Town Column : Tisbury
By Kay Mayhew
Published: December 18, 2008
I want to tell you about a holiday miracle. Grace Burton-Sundman was in a horrible automobile accident two weeks ago. She was driving alone in the Adirondacks on her way back to school. It was just getting dark, and it was snowing hard. She hit some black ice, spun around a few times, flipped and landed upside down in three feet of snow in a ditch. She was alive. She was wearing her seat belt. She walked away with severe bruises and a sprained neck.
She had to be both clever and strong just to get out of the car. She kicked open the back door and climbed out into the snow, barefoot because her boots had come off during the wreck. Badly shaken, she trudged in her bare feet to a nearby trailer whose occupants would not help.
Here comes the rest of the miracle. A passing motorist saw the car and broke out the back window to see if anyone was inside. He spotted Grace and summoned an ambulance, which took her to the nearest hospital, an hour away. He also got in touch with her parents, Betty Burton and John Sundman. They were able to reach her the next day.
She returned to St. Lawrence, very bruised and still upset, to study for exams. She will recover and be home soon to celebrate her survival with her grateful family.
Three Tisbury School students will perform in Attleboro in March as part of the Southeast District Jr. Music Festival. They are Sophie Nelson (7th grade), Maggie Riseborough (8th grade), and Samantha Vellay (8th grade). They competed against several hundred 7th-9th graders all over southeastern Massachusetts, including the Cape and Islands, so it is quite an honor to be selected for the chorus. The Tisbury School is very proud of them. This is Maggie's and Samantha's 2nd year to participate. Congratulations! We are so happy to share this wonderful news from Peter Boak.
David Howe of Framingham was the lucky winner of the Federated Church raffle for the "Island Daylilies" quilt by Herb Ward. David bought the winning ticket at the Oak Bluffs Harbor Festival. The choir thanks everyone who supported this fundraiser, which raised $3,000 for the choir's trip to France and Switzerland next year.
Many of you know Julie Fisher, who was born and raised on Martha's Vineyard. Now she is retiring. She doesn't look old enough for that, but she claims she wants to spend more time with her grandsons, Brian and Mekhi. You usually see Julie in the middle window at the Vineyard Haven Post Office. After 25 years in the postal service she has decided it is time to do something else. Her last day of work is December 31. Be sure to stop by and wish her well.
Each year I think the Hospice concert is better than the year before. That was true again this year. As always, the music was spectacular. The jazz with Jeremy Berlin on piano and Eric Johnson on guitar added a new note to the program. I especially enjoyed Julie Williamson Moffet's "Ave Maria" accompanied by pianist Peter Boak and Eric Johnson on the guitar.
On Sunday afternoon the sirens were blaring and horns were honking. What could it be? Of course. It was Santa Claus. He rode into town with the firemen on the big yellow fire truck, waving to all his friends. Then he met with the little ones to hear about their secret wishes.
We've had a lot of visitors in town the past few weeks. They mention the wonderful music by the All-Island Chorus and the Minnesingers. Everyone comments on how lovely the town looks. The sparkling white lights twisted in greens around the pretty lanterns on Main Street complement the colorful shop windows. I didn't notice the lanterns being installed. Now that they are beautifully decorated, I can't stop admiring them. Fred LaPiana says the lanterns along Main Street went up when the sidewalks went in. They were simply decorated with greens last year. Thanks to the suggestion of Tristan Israel, they are now elegant with lights, truly turning our town into a holiday delight.
Some of us find it amusing that day-trippers are coming here to shop this time of year. It seems only fair that some of that off-Island cash should be spent here. Most of our cars return to Martha's Vineyard heavily laden with off-Island bargains.
Congratulations to Fred and Jill LaPiana, who are celebrating three decades of happiness together on Monday.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out on Saturday to Pat Radway. Wish the best on Monday to Vera Shorter.
Heard on Main Street: Be naughty. Save Santa the trip.
