Thanksgiving

Eighteen eider ducks

are swimming in the sun

from Vineyard Haven’s harbor

on their lighthouse run

underneath our dock and by

our bright sand cove

they pause to feed, then spin and

dance in pairs, as if in love

with the freezing winter weather

come too soon: November, first

plunging from Indian summer

Hi! I am the editor for Sophomores Speak Out this year. This week our articles discuss problems both on the Island and in the United States. Sometimes teenagers and children are belittled and our views and ideas may be considered less important. In my opinion, they are very important. It may be a cliche to say that we are the future, but we are. Many universal issues will affect our generation. Our opinions will shape our direction, so it is important that we, the younger generation, are opinionated and state our opinions.

The wife and I scored tickets to see Tina Turner last week at the new Boston Garden. The drive against commuter traffic was pleasant, peaceful and private.

We parked below the new Boston Garden (TD North), at the vortex of Route 93 and Storrow Drive, down four levels. Emerging from the elevator, we faced a rush of humanity in all its glory — lots of exuberant, excited, enthused fans scoring tickets, waiting for the rest room, gathering, grouping and going up to the concert hall.

My house is filled with floating diaphanous white puffs. The car seats are covered with them, they are in my purse and stuck forever on to my black fleece pants. I am harvesting the milkweed pods ripening along the roadsides . . . if harvesting is the word for something that adheres to your clothing and hands and hair as soon as you touch it.

TAXING QUESTIONS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

For years I have wondered how the town of Tisbury can discount residential property taxes (to which I confine what I write here) to year-round residents, requiring seasonal residents to pay more on the same assessed valuation. Your article of Nov. 21 demystifies the basis for this practice, but that does not make it seem any less questionable, though, for now, it is “legal.”

Bells and Whistles

From the Gazette editions of November, 1933:

Margaret Steele and Bill Le Royer are pleased to announce that Jennifer Rouse has joined their team of sales associates. Jen worked in Boston as a human resource administrator for several years before moving back to the Vineyard. The experience she gained in this position will be a tremendous asset as she moves forward into her new career in real esate. Jen Lives in West Tisbury with her husband Jackson, and 10-month-old son Boden. Jen will be a welcome addition to the sales and rental divisions.

It was a cold day for Nantucket in more ways then one Saturday, as the surging Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School football team easily defeated the once mighty Whalers by a score of 43-22 in a game not nearly as close as the final score indicated to take the Island Cup for the sixth year in a row.

Vineyarders coach Donald Herman emptied his bench at the start of the second half and the Whalers got two touchdown passes late from quarterback Chris Welch to make the score respectable, but the outcome of the game was never in doubt.

As a reporter I have been close to the now somewhat famous cop turkey-shoot that occurred on Old Ridge Road in Chilmark last Father’s Day.

Last week, though, I got too close.

I drove up-Island one chilly afternoon looking for Jonathan Haar, the Chilmark resident who was arrested following the shooting. He had taken a swing at one of the police officers at the scene, and later explained he knew the turkey personally.

Thanksgiving 2008