Readers Regroup at Bunch of Grapes, Where Books Aren’t the Only Tear-Jerkers
Mike Seccombe

Last Thursday night, having turned off the lights after the first full day’s trading at the newly-reopened Bunch of Grapes bookstore, Katherine Fergason sat down in the aisle, in the dark, in the silence and cried.

Happy tears this time.

It was not just that the bookstore was back — albeit in temporary form and in a temporary location — after the July Fourth fire.

It was the smell of 4,000 brand new books. And the smiles of scores of old customers.

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Fourth of July Fire Cripples Vineyard Haven Over Holiday; But Town Vows to Rebuild Quickly
Mike Seccombe and Jim Hickey

A disastrous Independence Day fire completely destroyed the Café Moxie restaurant and left the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore badly damaged, shutting down Main street Vineyard Haven for the entire day and leaving the town, its business community and much of the Island in a state of shock at the outset of peak summer season.

But the owner of the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore promised yesterday that it would reopen.

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Bunch of Grapes Owner Vows to Rebuild Beloved Bookstore
Jack Shea

Bookstore owner Jon C. Nelson Jr. said he will rebuild.

“Absolutely. I am committed to rebuilding the Bunch of Grapes,” said Mr. Nelson on Sunday afternoon.

That commitment was one of the few certainties Mr. Nelson had two days after the Fourth of July fire that heavily damaged the landmark Vineyard Haven bookstore.

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Bunch of Grapes: Authors Lament Loss
Phyllis Meras

Island writers are expressing sympathy and sadness for the loss, they hope only temporarily, of the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven that was devastated by fire on July 4.

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Buy a Book, Help a Brother

The Bunch of Grapes Bookstore has teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Martha’s Vineyard to help out this holiday season. Little Brothers and Sisters in the mentoring program are invited to visit Bunch of Grapes and create a wish list of up to six books. Community members may then view the wish lists and choose a book to give to a little. Bunch of Grapes is offering a 20 per cent discount on these gifts.

This opportunity is available until Dec. 31, 2011.

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Bunch of Grapes Turns the Page, Will Move to Bowl and Board

The Bunch of Grapes, the landmark Vineyard Haven bookstore that has been the go-to place for Islanders and summer visitors alike — including sitting U.S. presidents — to buy their books for more than 40 years, will relocate, owner Dawn Braasch announced last week.

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