50 Years Ago

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of September, 1957:

The town of Chilmark has a birthday today, but it will pass quietly with no fanfare. Thirteen years ago, when the town marked its tricentennial, it was a different story. A town picnic at the Allen Farm and a parade were part of the celebration.

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, Islanders are reclaiming Circuit avenue parking spots, swimming at Squibnocket and finally savoring the Menemsha sunset. Brad Tucker, front man for the Island band Ballyhoo, the sleeper hit of the summer music scene, is thrilled Vineyarders are taking back the Island. Mr. Tucker and his band mates have spent Sunday evenings since June playing free music down at the docks in Menemsha. The seasonal slowdown allows them to get back to what they really love doing — playing low-key music for their friends and family, the Islanders.

For the second time this week, Chilmark residents confronted increasing demands to reduce personal energy usage when the first proposal for a residential wind turbine in town came on Tuesday before the zoning board of appeals.

Chilmark resident Robert Green appeared before the regular monthly meeting of the board with his proposed contractor, Gary Harcourt, to request a permit to build a 114-foot turbine on his Old Farm road property.

Local pool builders, contractors and Chilmark selectmen showed up to a public hearing of the planning board Monday afternoon to discuss a proposed amendment to town zoning bylaws.

The amendment would require heated swimming pools built in the town to use solar thermal heating systems as the primary source of energy to heat that pool. The planning board hopes to put the amendment on the warrant for an Oct. 29 special town meeting.

BETTYE FOSTER BAKER

508-696-9983

(bdrbaker@comcast.net)

If Boston landscape architect Robert Morris Copeland were alive today, he would be pleased that the town he laid out and planned during the 19th century building boom in Oak Bluffs is holding fast to the heritage he created along with the Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Company as one of only a handful of seaside resorts in the Victorian style in the country.

The Oak Bluffs Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is pleased to announce that application forms are now available to request funding for projects for historic preservation, affordable housing and open space/recreation for the fiscal year that begins in July 2008.

Requests for proposals are being accepted through Oct. 5, 2007.

Landowners around Edgartown Great Pond are looking at buying a half-million-dollar dredge to improve the water quality of their pond, and potentially that of other fresh and salt water ponds on the Island.

As a first step, they will put up between $50,000 and $100,000 to lease the small, easily transported machine to conduct test dredging of the pond this fall. If all goes well, the plan is to buy it and take pressure off the increasingly-overtaxed town dredge.

Hello, Nicola

Heather and Joseph Capece of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Nicola Josephine Capece, born Sept. 8 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Nicola weighed 7 pounds, 7.5 ounces at birth. She was also welcomed by sister Lucia.

Finella Arrives

Shelagh and David Smilie of West Tisbury announce the birth of a daughter, Finella Hackett Smilie, born on Sept. 6 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Finella weighed 15 pounds, 11 ounces at birth. She was also welcomed by big sister Fiona.