Aiming for $500,000, the Martha's Vineyard Sustainable Seafood Collaborative raised $515,000 to bring fish wholesaling back to Menemsha.
In the still-dark mornings, at the Texaco gas station in Menemsha, local fishermen load up on lures and bait, cheap cups of coffee and the daily newspaper before setting out to sea. Behind the rustic station is a long wooden bench where the men gather.
“Early in the morning, it’s always the same crowd,” recalls Albert Fischer 3rd, an 11th-generation Islander. Mr. Fischer, a commercial fisherman in his younger years, can still rattle off names of the old guard.
The view over Menemsha harbor may be forever changed after last year’s fire destroyed the historic Coast Guard boathouse and town pier, but one thing remains unchanged: the heart and soul of the picturesque fishing village that is Chilmark’s downtown.
Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the July 12 fire, a fitting day for the dedication of the rebuilt drive-on dock. A large group of Chilmark elected leaders, emergency service chiefs and residents gathered in Menemsha to mark the occasion.
Parking lots are filled and people are once again crowding the restaurants, shops and fish markets of Menemsha.
But the village did take a hit to business, at least in the few days following the fire.
A huge fire erupted in the U.S. Coast Guard boathouse in Menemsha yesterday afternoon, completely destroying the 68-year-old building along with an extended wooden pier that leads to the west dock on the Menemsha harbor. Also destroyed in the blaze were at least one truck and an unknown number of small boats nearby. Miraculously there were no injuries save one minor injury to a volunteer fireman, a Coast Guard public affairs spokesman confirmed last night.
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.
