REMEMBERING VIRGINIA

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Dedication, Deconsecration

From the following editions of the Vineyard Gazette:

John Morelli died Wednesday at his home in Chilmark, just a few short miles from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School where he taught English for nearly half his life.

He loved the drive to work each morning, past the West Tisbury Congregational Church, Alley’s General Store and the Mill Pond, especially during this time of year. The cold, clear fall air — mixed with a cup or two of coffee — energized him for another day of teaching, inspiring and being inspired by his students.

Anthropologists call them social nodes — the places where a community’s social cement is stirred, where folks get to know each other during the spontaneous expression of life’s routine. Our churches, libraries and town halls serve this purpose, of course, but so do more informal locations like our parks, walkways, forest trails, beaches and general stores.

Editors’ Note: This marks the second year for the Gazette to sponsor Sophomores Speak Out, a special current events feature written by the sophomore students in Elaine Cawley Weintraub’s global studies class at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. Sophomores Speak Out will appear regularly on the Commentary Page throughout the school year.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

Oct. 12 66 56 Trace

Oct. 13 68 37 Trace

Oct. 14 62 41 .00

Oct. 15 62 39 .00

Oct. 16 62 42 .00

Oct. 17 61 41 .00

Oct. 18 72 44 .00

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 65º F.

Friday, Oct. 12: Mist in the morning. Anglers gather at the end of the Big Bridge jetty on the last full day of the derby. Choppy seas off East Chop.

Saturday, Oct. 13: Cool morning. Thick dew on the pumpkins at Morning Glory Farm. Cool over the Lagoon Pond. Golf enthusiasts gather at Farm Neck Golf Course under autumn sun, a light breeze on the fairway. Derby headquarters in Main street Edgartown is bustling with fishermen carrying the catch of the day. Derby ends under damp clear night sky. Stars.

A key subcommittee of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted unanimously on Monday to recommend that the controversial three-story garage built by Joseph G. Moujabber in Oak Bluffs without a proper permit three years ago should be reviewed by the full commission as a development of regional impact (DRI).

The vote by the commission’s land use planning committee sets the stage for a comprehensive public review of the project which has been dubbed Garage Mahal by critics.

Dancing and Darjeeling

Belly dance is derived from folk dances and traditions of Middle Eastern and North African cultures. Like any dance form, it is great cardiovascular exercise. Find out more at the Tisbury Senior Center’s Tea and Talk on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. The Vineyard’s own Belly Dance and Revue will dance and talk about the history of belly dance while you enjoy cookies and tea. Dancers are Pat Szucs, Betsy Smith, Jamie O’Gorman, Suzanna Nickerson, Shela Rayyan and more.

Kids Adorn Arboretum

Polly Hill Arboretum youth educators Betsy Dripps, Gretchen Snyder and volunteer school guides have teamed up with the West Tisbury fifth grade to decorate the arboretum for fall.

Using natural materials the students created creatures to adorn the grounds. Perched on walls, peering from branches, and propped on fences these creatures will delight visitors, young and old alike.