Tastes of Tashmoo
Tastes of Tashmoo, the third annual benefit for the Tashmoo Spring Building Restoration Fund, will be held tonight, Thursday, July 16 from 5:30 to 8 pm at the waterfront home of Denys and Marilyn Wortman, Hines Point, Vineyard Haven.
The 2009 edition has a celebratory air because the Waterworks building, which dates to 1887 and is the stuff of Island legend and Native American lore, has been accepted by the National Register of Historic Places.
Patrons will be treated to the music of vocalist Christine Box and accompanist Ray Frazio, while reviewing silent auction items, including two roundtrip Cape Air tickets to any Cape Air destination, an opportunity to commission a landscape by artist Ellen McCluskey and a kayaking trip. There are also art pieces from Island artists and artisans, including interiors by Julie Robinson, stained glass by Tim Laursen, a painted table from event coordinator Lorraine Wells, and interiors from the Beach House in Vineyard Haven.
Donors will enjoy tastes from the Island's farms, waters, and restaurants.
In 2004, a committee was formed to save the elegant but crumbling building on the shores of Lake Tashmoo. The town-owned waterworks building was constructed over a spring that was a principal source of fresh water for many generations of native Americans, and later a source of town water in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The spring is still functional.
To date, their work has raised more than $500,000 from gifts, donations, grants, and fundraisers such as the Tastes of Tashmoo, which has been used to restore the building's structural integrity,
There is an effort being launched to initiate a complete renovation of the inside of the facility. "We are looking for an organization in search of a home," Ms. Wells said, noting that the refurbished building will include space for offices, a conference room and a space for events, providing the community with a multi-use public facility.
"It would be perfect for a theatre summer camp or drumming workshop," she said. "The town will be able to use the conference room for meetings of town committees. We'd love a group to get involved now and lease for a nominal amount to provide funds for upkeep and maintenance.
Tastes of Tashmoo will be held tonight, Thursday, July 16, from 5:30-8pm at the waterfront home of Denys and Marilyn Wortman, 231 Hines Point, Vineyard Haven. $50 per person. For reservations, call at 508 693-3224.
