RICK HERRICK

508-693-8065

(herricklr@verizon.net)

Sitting in the standby line in Woods Hole can be a nail-biting experience. That tension eases somewhat when the Island Home comes into view with its increased car-carrying capacity. Vineyarders take pride in the newest addition to the Steamship Authority’s fleet of boats.

Next time you travel on the Island Home, visit the purser’s office on the top deck. Right across from it there’s a plaque on the wall that recognizes members of the Port Council.

HOLLY NADLER

508-693-3880

(sunporch@vineyard.net)

How many of us are sensitive about being washashores? It may be a bit of a taboo to talk about it because most of us act as if we couldn’t give a flying Fig Newton. So we don’t have whaling captains in our ancestry, who cares? Those were a bunch of uptight and bossy dudes; who needs them?

NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

I know we are all used to the roving gangs of turkeys passing through our yards. I say gangs, not flocks, because they can be very proprietary. But my dogs went crazy barking the other day. I thought they should be used to the turks by now. I looked out the window and saw a beautiful, big, and obviously well-kept rooster waiting for food. He walked up my front steps and would have rung the bell if he could reach it.

Book Fair

The Tisbury School library will host a scholastic book fair Nov. 26 through 29, a fun-filled book sale and literacy event geared to excite children about reading and learning.

Parents, children, teachers and the entire community are invited to the Book Fair Blizzard, the name of the fair.

This annual event gives students, teachers, parents, and grandparents an opportunity to add to their own libraries, and to augment the libraries of others.

Gifts for Peace

The annual PeaceCraft Holiday Gift Shop opens Friday, Nov. 23 at the Tisbury Market and Deli on Main street in Vineyard Haven. Distinctive goods and holiday crafts will be available Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Fish Farm for Haiti Project sponors PeaceCraft to provide support to self-help artisan groups around the world. The shop will be open until the day before Christmas. For more information or to volunteer, call Meg at 508-939-9094.

JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net) 

Old Jack Frost paid us a brief visit last Saturday and Sunday nights with temperatures in some places dipping into the low twenties. He may return again this weekend with a few more calling cards. The leaves, what was left of them from the storm, peaked earlier this week and after last Sunday’s frost are falling to the ground by the thousands each day.

Welcome Isaac

Renata A. Almeida and Zildomar G. Wanziler of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Isaac Almeida Wanziler, born on Nov. 8 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Isaac weighed 7 pounds, 3.2 ounces at birth.

JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Many Chilmarkers took advantage of the all-Island flu shot clinic this past Monday even though the present weather pattern shows little signs of the flu season arriving any time soon. Let’s hope we are all set for a sniffle-free winter. The event went very smoothly, at least when we were there midday. Thanks to all the volunteers.

Emily Arrives

Holly and Wayne Lawyer of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Emily Malia Lawyer, born on Nov. 7 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Emily’s weight was 7 pounds, 4.5 ounces at birth.

This week’s most exciting sightings are Sally Anderson’s reports of pine siskins on Nov. 4 and 8 and common redpolls observed in Aquinnah on Nov. 12. To have these northern finches around this early, and widespread across Massachusetts, means that they may be relatively common this winter. These finches only migrate this far south when food is scarce in their northern forest homelands. Last winter the seeds they eat were abundant, yet the birds were virtually absent in New England.