Town Column : Edgartown
By Caroline Beetz Fenske
Published: April 16, 2009
The long anticipated Annual Town Meeting took place Tuesday night. In order to meet the paper's production deadlines, I will talk about town library renovation plans, the potential for a new bike path on Chappy, and other interesting news from the meeting in next week's column.
Annual Town Elections will be held today in the Selectman's Meeting Room at the Town Hall between 10 am and 7 pm. There is one contested race: Peter McGuire is running against incumbent William Erickson for water commissioner. Two additional seats will be determined by write-in votes. Barbara Shriber is running against Malcolm Reed (currently holding the position but only recently deciding to run again) for the opening on the Financial Advisory Committee, and Robert Sparks is running solo for the open seat on the planning board.
There are also seven ballot questions, the last one being the most controversial as it is intended to gauge the level of town support for the Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC). The Martha's Vineyard Commission plays a vital role in preserving Island resources and promoting economic and social well-being; at the same time, financial constraints are a reality and every effort should be made to reduce unnecessary costs. Christina Brown made a compelling argument in favor of the Martha's Vineyard Commission in her op-ed piece in The Martha's Vineyard Times last week.
Edgartown's Parks Department sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny last Saturday afternoon at the Edgartown Recreation Area, with kids in kindergarten through grade three participating. Jean Crocker was there and in good spirits with her eight-year-old twins, Jack and Julia. Scott Anderson, General Manager of the Boathouse, also joined in on the festivities with his wife, Megan, and their daughters, Emily and Paige. The rain did not slow the kids down. The eggs were gone in a flash, but the memories will last indefinitely.
Spring break is upon us, and the Edgartown library has two activities planned for the kids. On Saturday afternoon a Patriot's Day craft session will offer younger children an opportunity to make a traditional triton hat and a working quill pen. Then on Wednesday afternoon the library is sponsoring an Earth Day project where kids can make their own piggy banks from recycled materials.
The weekend of March 27, Pastor Jerry Fritz of the Federated Church and Youth Leader Mellissa Pitt traveled with 11 young people to New York City to experience homelessness and hunger firsthand. Over the weekend, the youth group served dinner to homeless individuals, and visited a homeless shelter, a facility that helped those living with HIV, and a halfway house for women. Pastor Fritz said that everyone learned valuable lessons that could be useful in serving the local community. When asked what was learned on the trip, one of the members of the youth group said, "I learned not to judge people by their appearance...because they could be really nice."
Traveling with the group from the Federated Church Youth Group were Kathryn Antonssen, A.J. deBettencourt, Paige Donovan, Eva Faber, Katelyn Fritz, Alex Lloyd, Charlotte Lowell-Bettencourt, Ashley Pearlstin, Chris Pitt, Taylor Poggi, and Mallorie Wyse. On Sunday, May 17, from 6 to 8 pm, the youth group is hosting a dessert and silent auction at the church to help cover remaining expenses from their trip, and to fund future programs. The Youth Group will be on hand to talk more about their amazing experience of helping the needy in New York City.
Make every day special.
