By the time those Pilgrims landed and celebrated Thanksgiving at Plymouth back in 1621, Oak Bluffs still belonged to the original people who called it Ogkeshkuppe, part of the Nunnepog Sachemship (or tribe). Back then the 3,000 original people called Martha’s Vineyard “Noe-ope” (Noepe).

One thing about the soon-to-be-here holidays is the free time we look forward to, especially the part between Christmas and the New Year when the world is on pause.

Wayne Coutinho was the first person I ever saw dive headfirst off of the old pier at the Pay Beach. That doesn’t sound like too big of a deal until you realize that the pier was about eight or nine feet above about six or seven feet of water, depending on the tide. And he didn’t just dive; Wayne ran half the length of the pier laughing enthusiastically and leaping with abandon — just like he lived, loving the water above all else.

The irony and incongruity of Oak Bluffs is simply delicious, not just today but over the years. It’s ironic to live in a town where the Polar Bears are black, for example. I’ve made a reasonable effort to discover the name of the person who coined the title of one of the Island’s most newsworthy beach groups via telephone, email and social media to no avail.