The other night a friend from New York city called to see how I was doing. About a year and a half ago, my wife and I and our two small children moved from New York to the Island. It had been a tough transition for me. At a party last winter I spoke to a woman about my difficulties. She nodded gravely, then said almost off-handedly, “I know how you feel. It took me 15 years to settle in.” She walked off to get another drink. I headed to the bathroom and wept.

This past Friday the Vineyard Gazette detailed the plans of Vineyard Power, the Island’s first energy cooperative, where predevelopment financing of $17 million is underway, and a “feverish scramble for members” (today’s $50 cost becomes almost 20 times that in four years) promises that those who’ve signed on by August will have input into where the turbines will be located.

From a Gazette edition of 1930:

There is no place on Martha’s Vineyard that seems so far apart from the earth as Cedar Neck, the miniature promontory that juts it cedar and juniper crested bulk into Lagoon Pond.

SHACK OWNERS REACT

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Two of the selectmen have decided to make the shack owners in Menemsha insure the lots they lease from the town, even though the town already has insurance. I called the two selectmen that voted for this and was told they are doing this for the Chilmark people and taxpayers. The two selectmen passed this without any input from us as we weren’t notified of this meeting. My guess is that we aren’t considered Chilmark people or taxpayers (we are) so they just passed it.

Hermits of the Bog

My grandfather, Charles Shearer, was born into slavery. Henrietta Shearer was of Native American and African American descent. They were both educated at Hampton University.

Tisbury’s Good Idea

The Tisbury selectmen are on the right track as they begin to explore the idea of a two-town venture in shellfish management with their neighbor, the town of Oak Bluffs. In a working session last week the selectmen began a conversation with Oak Bluffs shellfish constable David Grunden about the possibilities of a shared venture. Tisbury has been without a permanent constable since the sudden death of Derek Cimeno last fall.

Vineyard fishermen did well in the state’s annual saltwater fishing contest, with six Island anglers taking prizes at an event held on Valentine’s Day at the Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition in Worcester.

The state keeps tallies for the largest fish taken in a wide array of categories from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30.

Helena Kirschenbaum of Oak Bluffs won in the women’s category for a 42-pound, six-ounce striped bass.

Last Wednesday evening Kathy Cerick and her family were walking on Lobsterville Beach near Dogfish Bar when they spotted a seal. It did not move when they approached it, so they took photographs and called the police who called the New England Aquarium. Ms. Cerick later received a call from the Aquarium asking her to forward the photographs. The Aquarium then responded that the seal was a harp seal. Ms. Cerick was asked to check on the seal again the next day, which she did, but the seal was gone.

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