Town Column : Oak Bluffs
By Megan Alley
Published: July 30, 2009
How can you possibly say thank you to those who have worked many years, volunteering their time and expertise to help out our town? Deputy Chief James Moreis Sr., and Captain Allan Buddy deBettencourt recently retired from the Oak Bluffs Fire Department. Both long-time firemen, they had accumulated a combined total of over 100 years of service.
We will also miss Gail Barmakian, who served well on the Zoning Board of Appeals for many years, and Peter Martell's contributions to the CPA Commission. I must admit to disappointment that they were not re-appointed to these posts by the selectmen. It is good to have someone with new ideas and different viewpoints on various boards, but let us not lose the experience and knowledge of seasoned members. Whatever the reasons for these decisions, let's thank them sincerely, for their service, and publicly acknowledge their contributions.
If you have missed one of the friendly workers at the post office lately, Faye Macy is now a patient in Boston for radiation and chemotherapy at Dana-Farber. She has Merkel cell carcinoma. Her email address is fayemacy@gmail.com, and she has set up a blog folks can read at cancer.org/HLApp/default.aspx. Go to visitor login - the code is mv2009. If you wish to write a letter, her address is AZ Hope Lodge, room 305,125 S. Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. It would be great if we all sent cards and I am sure that Faye would love to hear from everyone. She has said that she loves and misses us.
Lou Berger, author and former head writer for Sesame Street, returns to the Vineyard to read "The Elephant Wish" at the Oak Bluffs Library on Tuesday, August 11, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm (ages five and up).
Martha's Vineyard Helping Homeless Animals, Inc. is having a bake sale on Saturday, August 8, at Cronig's in Vineyard Haven from 9:30 am to 3 pm. MVHHA is a no-cage, no-kill shelter quietly doing wonderful work here on the Vineyard. All proceeds from the bake sale will benefit the animals, providing for their food, heating, electricity, and medical needs. If someone wants to donate baked goods, they could do so the day of the event between 9 and 11 am, remembering that per the health department all items must be individually wrapped. Verna Carr can be contacted for further information at 508-696-8305.
At 5 pm on Sunday, August 2, a Choral Evensong in celebration of the lives of Bishop John Burgess and his wife, Esther, will be held at Trinity Church in Oak Bluffs with the combined church choirs from St. Andrew's, Grace, and Trinity Episcopal. The preacher will be the Rev. Dr. Harold T. Lewis from Pittsburgh, Penn.
Chrisena Coleman's 13-year-old son, Jordan Coleman, is the voice of Tyrone the Moose on the Nickelodeon cartoon "The Backyardigans." He will be on the Island August 6 through 9 for the African-American film festival. Jordan used his money from "The Backyardigans" to make a film about the importance of education for African-American boys. He's been traveling the country showing his film.
