Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: March 26, 2009
The sun is shining, but the wind is cold. Yesterday on our way to walk the dogs, Mike and I saw a patch of snow still un-melted in a strip of shade along the road. Our house stays nicely heated from south-facing windows, but by morning it's 60 degrees in the living room and a fire feels good.
Mike and I were so sorry to hear that Bill Fielder died last week. My favorite image of Bill is of him and Ann standing in their garden at the end of one summer day, surrounded by peach-colored dahlias, sky-high and abundant. They had offered a bouquet for me to paint in exchange for a bit of deadheading. A good deal for me. There will be many stories and memories to be shared at the memorial service this Saturday, March 28, 2 pm, at the West Tisbury Church. Bill was a lovely gentleman, artist, storyteller, and host. My sympathy to Ann and all of their family.
Saturday morning, 9:30 am to 12 noon, the Island Children's School is hosting an open house to celebrate their 40-year anniversary. While there, be sure to visit the newly dug vegetable garden, prepared by students, families, and teachers. Island Children's School is the first pre-school to participate in the Island Grown Schools program. Call Jenny DeVivo for more information: 508-693-5815.
The Vineyard Conservation Society, Felix Neck, and the Vineyard Energy Project are sponsoring Lights Out on Martha's Vineyard, Saturday night from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.
Sunday afternoon, March 29, 3 pm, Nancy Gilfoy will present the second in her series of lectures, Health and Wellness: Living in Harmony with Nature. The series follows the seasons. The energy of spring will be this Sunday's subject.
I received an update on lettuce-gate, as Marcy Klapper's lost salad caper has been referred to by her friends. Marcy was riding her bicycle at the time the lettuce fell from her basket, not driving her car. As of this writing, the errant lettuce is still missing.
I was glad to see Cynthia Walsh at the library, particularly as she was looking extremely happy. The reason was the return home of her sister, Jaime Hamlin. Jaime spent the winter in Florence with her niece, Cynthia's daughter, Katherine Walsh, and Katherine's husband, Bruce Fernie, and children, Bowen and Avery. She had been in Italy since January 15, the longest time the sisters had been apart since Cynthia left for college. "It's good news to have her back," said a delighted big sister.
Tom Osmers, our shellfish warden, broadcasts a weekly fish and farm report on WVVY 93.7 every Friday at 4:20 pm. If you miss it, tune in to a website made by his friend Mike Mayrand: mikemayrand.podbean.com. For a free podcast, search Apple's iTunes for Mike Mayrand.
Jim Powell and his neighbor, Tom Blanchette, were visiting "over their fence" along Lambert's Cove Road when they heard the sound of spring peepers, their first of this season. This occurred early in the evening on March 18.
It has been nice to see Geno Mazzaferro out and about, albeit leaning on crutches, but definitely getting around. Doctor's orders to lie around keeping his leg up after breaking it in a fall had kept Geno housebound a good part of the winter.
Several people have mentioned the amount of trash along the roads around town. Many of my friends have begun carrying trash bags on their daily walks. It has really gotten terrible. Mike saw a full can with cover spilled just up the road from our house and I have picked up papers, cigarette butts, bottles, or cans every morning when I walk up for the paper. It is all over town, in all the parking lots, town and public, even at the Land Bank and other conservation properties, as well as the town and state roads. Come on, everybody, please don't be such slobs.
Eleanor Neubert has lots of news from Flat Point Farm. She and the rest of the Fischer family had an exhilaratingly brief weekend visit from their sister, Jean O'Reilly, and her sons, Ted and Andrew, from Dublin, Ohio. Jean and the boys stopped in Falmouth on the way to see sister Mary. While here, they spent lots of time with their mother, Priscilla, and one another. An extra attraction on the farm was 30 baby lambs, born over the past two weeks. Eleanor expects Jean and her husband to return during the summer.
Eleanor also mentioned the deadline for submissions of art for this year's fair poster contest is April 1. This year's fair will be August 20, 21, 22, 23, sponsored by the Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society. Call Eleanor for more information: 508-693-4343.
