Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: March 19, 2009
Mike and I had guests for dinner last night, so I was busy during the day and didn't look at the paper till I brought it up to bed. The cover of the Globe magazine said "A Vineyard Fisherman's Unforgettable Catch." Opening it to the contents page, I saw a large photograph of a very familiar Patrick Jenkinson proudly holding up his grand-looking fish. The article was wonderful and I urge anyone who hasn't seen the Sunday Globe to read it at the library. Patrick's story, an excerpt from David Kinney's book, "The Big One: An Island Obsession, and the Furious Pursuit of a Great Fish," due out in April, is on page 22.
Our dinner guests were old friends and former West Tisbury residents, Paul Levine and Marie-Louise Rouff. They lived in Vineyard Meadow Farms longer ago than I remembered, 17 years, before selling their house and moving to California for Paul's work as a marine biologist. Now they are planning their return to Martha's Vineyard. Although we hadn't seen each other in those 17 years except for during an occasional visit from Paul when he was here visiting his daughter in Chilmark, it was just as though there hadn't been any time in between, as it is with good friends. Marie-Louise is an amazing artist. We had lots to talk about and I can't wait to introduce her to my art group friends - and to have them back on the Vineyard.
Yesterday was a busy day for West Tisbury firemen and emergency personnel. With members of departments Island-wide, they participated in a rescue drill, a simulated plane crash. The airport was closed intermittently between 10 am and 1 pm. It was a mandated drill for the airport, required every three years. There were fires to put out, casualties to minister to and get off to the hospital, and clean-up to be dealt with, as well as an opportunity for everyone to work together.
Congratulations to eighth-grade members of the West Tisbury School History Club who won the Massachusetts History Day District Competition in Brockton on March 7. Their entry was "Looking Back at the Vineyard Five," a group documentary about five West Tisbury women who traveled to North Carolina in 1963 to register African-American voters. They and assistant teacher Donna Bishop will compete in the state finals on April 4. Winners of that competition will represent Massachusetts in the National History Day finals in June. Participating club members are: Olivia de Geofroy, Lindsay Tocik, Maddie Webster, Katie Smith, and Raine Monast.
West Tisbury students will appear in "Godspell" this Friday and Saturday evenings, March 20 and 21, at 7 pm at the West Tisbury School gymnasium. I have enjoyed many of these plays over the years and expect to enjoy this one as well. See you there.
Friday afternoon, March 20, the J.C. Jazz Trio will play at the West Tisbury Library, beginning at 4 pm. At 5 pm there will be an artist's reception for Linda Hearn, who will speak about her exhibition, "Sunflowers," on view through this month. Both events are free and refreshments will be served.
Happy birthday today to Marisa D'Antonio. I will always remember your birthday, Marisa, because it's the same day as my youngest brother's. Happy birthday to you, too, darling Andrew.
March 25 is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming town election on April 16. Town Clerk Prudy Whiting asks anyone who still lives in town and hasn't received their census form to contact her at town hall. If you did receive it and haven't bothered to fill it in and return it, do it now. Make sure your address is correct and your information updated. You may find yourself ineligible to vote if your census information is incorrect.
Warden of the polls Muriel Bye still needs poll workers on Election Day. If you are interested, call Muriel at 508-693-9720. You must be a West Tisbury resident and not on the ballot for this election.
Whipporwill Farm has shares of its CSA still available for this summer. Please call 508-693-5995 or look on their website, whipporwillfarmcsa.com.
Amanda Caplin and Sarah Rose Nordgren will be the featured readers at the library's Wednesday Reading Series, March 25 at 5:30 pm.
Spring officially arrives this weekend, but the ticks are already here. Be sure to check yourself and your pets after being outside. Vineyard Gardens has their open sign out, the start of things to come. Soon their roadside garden will be filled with color. Yesterday I had a garden tour at Margaret Logue's and came home with an armful of red and orange flower-covered witch hazel branches. Witch hazels are blooming all over town.
