning.
Funding Cuts Complicate Already Challenging Census
Faced with sharply reduced federal funding for outreach efforts, Island leaders and organizations on Martha’s Vineyard are scrambling to prepare for the 2020 census.
Voter Registration Is Up as Island Prepares for Primary
Early voting for the presidential primary election begins on Monday and town clerks around the Island report an increase in voter registration ahead of the closely watched race.
A Career of the Heart, 50 Years of Community Service
In the late 1960s Tom Bennett was a Vineyard kid adrift in Europe, lying in his sick bed at a hospital in Amsterdam.
Cape Cod 5 Grants
Cape Cod 5 welcomed local public school teachers, including many from the Vineyard, to their new headquarters in Hyannis for a grants awards reception on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Growing Up to Give Back, Tankard Siblings Embraced Island Life
Three Tankard siblings (of 10 total) joined an eager audience of listeners for this month’s Tuesdays in the Newsroom talk.
Art by the Numbers at Featherstone
Featherstone in Oak Bluffs is kicking off its 2020 season with a bit of a twist, an art exhibit all about numbers.
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending Feb. 14
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $548,490 for the business week ending on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020.
Announcing Alexander
Olga and Petr Valach, of West Tisbury, announce the birth of a son, Alexander Petr Valach, born on Feb. 17 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Alexander weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounces at birth.
DeSorcy Family Puts Waterfront Property on Market Again
A prime stretch of Vineyard Haven working waterfront is now on the market as four separate parcels for a total of $7.3 million.
Boys Hockey and Basketball Teams Head to Playoffs
For the second straight year, the high school boys hockey and basketball teams are headed to the postseason.
Adventures in Navigation, the Old Fashioned Way
Clearly, I am out of step with the times.
Learning to Love the Inner Competitor
When I was 13 on my way out the door to play tennis with a boy my father yelled, “If you want him to like you, let him win!”
Dear Ruth
From the February 23, 1973 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
Deans List
Kyra Whalen, class of 2020, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2019 semester at the University of Vermont.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Feb. 14
Michael W. Kelleher purchased 171 Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs from Circuit Avenue 171 LLC for $608,000 on Feb. 10.
Please Adopt Us: Feb. 21
Striper, the fifteen-year old torbi, has found her forever home and her adoption has been finalized.
Aquinnah Town Column: Feb. 21
It was nice to enjoy the sun over the weekend without a trace of rain.
Chilmark Town Column: Feb. 21
School vacation is upon us.
West Tisbury Town Column: Feb. 21
Well it sure will be like a ghost town all week mainly because of the school’s winter vacation that begins this afternoon.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Feb. 21
When I moved to this Island year-round 42 years ago I thought I would, yes, work, but write and paint and work on my poetry.
Chappy Town Column: Feb. 21
Although it is only late February, I can’t help but feel that spring is just around the corner.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Feb. 21
The 2020 State of the Union speech was preceded by a two-day call to action by the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee in Washington, D.C.
Harbingers of Spring
We are all looking and listening for signs of the approaching spring, as some of us cannot wait for it to come even though we have not experienced much severe winter weather so far.
Full of Foam
There is something bubbling up in Katama.
Early Blooms
I’m not positive but I think I have my earliest crocus ever.
Chilmark Selectmen Look to Upgrade School Heating System
Chilmark selectmen agreed Tuesday to use a state grant designated for energy saving projects to upgrade the heating system at the Chilmark School.
Beck and Norah Jones to Headline Beach Road Weekend
The three-day music festival taking place July 24 to July 26 at Veteran’s Park in Vineyard Haven will include Beck, Norah Jones, Father John Misty, Lake Street Dive and more.
Edgartown Selectmen Look to Green Opportunities
Edgartown was feeling green — with environmentalism, not envy — on Tuesday.
West Tisbury Library Names New Director
The West Tisbury Library has selected Alexandra Pratt as its new director.
SSA Budget for Woods Hole Construction Rises to Nearly $93 Million
The Steamship Authority’s sweeping renovation of its Woods Hole waterfront operations, originally estimated to cost less than $70 million, is now being budgeted at $92,767,283.
Lambert’s Cove Road Reopens
Lambert’s Cove road in Tisbury reopened to all traffic Tuesday.
Planning Board to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed Athletic Complex
The Oak Bluffs planning board will hold a public hearing on March 12 at 5 p.m.
High School Musical Big Fish Hooks Island Hearts
With dancing, music, costumes and storytelling, Big Fish: The Musical dazzled audiences at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center.
Daniel Sharkovitz, Longtime English Teacher and Mentor, Dies at 68
Daniel Sharkovitz, the Vineyard’s beloved ‘Shark’ and English teacher at the regional high school, died on February 16.
Strikes All Around at Sober Bowling Fundraiser
The Barn, Bowl and Bistro hosted a packed house of Islanders on Saturday to benefit Vineyard House with an afternoon of pizza, prizes and sober bowling.
Track Teams Excel at District Five Championships
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys track team finished in eighth place and the girls team finished in 14th place at the MIAA District 5 meet on Sunday at Reggie Lewis Stadium in Roxbury.
Edgartown Couple Arrives Home After Coronavirus Ordeal
Edgartown residents Tom and Dianne Durawa, who were marooned at sea for weeks aboard the MS Westerdam cruise ship, are under public health supervision.
Nonprofit Collaborative Chooses New Executive Director
The Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative Board of Directors has hired Jackie Friedman as its new executive director.
Edgartown Signs Land Swap Agreement With Boys and Girls Club
Selectmen voted Friday to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Boys and Girls Club related to the planned purchase of 21 acres off the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road.
Amid Coronavirus Scare, Edgartown Residents Look for Port of Call
Tom and Dianne Durawa are two of the 1,455 passengers and 802 crew that have been stranded in the Gulf of Thailand aboard the MS Westerdam for the past two weeks.
High School Sports Teams Look to Post Season Play
The boys hockey team clinched a playoff spot, and swimmers Gabby Carr and Ruairi Mullin broke records during sectionals at MIT.
Remembering Nelson Bryant
One of the joys in my life has been my Sunday visits to Ruth and Nelson Bryant’s house.
