Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: December 18, 2008
Winter moths, drenching torrents, temperatures at both extremes. That was last week in West Tisbury. The ponds are high, replenished by three inches of rain. Margaret Logue has snowdrops blooming in her yard, the earliest I have ever seen. Leslie Baker's winter jessamine is already blooming, too, and I have blue primrose flowers, myrtle, and a few forsythia blooms in my backyard. Leslie and I were planting daffodil bulbs one afternoon and sliding on ice the next.
Meanwhile, lights and decorations brighten the drive around town. Everybody's busy with parties and preparations. The Town Party seemed more sparsely attended this year, but no less jolly. Both the Church fair and artisans sale were quite busy. There were lines of children and parents waiting for Santa at the firehouse Sunday afternoon. The station looked so festive. Everyone enjoyed the party that Manny (a.k.a. Chief Estrella) and Sharon hosted later that evening. It seems that for every party you attend there are two or three more you are missing.
If you need some help, Fiddlehead Farm will be open for two days just before Christmas. They will offer organic produce, seasonal fruits, breads, pies, charcuterie (remember those fabulous steaks last summer?) holiday specialties, a selection of domestic and imported cheeses, custom gift baskets, and special orders upon request. Store hours are December 23, 10 am to 1 pm and 4 to 6 pm; December 24, from 9 am to 12 noon. Call 508-645-2432 or email fiddleheadfarm1@verizon.net.
Marilyn and Warren Hollinshead are new grandparents again. Dana and Todd Gill of Cambridge welcomed Evan Thomas Gill into the world on November 14. The Hollinsheads have been spending more time at their Boston home getting to know their new grandson. Now Marilyn is heading off to Chicago for a few days, serving on the USBBY (U.S. Board of Books for Young People) jury, which will recommend a list of books written by authors world-wide, focusing on the best of what's available from other cultures for inclusion in American school curriculums. Marilyn has read 400 books in preparation for this meeting.
Christina and Rick Reinhardsen have just returned from a week-long stay in Londonderry, N.H., where they were introduced to Anna Shivaun Arnott, their newest grandchild. Anna was born on December 3 to Inger and Richard, and joins big sister Emma. I spoke with Christina last night at the firehouse. They had a wonderful visit and they are thrilled with their granddaughters.
Tom Wetherall has been off-Island, to Rochester, N.Y., where he attended the graduation of his youngest daughter, Noelle, from Monroe Community College. Noelle graduated at the top of her class, earning her RN degree. She will begin a position as a surgical nurse at Rochester Hospital this January and plans to continue her studies to become a nurse practitioner. Meanwhile, she and Tom spent a couple of days in New York City. Their father-daughter trip included all the wonderful things one does in New York at this time of year, visiting Rockefeller Center to see the tree, walking along Fifth Avenue, seeing all the holiday windows.
West Tisbury makes its own magic at the Ag Hall on Christmas Eve with a candlelit pageant beginning at 5 pm. There will be live music and the new minister, Cathlin Baker, will officiate. There will be church services at 6:30 and 10 pm. Call Brenda Lehman if you have any questions; her cell phone number is 508-737-8089.
Our library is hosting two concerts this week. Tomorrow, Friday afternoon, Dec. 19, the J.C. Jazz Trio will perform at 4 pm. On Saturday afternoon at 5 pm, join Colin Ruel and have a good time. Both concerts are free.
Other library news: Our catalogue is now online on our website. Steve Klebs has been working on that project and now has it up and running. Books can be reserved online - just type in West Tisbury Library to access the catalogue.
The library will close at 3 pm on Christmas Eve and be closed Christmas Day. We reopen at 10 am on December 26.
Prudy Whiting called me the other day to say that she plans to retire as Town Clerk. Anyone interested in the job can speak with Prudy and pick up an application at Town Hall. Her phone number is 508-696-0148. She says it has been 12 years she has served in that position, hard to believe.
I finally found the electric candles for our windows and strings of lights for the tree outdoors. Somehow the first decorations I need to find are always on the bottom of the most remote stack of Christmas boxes in our basement. Somehow, also, lights that worked perfectly when they were wrapped and put away seem to have conked out over the summer and they always seem to tangle in the dark. The candles are in all the windows and the colored lights artfully draped around the outdoor tree. When we drove into our driveway last night, it all looked so pretty and peaceful.
