Town Column : Tisbury
By Kay Mayhew
Published: October 16, 2008
This one you have to see. Tomorrow, you are invited to experience the full impact of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. "Trouble the Water" is a film that begins the day before Katrina makes landfall, just blocks away from the French Quarter but far from the New Orleans that tourists know. Kimberly Rivers Roberts turns her video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. "It's going to be a day to remember," Kim says excitedly into her new camera as the storm is brewing. Her amateur video is rough and jumpy but dense with reality. Kim's playful homegrown newscast tone rubs against the audience's knowledge that hell is just hours away. There is no way to warn her. And for New Orleans' poor, there is nowhere to run.
As the hurricane begins to rage and the floodwaters fill their world and the screen, Kim and her husband Scott continue to film, documenting their harrowing voyage to higher ground as well as the dramatic rescues of friends and neighbors. You will understand why this film was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. See it at 7:30 pm at the Cornell Theatre.
Check out the collection of antique and modern political campaign buttons on display in a special election exhibit at the Martha's Vineyard Museum in Edgartown. Other pieces of memorabilia will bring back memories of elections past. If I could only remember where I put my I Like Ike pin...
My favorite email relating to the current election campaign begins:
Message from the Queen of England to the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
A number of Islanders have learned how to write their memoirs in enjoyable classes with Susan Klein. Now several of these authors will present "Readings from Lives Well-Lived" at a special coffeehouse to be held at the Tisbury Senior Center from 3 to 5 pm on Sunday. Don't miss this one. I guarantee you will enjoy every minute because I have heard many of these stories. We have some very gifted authors in our midst.
Birding is the subject at the library Friends' program also held on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm. Susan Whiting will speak about the changing bird scene on our Island. Her books "Vineyard Birds" and "Vineyard Birds 2" will be for sale. This free program is followed by light refreshments.
Betty Burton says you can learn how to help your home bundle up for the cold next Tuesday at the library. Want to know how to winterize your house? Chris Fried is a noted energy consultant. His topic is "How to Keep Your Energy Bills Affordable." There are energy-saving improvements that we can make to our homes. Learn ways to keep oil, gas, and electricity bills under control. Many improvements cost little, are easy to implement, yet save a lot.
Chris is a mechanical engineer with an energy-efficient solar home in Tisbury. (He built his first solar home in 1976.) Chris performs energy audits on-Island to make new buildings energy efficient. He designs and installs solar heating systems. And one of the most important roles, Chris is chair of our Tisbury Energy Committee, attempting to reduce energy consumption in our town buildings. Learn what we can do: join Chris and your neighbors at 7 pm on Tuesday at the library. His tips will prove valuable to everyone - homeowners, renters, landlords, and business owners.
The library also offers some favorite movies for children: children age four and up can enjoy a movie and popcorn at 1 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Tisbury School has early dismissal that day. This is a story about a girl who lives in a hotel and has an October adventure. Of course, goblins will be interested to hear that another movie about monsters will be shown on October 29 at 3 pm.
Happy anniversary to Bill and Marie Connelly on the 30th.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go to Barbara Donald who celebrates on Saturday. On Monday, wish a very happy birthday to Jeff Serusa. Our selectman Jeff Kristal will party at the Crocker House Inn on October 27. Many happy returns go to Sally Leslie-Mitchell on the 30th.
Heard on Main Street: When you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
