Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: June 23, 2011
The first lamb at Flat Point Farm was born last Friday, Feb. 1.
This sign of spring, despite the groundhog seeing his shadow the following day, seems to bear out the feelings of many West Tisbury residents that spring has come early. The air feels softer, the daylight noticeably longer.
I ran into Lanny McDowell at the library on Saturday, carting bags of books he and Mary were donating for the book sale. "Mary gets the credit for beginning the job. She started ripping out bookcases and sorting books." "The Great Winter Throw Away" is another one of those signs of spring, the restless energy and wanting to throw open the windows and clear things out. Projects always feel better with the windows open.
Saturday was a big day at the library. Colleen Morris organized our First Annual Winter Family Fun Day for Groundhog Day. There was a musical puppet show by Bella the puppeteer that had children filling the Children's Room and sitting all the way up the stairs. There was a scavenger hunt, a nature walk with Tim Boland, music by Jeremy Berlin (all songs about groundhogs, of course,) the makings of Mardi Gras masks, and refreshments. The festivities ended with the showing of, what else, "Groundhog Day." It was non-stop all day; Beth Kramer told me that over 600 people attended. We were even given a piece of art, a painting by Enos Ray, of our own West Tisbury Library groundhog, wearing his Mardi Gras mask and beads, and examining his shadow.
Later that evening, Cynthia Riggs hosted her annual Groundhog Day party. Cars lined the Edgartown Road and New Lane as guests arrived to eat, drink, and discuss politics. Nomination papers on clipboards were being passed around and the energy was high. There was a beautiful bouquet of forsythia branches that Cynthia forced, carrying on a tradition that her mother began at the first neighborhood Groundhog Party many years ago.
Anyone interested in organizing a team for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is invited to a Kickoff Event at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital cafeteria tonight, Thursday, Feb. 7, at 5:30 pm. Information and team captain's kits will be available. The Relay for Life will be held June 13 and 14. Please e-mail Amy Sullivan at ShmoopieMV@aol.com for more information.
The Martha's Vineyard Film Society has a very interesting series of films planned for Saturday nights this month. Check the schedule at www.MVFilmSociety.com or call 774-392-2972.
If you haven't seen any of Marsha Winsryg's Spindrift Marionettes performances, now is your chance. "Cupid and Psyche" will be performed next Saturday, Feb. 16, at 5:30 pm at the Unitarian Church in Vineyard Haven. The production is appropriate for children over 5 years old. Grown-ups, too, of course. There will be silken marionettes, life-sized gods and goddesses, shadow puppets, and music, telling the mythological love story of a god and a mortal, the original "Beauty and the Beast." Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children, available online at TicketsMV or call 508 693-4059. Marsha and Gail Tipton put on a magical performance, so try to see this one.
Valerie Sonnenthal is looking for 3,000 snapshots to make up her Collective Memory Community Project #2. You may leave a snapshot or Polaroid photograph at Featherstone or at any Island library. Valerie is hoping that 3,000 people will bring one snapshot each to make up a collective image that will be on view at Featherstone the weekend of March 7-9. There will be no opening, rather a closing reception, when participants may view and disassemble the show and take their snapshot home if they wish. Call her at 508-627-9707 with any questions.
Ann Howes has hung a selection of her watercolors at the library for the month of February. It is nice to see sunsets and beaches and green fields at this time of year.
Chris and Nelia Decker have had Chris's sister, Lilly Marshall, visiting with them. Lilly is a doctor in Los Angeles and, sadly, will be heading home this week.
Please note that regulations have changed for getting a passport for a child under 16. As of February 1, the consent of both parents will be required if both names appear on the child's birth certificate.
So many people are heading off to Florida and the tropics for winter vacations, but as I said earlier, it feels quite spring-like already here in town. Mike and I spent a good part of the weekend doing chores outside. Today (Sunday) was a perfect day to rake leaves and pick up sticks that always seem to be around the lawn. I know Abigail Higgins wrote in her column last week about the need to keep gardens covered, but I often wait too long and lose some of my snowdrop and early crocus flowers when I rake the leaves out of the myrtle that's planted over the bulbs. When I saw my friend Ruth Kirchmeier this afternoon, she had her dining table covered with garden catalogues. We spent a pleasant hour or so looking at pictures and making our selections.
