Noteworthy
Festival of poetry
Naomi Shihab Nye will read her poetry at the final night of 2009 Festival of Poetry at Featherstone Center for the Arts this Saturday, August 29.Featherstone Center for the Arts hosts Naomi Shihab Nye to conclude their 2009 Festival of Poetry, co-organized by Featherstone, West Tisbury poet laureate Fan Ogilvie, and the Martha's Vineyard Writers Residency. The reading will be held at Featherstone this Saturday, August 29 at 7 pm.
Ms. Nye, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, is the author of several volumes of poetry, including "You and Yours" and "19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East." She has received many awards, including the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award, the Carity Randall Prize, the International Poetry Forum, and four Pushcart Prizes. Her poems and short stories have appeared in many journals and reviews in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. She has also been featured on National Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion."
For Saturday's reading, there is a suggested donation of $10. For more information, call 508-693-1850.
Entertainment weekend
Featured at The Yard this weekend are performances by Kay Matschullat, the bluegrass band Ballywho, and dances by Isadora Duncan specialist Catherine Gallant. The shows begin on Friday, August 28, and continue through Sunday, August 30. Friday kicks off with a night of dances with Ms. Gallant at 8 pm, featuring new choreography and early modern dance moves, and live music by pianist Daniel Fox. The performance plays again during the Free Family Matinee on Saturday, August 29, at 4 pm.
A performance called "Fast" by Kay Matschullat, a resident of both Chilmark and New York City, is on for Saturday, August 29, at 8 pm. "Fast" is a show about the unraveling of Wall Street through the life of a woman who rose to the top of the financial world. Tickets for both evening performances are $25 for general seating, $50 for premium seating, and $15 for seniors and people under 30.
On Sunday night, local band Ballywho performs a mix of folk, blues, and bluegrass. The five-piece band features Brad Tucker, Josh Campbell, Matthew Lozier, Taurus Biskus, and Vinnie Padalino. The concert begins at 7 pm and tickets are $15, or $10/each when buying four or more tickets. For more information on the shows, call 508-645-9662 or visit dancetheyard.org.
Bradley Memorial Church is an important part of the history of the African-American community on the Island. Building on the past
The Martha's Vineyard branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (M.V. NAACP) and Island Affordable Housing Fund have teamed together to raise funds to rebuild the historic Bradley Memorial Church as part of a three building complex that includes a sanctuary, office space, and affordable housing. The groundbreaking will be celebrated tomorrow, Friday, August 28.
Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree, the founder of the university's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, will speak about the history of the church and what the groups are planning for the church in the future.
Martha's Vineyard Times file photoBradley Memorial Church, the first African American church on the Island, will become the permanent home for the Martha's Vineyard NAACP. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2010.
The celebration at 8 Masonic Avenue in Oak Bluffs is scheduled for Friday, August 28, at 4 pm. Earlier in the day, from 10:30 am to 4 pm, an art exhibit sponsored by The NAACP of Martha's Vineyard will be open in the building. Called"Icons of the Civil Rights Movement," the exhibit is made up of 18 depictions of the civil rights movement by artist Pamela Chatterton-Purdy. For more information, call 508-696-0943 or 508-696-5785.
15 years of Blues
Menemsha Blues hosts their 15th anniversary celebration on Saturday, August 29. The celebration from 11 am to 2 pm is at the shop at 2 Basin Road in Menemsha. Free gifts will be given away with any purchase of $50 or more, there's a raffle for a Menemsha Blues gift certificate, and also refreshments. Also on Saturday there will be a 20- percent off storewide sale at all three store locations: Menemsha, Vineyard Haven, and Edgartown.
Operation Solomon
A panel discussion will feature participants of Operation Solomon at the Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center tonight, August 27, at 7 pm. It will include participants in the 1991 Israeli military effort to airlift Ethiopian Jews to Israel, as well as people of that community who were rescued. The program is free. For more information, call 508-693-0745.
Morning message
On Sunday morning, August 30, the Reverend Liz Walker will deliver the morning message at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Vineyard Haven, at 11 am. Following the assembly will be a fundraising reception, held at the church, to support the work of My Sister's Keeper, a women-led humanitarian project. My Sister's Keeper is a group of women across the world that creates and sustains vibrant and joyous communities. The group is currently working and advocating for women in southern Sudan. For more information, call 508-693-8910.
Ride the Island
Cycle Martha's Vineyard, sponsored by the Rotary Club, is set for Saturday, October 17. Register by September 7 for $90; $100 between September 8 and October 16, and $125 the day of the ride. Registration entitles the rider to aid stations, assistance throughout the course, a tee-shirt, and post-ride barbecue. The scenic and recreational ride begins and ends at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School in Oak Bluffs. Choose between the 100K and 50K routes, both along paved roads. The 100K winds through the Island, traveling along the Atlantic Ocean, Nantucket Sound, and through State Forest. The 50K also has views of Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The proceeds from the rides benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Martha's Vineyard, as well as other Rotary Club charities. For more information, or to register, visit cyclemarthasvineyard.org.
All about paper
Seastone Papers offers four days of paper-filled craft workshops with Sandy Bernat, proprietor of the hand papermaking and teaching studio in West Tisbury. Each workshop is $45 and run from 8:30 to 10:30 am. Starting on Monday, August 31, there will be an introductory papermaking workshop. Tuesday's workshop will be all about decorative papers, including inclusions, coagulations, and multiple dips. A collage with pulp fiber and pulp paint workshop will be on Wednesday, followed by a large pulp painting workshop on Thursday. For more information about the programs, call 508-693-5786 or visit seastonepapers.com.
Walk about
The Sheriff's Meadow Foundation (SMF) Monthly Walk Series will be held at Phillips Preserve in Vineyard Haven on Friday, August 28, at 10 am. Phillips Preserve is approximately 69 acres on the west side of Lake Tashmoo, and is full of oak and pitch pine trees. The guided walk will be led by Adam Moore, executive director of SMF. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call 508-693-5207.
Sharkovitz scores
Dan Sharkovitz, the English department chairman at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, was selected in June to participate in the annual reading and scoring of College Board's Advance Placement (AP) English Language and Composition examination. AP courses are an opportunity for high school students to take college level classes while still in high school. The AP Reading was held in Daytona Beach, Florida, in June.
In addition, Mr. Sharkovitz was trained in the scoring standards, and taught how to use those standards to score student responses. He also met with members of the AP Development Committee who revise the AP Course Description and develop the exam. They also discussed achievement, assessment, and other teaching strategies.
September fun
The Vineyard Haven Library announces their ongoing schedule of events for young adults. For the month of September, they will provide story time on Tuesdays, one from 10 to 10:30 am for children up to age two, and again from 11 to 11:30 am for ages 3 to 5. Later in the day, they hold chess club from 6 to 7 pm for ages 6 to high school-age. On Thursdays, drop-in crafts is from 3 to 4:30 pm for ages 5 to 10, and Wii games for teens from 6 to 7:30 pm, ages 12 to 18. Wii for tweens, a new venture, is on Fridays from 3 to 5:30 pm for ages 8 to 11. On Tuesday, September 29, from 10 to 11 am, the library will offer a one-time special program, a sing-along with Merrily Fenner that will take the place of story time that morning. For more information, call 508-696-4211.
