News Briefs
Oral health is topic of community presentations
Dr. Hugh Silk, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, will make several presentations Friday to local healthcare providers on the subject of oral healthcare. Dr Silk is co-creator of Smiles for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum for Physicians, according to Kristin Buck of the Vineyard Nursing Association (VNA).
Dr. Buck will conduct an afternoon workshop at the VNA for providers of pediatric care and providers of care to the elderly. The presentations will provide information designed to help prevent oral disease and to promote oral health across the lifespan. For more information, call 508-696-0020.
Spencer Booker.
Spencer Booker's back at Alley's General Store
After four years as a conservation ranger for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Spencer Booker has returned to his retail roots. Mr. Booker is the new assistant manager of Alley's General Store in West Tisbury.
Mr. Booker is already familiar with the job and many of the customers that frequent the historic general store in the heart of West Tisbury. Prior to joining the Tribe's natural resources department he worked at Alley's and developed a reputation for customer service.
"We are delighted to have Spencer back," said Chris Scott, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust, the nonprofit that owns Alley's.
In a telephone conversation with The Martha's Vineyard Times yesterday Mr. Booker, who is a tribal member and Aquinnah selectman, said that while he greatly enjoyed his job as a conservation ranger and appreciated the opportunity to acquire many new skills, he missed the personal interaction he enjoyed at Alley's. "My first love has always been retail," said Mr. Booker. "I'm a people-person at heart."
This summer Alley's will feature a farm and produce stand on the spot formerly occupied by a bicycle rental business. Mr. Booker said he is excited about the potential to enhance the business.
Bret Stearns, natural resources department director, said Mr. Booker took on many roles that benefitted the Tribe and the community, including that of EMT. "He truly will be missed," said Mr. Stearns.
Dispute brewing over old Oak Bluffs library project
The Martha's Vineyard Commission expects Oak Bluffs officials to refer the old town library project for review as a development of regional impact (DRI). Plans for the town-owned building call for construction of three affordable housing units and a retail space. Paul Foley, DRI analyst and planner for the commission, notified the town's building inspector and zoning board of appeals that the project, already well under way, should have been referred to the commission earlier. He cited a section of the commission's DRI checklist which requires, "Any development, including the expansion of an existing development, which proposes to create or accommodate...four or more premises which mix residential with business, office or industrial uses," triggers an automatic referral to the commission for review.
"Their permits could be in jeopardy," said Mr. Foley. "If we're going to be consistent in our function, we have to address these things. I think consistency is important."
Contractors have already gutted the interior, stripped siding off the exterior, and begun repairs to the roof of the building at the corner of Penacook and Circuit avenues. An architect has nearly completed plans for the renovation.
Plans call for creation of three rental units under affordable housing guidelines, and one commercial space for a pharmacy. The town has already issued a request for proposals, seeking companies interested in establishing a pharmacy. The town is in the process of selecting a contractor, and expects to begin the renovation in a matter of weeks.
Selectmen held three public hearings on the project in 2007, but there is no record in the minutes that they voted whether or not to refer the project to the Martha's Vineyard Commission, according to town administrator Michael Dutton. He said everyone involved in the project, including all five selectmen, were 100 percent in support of the project.
Since the project was started, concerns have been raised about traffic and parking issues, as well as allotment of Community Preservation Act funds for the project.
Edgartown man arrested on heroin charges
A motor vehicle stop by State Police at the Bourne Rotary led to the arrest of an Edgartown man on multiple drug charges last week.
State Police stopped a Ford pick-up truck driven by Sloan Rogers, 39, of Edgartown after he failed to yield to traffic as he entered the rotary at approximately 7 pm, Thursday evening, according to Sergeant Neal Maciel, Martha's Vineyard State Police station commander.
Mr. Rogers, who is not licensed to operate a motor vehicle, was in possession of 81 plastic bags of heroin and 20 methadone pills, Sergeant Maciel said. Police arrested Mr. Rogers and charged him with possession with intent to distribute class A drugs (heroin), possession of class A drugs (methadone) and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Mr. Rogers was held on $2,000 cash bail and arraigned Friday morning in Falmouth District Court, from which he was released on personal recognizance, said police.
Chamber selects Island Book cover art winners
The Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the cover art contest for the 2009-2010 Island Book, the telephone directory and almanac. All 6th graders on Martha's Vineyard were invited to submit their view of Island Lighthouses. After much deliberation, the judges choose the following six junior artists: Eric Faber, Edgartown School; Bella Maidoff, Charter School; Franklin Pilcher, home school; Derek Rogers, Tisbury School; Jack Slayton, West Tisbury School; and Peter Tenannt, Oak Bluffs School.
Each winner will receive a $100 United States Savings Bond. The winning entries will be displayed on the cover of the 2009-2010 Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce Island Book.
The Chamber will host an Island Book Cover Art Show for all the artists and their families from 1 to 3 pm on Sunday May 3, at Featherstone Gallery for the Arts in Oak Bluffs.
IHT appoints board members
At The Island Housing Trust (IHT) annual board meeting, Edward W. Vincent Jr. of Edgartown was appointed to the board. Mr. Vincent serves on the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank commission and will represent the Land Bank on the board.
Several IHT board members were reappointed including John Abrams, Dick Bluestein, and Bob Wheeler representing the Island Affordable Housing Fund, Harvey Beth representing the Town of Oak Bluffs, as well as Darran Reubens and Wendy Swolinzky representing over 30 Island Housing Trust homeowners. More information on the Island Housing Trust and its board of directors can be found at www.ihtmv.org.
Martha's Vineyard Museum director resigns
Keith Gorman, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Museum since Matthew Stackpole resigned the post at the end of 2007, will leave at the end of the 2009 summer season. Mr. Gorman will relocate with his wife Cheryl Roberts to Chapel Hill, N. C.
Mr. Gorman came to the Museum in June 2005 as the MVM's first professionally trained archivist, according to a press statement released late yesterday by the directors of the museum. He took over the job of executive director in January 2008, after Mr. Stackpole resigned following a disagreement with the directors over their plans to narrow the scope of his responsibilities.
Mr. Gorman, according to the museum's statement, will pursue his career in public history while his wife completes a doctorate in sociology at the University of North Carolina. Mr. Gorman told the directors that his "desire to be with my wife and to start a family in North Carolina ultimately led me to this difficult decision."
Elizabeth Beim, chairman of the museum board, expressed gratitude for Mr. Gorman's service. "While saddened by Keith's decision, I am pleased to note that Keith will remain to oversee a busy summer calendar of programs and will also assist with a smooth transition."
The museum statement said a search committee has been formed with James Richardson, as chairman. Mr. Richardson, a member of the museum's board, is a professor of anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh and curator emeritus at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The board's statement said that the museum would like Mr. Gorman's successor to be appointed at the end of August and to assume responsibility in the fall.
Mr. Stackpole, who lives in West Tisbury but now works in fundraising for Mystic Seaport Museum, had been the Martha's Vineyard Museum's professional leader for nearly eight years. In a press statement, released following the board meeting at which Mr. Stackpole's resignation was offered and accepted, the board expressed "deep regret."
During Mr. Stackpole's tenure what was the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society became the Martha's Vineyard Museum and played an "increasingly important role in the cultural life of Martha's Vineyard through expanded programming in history, the arts and education," according to the board's press statement at the time.
Oak Bluffs burn planned for Saturday
The Oak Bluffs Wastewater Department in cooperation with the Oak Bluffs Highway and Fire Departments will conduct a burn this Saturday of brush, branches, and leaves on the property formerly known as the Leonardo Property located at 25 Pennsylvania Avenue, according to a press release.
The burn is scheduled to begin about 8 am and is another step in the further development of the property, said Joe Alosso, Oak Bluffs wastewater facilities manager.
Prescribed burn carried out at Polly Hill Arboretum
The Martha's Vineyard Prescribed Fire Partnership conducted a prescribed burn on Tuesday at the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury. Smoke was visible near State Road, south of the intersection with North Road.
Fire Partnership members include Mass Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, Polly Hill Arboretum, Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, and The Trustees of Reservations.
Prescribed burns are used to reduce the amount of fuel for fires. A trained and experienced fire team that consists of forest, fire and weather experts decides when and where burns can safely take place. They closely monitor local weather conditions, such as wind and humidity, and make adjustments in burn schedules as needed to ensure the safety of both crew members and residents, said Bob Bale, fire and restoration manager with The Nature Conservancy.
Burns help restore the health of our natural areas, allowing plants and wildlife to rejuvenate. The arboretum is active in restoring and planting its meadows to reestablish plant populations that have diminished due in part to the absence of fire in the hopes of increasing native plant diversity.
In 2008, the Martha's Vineyard Prescribed Fire Partnership conducted ten burns on more than 120 acres. In 2009, more than 150 acres are prepared for burning by the Partnership.
The mission of the Martha's Vineyard Prescribed Fire Partnership is to apply safe and effective ecological fire management and promote public safety in collaboration by sharing resources, exchanging information, and promoting public understanding of prescribed fire, according to a press release.
Claus Buchthal is the first
Claus Buchthal of Chilmark and Falmouth, Maine, broke ground last week as the first person to undergo an experimental heart-valve replacement at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. It was the first time the new procedure was done at a Boston hospital.
Mr. Buchthal had recently been feeling dangerously weak and seriously out of breath, unfamiliar territory for the normally robust and active nonagenarian, who is famous for playing three sessions at day at regional and national bridge tournaments, exhausting relays of younger partners who try to keep up with him.
A deteriorated valve in Mr. Buchthal's heart was not opening wide enough to allow sufficient blood to flow through his lungs and the rest of his body. At 95, his doctors ruled that he is too old for open-heart surgery, the normal way to replace a heart valve. Instead, he applied for and was eventually accepted into a clinical study to test a procedure now used in Europe and Canada but not yet approved for use in the United States. An incision is made in the groin and a catheter is threaded up through an artery into the heart. At first the valve opening is forced open by a balloon, and then a second catheter is inserted to install the new valve. The old valve is simply pushed to the side. Doctors monitor the progress of the catheters in many ways, including an ultrasound device fed though the throat into the patient's stomach.
Mr. Buchthal told The Martha's Vineyard Times in a telephone interview last weekend that a half-dozen doctors participated in the groundbreaking procedure, and another 30 watched by closed-circuit television in an adjoining operating theatre. The doctors, his son Peter reports, were all smiles.
Mr. Buchthal was up and walking about on the second day with all tubes removed. The procedure increased the area of the valve opening threefold, and Mr. Buchthal reports he is feeling his old self again. After a minor setback, he was discharged on Sunday and has returned to Maine to recuperate. Mr. Buchthal plans a rapid convalescence. He plans to play, as usual, in the ACBL Falmouth (Massachusetts) Senior Regional at the end of the month.
Veterans officer warns of scams
Veterans Services Officer Jo Ann Murphy alerted The Martha's Vineyard Times last week about a recent increase in emails she has received soliciting donations from new veterans' organizations, some of which are not legitimate.
Ms. Murphy said a brief item in the latest issue of the Bay State Patriot, a publication of Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services (DVS), offers some helpful tips for avoiding scams.
"If you get a phone call soliciting a contribution on behalf of the veterans of Massachusetts, ask that they send you information about their charity in the mail," DVS secretary Thomas G. Kelley advises in the article. "Do not give out any personal information and call the Attorney General's Office to verify their legitimacy."
The State Attorney General's Office phone number is 617-727-2200. To reach the appropriate department, when prompted by an automated answering system, the caller's response should be "public charities."
Additional numerical prompts will direct the call to a staff member who can answer questions about the charity. Records are checked and callers told immediately whether or not a charity is in compliance, Mr. Kelley notes.
Legitimate charities do not tell donors someone will drop by to pick up their donations or ask them to leave checks in their mailboxes or taped to the door, Mr. Kelley also pointed out.
Business Briefs
Louisa Gould Gallery has re-opened
The Louisa Gould Gallery on Main Street in Vineyard Haven has re-opened following winter repairs. For Ms. Gould, putting in new floors has become old hat.
A few weeks after the gallery opened in June 2007 a fire in an upstairs apartment triggered the automatic sprinkler system and flooded the space. That winter, the replacement floor popped up and Ms. Gould had to close her gallery down while it was redone. This winter, a pipe in a fire suppression sprinkler system burst on January 2 and flooded the gallery floor once again.
At its annual meeting in March, the Tisbury Business Association presented Ms. Gould with a special perseverance award.
The gallery will be open weekends. For more information go to www.louisagould.com or call 508-693-7373.
Our Island Club reports donation list
Our Island Club, a consumer discount membership program, announced the distribution of more than $30,000 in 2008 donations to Island nonprofits, charities, and scholarships.
The donations are funded though the club's annual membership fee. In the program's three years, the Club has distributed more than $85,000 to more than 140 organizations, according to a press release. For more information, visit www.ourislandclub.com.
Island realtor attends national symposium
Fred Roven, owner/broker of Martha's Vineyard Buyer Agents, joined hundreds of real estate professionals at the 2009 National Association of Realtors® Resort Symposium held at the Naples (Fla.) Grande Beach Resort from March 29 to 31.
The symposium, Sunshine Connection, featured two and half days of receptions, education sessions, and networking/referral opportunities, according to a press release.
