Time Machine Terms
September 2, 1997
Ceremonies at Shearer Cottage Dedicate Historic Site on African American Trail
Shearer Cottage in Oak Bluffs was the first inn on Martha’s Vineyard, and among the first in the nation, to be owned by and cater to black people. It now has been dedicated to the man for who founded the inn, and is a key stop on the Vineyard’s Heritage Trail.
Named for Charles Shearer, the cottage is the culmination of this man’s journey to prosperity.
September 2, 1997
Shellfish Group Meets Biological Success, Fiscal Crisis
It is a record year for baby shellfish growing up at the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, but the 21-year-old institution is facing severe financial troubles, its worst in years.
There is another contradiction. The hatchery, highly regarded in the national aquaculture industry, the recipient of federal grants and accolades from the science community, is dealing with an image problem before Island town selectmen and financial committees. Town officials like the work but they don’t want to help it financially.
August 15, 1997
Polly Hill Arboretum Awarded $300,000
State environmental affairs secretary Trudy Coxe this week contributed the state’s share of $300,000 towards the preservation of the Polly Hill Arboretum Inc.
Before an audience of 60 people at the Barnard Inn Farm in West Tisbury on Tuesday, the state environmental affairs secretary praised the efforts of Polly Hill and the unusual partnership that has arisen with David H. Smith and his foundation.
August 12, 1997
Chilmark Stages Run for the Lobster
A mammoth, six-pound lobster was released on Saturday, after Craig Gemmell of Hyannis Port won the 20th running of the Chilmark Road Race.
Mr. Gemmell’s 16:04 finish in the 3.1-mile race earned him the day’s largest lobster. While he said he enjoys an occasional crustacean, Mr. Gemmell, a biology teacher, said he could not comfortably feed on such a large old lobster.
August 8, 1997
Chilmark Road Race Is Now 20
It was a Saturday in September, and somehow Hugh Weisman persuaded Priscilla Cohn and Morgan Shipway to enter his race down Middle Road. They weren’t competitive runners, but this was just five kilometers. Do it and spend the day recovering at Lucy Vincent Beach.
August 5, 1997
David Smith and Polly Hill Form Unusual Conservation Alliance
He is a doctor whose pioneering research and development work helped to eliminate an infectious disease that once struck thousands of children each year. She is a four-decade resident of the Vineyard and a pioneer in her own right, an avant garde horticulturalist whose work in her North Tisbury arboretum has received national recognition.
July 25, 1997
Island Public Charter School Wins Permission for Expansion
The Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School has recieved written approval from the Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC) to add a 36 by 32-foot classroom to its existing facility; a building permit from the town is expected to follow within the next two weeks.
July 22, 1997
On the Waterfront
The 11th annual Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament starts this Thursday with a captain's meeting at the Wesley Hotel. Fishing takes place on Friday and Saturday. Bob Jackson, the organizer of the event and the president of the Boston Big Game Fishing Club, said he is expecting at least 55 boats.
July 4, 1997
Barnard’s Inn Farm Is Preserved
Prominent conservationists announced yesterday that they have acquired Barnard’s Inn Farm, a 60-acre parcel of land in West Tisbury that is highlighted by the arboretum created by Mary Louisa (Polly) Hill.
The property is important for several reasons. The farm is considered a key element in the rural stretch in the north part of town. It links several important pieces of conservation land.
July 4, 1997
Conservation Group Preserves Strategic Farmland
The Massachusetts chapter of The Nature Conservancy announced this week it will purchase the John Hoft Farm, 90 acres of rolling pastures and unspoiled morainal woodlands which embrace Duarte’s Pond and the moist bogs off Lambert’s Cove Road in West Tisbury.
The farm is owned by Daniel Alisio and will be named the Hoft Farm Preserve, in memory of his late wife, Marguerite Hoft Alisio, whose family owned the farm for over 100 years.
