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 17, 2021
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending Dec. 10
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $729,829.80 for the business week ending on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021.
Comet Leonard
The faint comet, Comet Leonard, will appear right under the planet Venus tomorrow night.
Getting It Right
The critical need for affordable housing on Martha’s Vineyard is by now beyond dispute. But how to solve this pressing problem needs all the careful consideration and collective good faith the Island can muster.
Review Begins for New Elder Care Facility in Edgartown
Early review has begun on a plan by the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital to build a large new senior living and nursing home facility in Edgartown.
Santa’s Wish
This time of the year / Whispers in Santa’s ear / Elicit Ho, Ho, Hos / Smiles of children / Laughter of folklore.
Oak Bluffs Streetscape Project Has Downtown Buzzing
It’s an uncharacteristically noisy holiday season on Circuit avenue, but the downtown buzz in Oak Bluffs isn’t from tourists and shoppers. Instead it comes from chain saws and leaf blowers.
Climate Action Plan Marks Launch of Ambitious Agenda
More than 100 people with a wide range of backgrounds atended an online meeting as the Island formally kicked off its climate action plan.
Heart and Soul
It just breaks my heart when I hear of yet another case of a broken promise relevant to our Island community housing issue.
Explore Alternatives
n 1975, my grandfather, Roger DeFeo, went to Martha’s Vineyard with his older brother Lawrence to find an ideal place to build family homes.
Needed Project
I am writing in support of Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard as proposed on land in Edgartown.
Highway Crew Heroes
I would like to give a shoutout to Edgartown’s highway superintendent, Allan Debettencourt, and his employees.
Philatelist
From the Dec. 19, 1947 edition of the Gazette:
Snowy Owl Prowl Is Everyone’s Delight
They are here, they have been spotted and they are waiting for you. Honest.
Rise Dance Show
Rise Vineyard Performing Arts will present its holiday dance show, Season’s Greetings, on Sunday, Dec. 19.
And to All a Good Meal This Christmas
Growing up in Edgartown, what chef Amy Johnson looked forward to most on Christmas Day wasn’t opening presents. “The food was more impressive than the gifts,” she recalled.
Mountain Biking Club
A new mountain biking club is rolling out on the Island, a Vineyard chapter of the Northeast Mountain Biking Association.
Edey Foundation Grants Available
The Edey Foundation, founded by the late Maitland Edey of Seven Gates Farm, announces funds available for grants to Island nonprofit organizations.
Hello Sutton
Samantha Piland and Anthony Piland Jr. of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Sutton Rose Piland, born on Dec. 3.
Calum Arrives
Laura Jennifer Hart and Samuel Allen Hart, of Aquinnah, announce the birth of a son, Calum McQueen Hart, born on Nov. 28.
Select Board Renews Entertainment License for Offshore Ale
Live music will continue at Offshore Ale Co. after the Oak Bluffs select board approved a new entertainment license for the business Tuesday, over concerns raised by neighbors.
West Tisbury Reappoints Ernie Thomas to MVC
West Tisbury has reappointed Ernest Thomas as the town representative to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, following a vote by the select board Wednesday.
Early Morning Power Outage Explained
A 12-minute early morning power outage on the Vineyard was quickly resolved after the cause was located at a Falmouth substation, an Eversource spokesman said Thursday.
Tisbury Will Place Housing Bank on Warrant
The Tisbury select board voted Wednesday to place the housing bank article on the annual town meeting warrant, joining Aquinnah and Chilmark in agreeing to bring the question to voters next spring.
Film Center Reaches Fundraising Goal to Purchase Building
Richard Paradise, founder and director of the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society, has a lot to celebrate this holiday season, after quietly raising more than $750,000 to purchase the Film Center.
West Tisbury Town Column: Dec. 17
This time of year always pulls us in two directions, doesn’t it? The waning light and cold air, the quiet woods and windswept beaches, seem to direct us inward.
Chilmark Town Column: Dec. 17
When you are out and about, be sure to make your way down the Menemsha Crossroad.
Climate Changes
I had a large hoop house in which I stored garden-related items: tools, fertilizers, potting soil, stakes and ornamental pots.
Chilmark Firefighters Quickly Douse Truck Engulfed in Flames
Chilmark firefighters responded to the scene of a pickup truck engulfed in flames on South Road Wednesday morning. The truck was destroyed, but no one was injured in the mishap.
Retirement Redux for Coach Don Herman
On Sunday evening, at the season-end football banquet, Don Herman announced his retirement after 32 years coaching football at the regional high school. It was the second time for the longtime coach to retire.
Oak Bluffs Is Third Town to Delay Action on Housing Bank Article
Echoing the concerns of Edgartown and West Tisbury, the Oak Bluffs select board delayed action this week on a draft annual town meeting article to create a Martha’s Vineyard housing bank.
Edgartown Town Column: Dec. 17
We are still getting some warm weather and wind and rain over the weekend.
Chappaquiddick Town Column: Dec. 17
As per age-old tradition, the Chappy Ferry will operate on an abbreviated schedule on Christmas morning.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Dec. 10
Marianne Karr, Marten van der Werff and Marten van der Werff purchased 60 Tenth Street S in Edgartown from Sarah E. Bouchard and Frank C. Fesnak for $1,360,000 on Dec. 8.
King of Wood
Hinoki cypress is native to Japan and is a popular ornamental in this country.
Avian Prowess
Long distance migrants fly 3,000 to 8,000 miles over water without any chance to eat for a number of days.
Advocates Dominate Board of Health Meeting on Turf Ban
The Oak Bluffs board of health opened the floodgates Tuesday to opinions on a draft regulation that would ban artificial turf in town — opening up fresh wounds in the divisive athletic fields project at the regional high school.
Expansion Plans on Deck, Kelley House Will Close
The Kelley House and its associated food and beverage outlets will close in early January to prepare for a major expansion project at the downtown hotel.
School Superintendent’s Budget Rises Slightly
The budget for services shared across the Island’s public schools will rise to $7.7 million in fiscal year 2023, a 3.9 per cent increase over last year.
Case Spike Continues; Hundreds Line Up for Vaccines
New cases of Covid-19 shot up over 100 last week, surpassing August peak numbers and matching the infection rate of last April. The Island boards of health reported that 105 people had received positive PCR tests for the coronavirus during the week ending Dec. 11.
SSA Wraps Up the Year With Financial Reports
Steamship Authority governors put a period on the year 2021 at their monthly meeting Monday, hearing financial reports, electing new officers for 2022 and addressing transfer bridge safety following incidents involving a failed cable in recent weeks.
Oak Bluffs Board of Health Mulls Banning Artificial Turf
A draft regulation that would ban artificial turf in Oak Bluffs is set for discussion by the town board of health Tuesday, adding another new wrinkle to ongoing debate around a plan by the high school to overhaul its athletic fields using turf.
Painter Norma Bridwell Gets Her Due in One-Woman Show
Norma Bridwell has been an artist since childhood. Yet only this winter, on the verge of her 89th birthday, has the longtime Edgartown resident seen a public exhibition dedicated solely to her paintings.
West Tisbury Cell Tower Expansion Clears MVC
A cell tower expansion in West Tisbury got a provisional green light from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week after a lengthy public hearing process.
Christmas Parade, Minnesingers Concert, Set Holiday Pace
An Edgartown police car led the way. A young boy in a Santa hat rode in the passenger seat, yelling out a hearty “Merry Christmas!” to the crowd over the cruiser’s PA system. Children and parents alike echoed the refrain.
Snow, Shopping Perfect Fit in Vineyard Haven
Main street was alive with shoppers, lights and snowmakers Thursday night, at the town’s first Winter Wonderland of the season.
