The Hard Way Around> , by Geoffrey Wolff. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. 218 pages. Hardback, $25.95
A confession: I love sea stories, but until a few weeks ago, I had never read one of the great, true-life adventure books ever written — Sailing Alone Around the World, by Capt. Joshua Slocum, originally of Nova Scotia and at the end of his life from a farm he called Fag End in West Tisbury.
The town of Oak Bluffs is signalling its seriousness about combatting the threat of nitrogen in Vineyard ponds with a warrant article that begins the process of sewering subdivisions along Lagoon Pond. In the annual town meeting warrant selectmen are asking the town to transfer $150,000 from the town’s wastewater retained earnings account to fund the initial planning of the sewering project.
Local lobsters
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
The lobstermen of Martha’s Vineyard have great concerns about new lobster management proposals to be presented at your meeting on March 21.
Editor’s note: On Sunday, Nicole Galland posted a thank-you on Facebook for all who attended the Saturday show by Shakespeare for the Masses, a loose group that stages hour-long edited-for-fun versions of the Bard’s plays for free; such a thank-you is not an unusual thing for her to post. Except she called it a “magic-sad night.” Asked why, she sent the following reply, which has been slightly edited for style and clarity.
If you saw a young child wandering too close to a swimming pool or campfire, you’d likely steer them to safety without thinking twice.
As a former South Beach lifeguard and Edgartown School teacher, I thought I had strong radar for detecting danger and redirecting kids in a friendly, firm way.
Census Tales
More census figures emerged this week, enforcing with numbers the story of growth that has been told on the Vineyard for decades. The population of Dukes County, which includes Martha’s Vineyard, grew more than ten per cent in the past decade, the highest rate of any county in the commonwealth. We are now, give or take, sixteen-thousand, five-hundred and thirty-five people on this relatively small Island.
In Community
This winter the Island has experienced the deaths of many beloved residents. The passing of three men in particular, from very different walks of life, leaves a large hole in the life of the Island; Sheriff Christopher (Huck) Look, Edwin (Bob) Woods, and Jonathan Lipsky.
Each man made specific contributions to the Island, in law enforcement, conservation and the arts. On a deeper and perhaps even more significant level they represented through their actions what living in community means. This will be their lasting legacy.
Winter Curtain Call
Yesterday winter gave the perfect curtain call, bowing gracefully, graciously. There was nothing overly showy to suggest that it was the final performance, but the program notes for this season suggest that it was.
Daughter of super god Zeus and the Harvest goddess Demeter, young Persephone went out for a stroll one day and, as the story goes, was suddenly abducted by Hades, god of the underworld. The earth beneath her feet literally opened up and swallowed her.
Zeus, it turns out, was a bit of a laissez-faire father. He didn’t even notice his daughter had disappeared. Mom took up the fight alone visiting a drought upon the world until her daughter was returned.
Student Theatre
A silly buffoon and a whiz kid saving the world will be the featured one-act plays performed by students from the charter school at the Vineyard Playhouse on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2.
