Noteworthy
Community Chorus resumes
Island Community Chorus welcomes new members as it resumes weekly rehearsals starting on Monday, Sept. 14, in preparation of for the December holiday concert. The chorus has over 150 members, and rehearsals are held in the band room at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School on Mondays, from 7 to 9 pm. There are no auditions; membership is welcome to anyone who is willing to commit to its rehearsal schedule. Membership is $20 per concert. For more information, call 508-693-7683.
Ceremony of Remembrance
The Martha's Vineyard Museum, steward of the Edgartown lighthouse, will hold the eighth annual Ceremony of Remembrance at the Children's Memorial, Saturday, September 12, at 1 pm. The idea for placing a memorial at the base of the Edgartown lighthouse originated with Rick Harrington, whose son Rickey, died in a motor vehicle accident when he was 16. The concept grew into a way to memorialize many other children who have died. There are currently 482 memorial stones.
The Children's Memorial at the Edgartown Lighthouse was dedicated in 2001 and the following fall, 2002, saw the first Ceremony of Remembrance, a celebration that has become a meaningful tradition for families and friends of the children. Everyone is welcome to come, spend some time, enjoy music and fellowship. The renovated lighthouse is open to the public. Refreshments will be provided by the Harbor View Hotel.
Should there be a postponement, call the museum at 508-627-4441 for a recorded message Friday, Sept. 11.
Memorial stones may be purchased for $250 by contacting Betsey Mayhew at the Martha's Vineyard Museum, bmayhew@mvmseum.org.
Coop deVille shucking contest this Sunday
The 3rd annual Coop deVille shucking contest, sponsored by Sam Adams Brewing Company and Plum TV, returns this year with live music and snap-crack excitement. On Sunday, September 13, from 1 to 4 pm, the Oak Bluffs harborfront near Coop deVille will fill with spectators who come to watch the experts compete as they shuck oysters and, new this year, littlenecks. A cash prize of $100 will be given to the first place winner. Proceeds, including a sign-up fee of $20, go to Island Affordable Housing Fund (IAHF). "People are very generous and come out and support the event," said Guinevere Cramer, development director at IAHF. "It's a fun contest and it's a really nice way to spend an afternoon, rain or shine. Shuckers from all around are welcome."
"The first year we raised about $1,000 for Island Affordable Housing," said Petey Berndt, owner of Coop deVille. "It's a good cause and people are welcome to come out and support the participants." For more information, or to register, call 508-693-3420.
Oars and paddles
On Sunday morning, September 6, Islanders and visitors filled Sengekontacket Pond for the 19th annual Martha's Vineyard Oar and Paddle Regatta, a two-mile race for kayaks,
canoes, and rowboats. The entry fees for the race benefitted Friends of Sengekontacket.
Attendees enjoyed a picnic during the post-race gathering, which included entertainment, awards, and a tee-shirt giveaway.
Dr. Rogers Williams and Dr. Bridget Dunnigan move along smartly with a canine menagerie as crew.
Competitors were neck and neck at the start of the annual regatta on Sengekontacket Pond this past Sunday. Photos by Ralph Stewart 
The price of glory: Tony Canha holds up his sore hands after finishing second in the junior division.
From left: Elizabeth Williamson, Maggie Burke, and J.J. Watson hop to the finish line at the Frankly We Love Our Library benefit for the Edgartown Library. Photos by Ralph Stewart Library benefit soars
The Edgartown Library Foundation (ELF) held a picnic at the Katama Airfield on Monday, Sept. 7 to raise money for the renovation and expansion of the Edgartown Public Library. Called Frankly, We Love the Library, the event attracted 350 people of all ages to feast on frankfurters and ice cream sundaes while biplanes soared overhead. Activities at the picnic included pony rides, a climbing wall, a bi-plane demonstration, face painting, and a variety of games. John Stevens, principal of the Edgartown School, and Edgartown selectman Arthur Smadbeck presented awards for the library's recent essay contest. Winners were Kylee Willoughby (seventh and eighth grade) Lee Hayman (fourth through sixth grade) and Andres Garcia (first through third grade). Among other awards presented, was one to Pat Rose for the approximately 280,000 cans and bottles she has collected, generating nearly $14,000 for the library project. Over $9 million of the $14 million needed for the expansion project has already been pledged. ELF greatly appreciates continuing support.
From left: Judy Cohan, Marshall Cohan, Jean Brennan, and Jenny Marlin dig in at the picnic held at the Katama Airfield on Monday. 
Bi-plane demonstrations were part of the day's fun.Returning choreographer
Carolyn Dorfman, a Yard Affiliate Artist, has returned to the Chilmark dance studio with a new explorative performance. Entitled "Origins," the interactive lecture/performance on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 pm at The Yard features Ms. Dorfman with four members of her dance company, who will deconstruct selections from her repertory and share insights into the choreographic process. Known for her provocative dance choreography that explores the human condition, Ms. Dorman has received numerous honors and awards from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, among others. Tickets are $25 for general seating, $50 for premium seating, or $15 for seniors and under 30. For reservations, or more information, call 508-645-9662.
File photo by Tamar Russell Art attack at Featherstone
This fall, Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs will offer three new children's art classes taught by Lani Carney. World of Color, for ages 5 to 7, starts on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 3:15 to 5:30 pm ($30). On Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 am to 12 noon, Saturday Art Adventures starts up for ages 3 to 8, ($45). Also being offered is The Wonder of Horses, an art class for ages 6 to 10, on Monday, Sept. 14, from 3:15 to 5:30 pm ($30). All of the workshops will be held in The Children's Studio at Featherstone. For more information, call 508-693-1850.
Permaculture talk
Sassafras Earth Education, an environmental non-profit organization that provides nature-based learning to all ages, will host a talk by Dick Pierce, a permaculture design specialist, this Saturday, Sept. 12, from 7:30 to 9 pm, at Island Co-Housing in West Tisbury. Saskia Vanderhoop, director of Sassafras, will give an overview of her organization and introduce the speaker, who will be teaching a 12-day permaculture design course from September 14 through the 25th. Permaculture is a design system for sustainable living and land use. A question and answer session follows the talk. For information, call 508-645-2008.
Time to reconnect
A tent outside of Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard's Decorator Show House on 105 Main Street in Edgartown will be the location for Martha's Vineyard Women's Networking's (MVWN) Member Kick-off Party on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 5 to 7 pm. The focus will be networking and reconnecting after the busy summer season. The event, which is the group's first of the 2009-2010 season, also provides an opportunity to tour the show house that benefits Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard. Admission is $15 for members; $25 for nonmembers, if you sign up by September 11; $25 at the door or after September 11.
MVWN's mission is to support and provide education and resources to the businesswomen of Martha's Vineyard. By acting as a forum for an exchange of business ideas it hopes to promote economic development in the community. For more information, email info@mvwomensnetwork.org, or visit mvwomensnetwork.org.
Match point for Hospice
Over Labor Day weekend, Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs hosted the fifth annual All Island Tennis Championships to benefit Hospice of Martha's Vineyard. There were 99 players playing in 11 different events. The tournament began with a pro doubles exhibition match and cocktail party Friday evening, and continued through the weekend. There was a silent auction which included jewelry and artwork from Island artists, items from many Island businesses, tennis lessons, golf lessons, and gift certificates. The largest earning auction item was a week's accommodations in Maui, Hawaii, which sold for $1,650. The tournament raised over $14,000. Founded in 1981, Hospice of Martha's Vineyard is a free, community-supported program whose mission is to meet the needs of people facing advanced illness and loss.
Nate Carvalho, left, and Mason Viau compete in the Pro Doubles Exhibition Match at the fifth annual All Island Tennis Championships.
All eyes were on the ball. Photos by Ralph Stewart 
Terre Young, Hospice of Martha's Vineyard's executive director, left, serves Zen Hughes.
Mas Kimball, the tournament's director, enjoys a match from the sidelines. Fabulists finish big
The Fabulists: Theater for Children, a troupe from The Vineyard Playhouse, extended their summer season by a week to perform one last show called "Sally Jean, The Bicycle Queen." The performance was on Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Tisbury Amphitheater in Vineyard Haven. The play was adapted from the children's book by award-winning author Cari Best.
Author Cari Best reads from her book, "Sally Jean, The Bicycle Queen."
Liz Hartford takes a spin.
From left: Shelagh Smiley, Liz Hartford, Jill Macy, and Paul Munafo gather around the table, entertaining themselves and the audience. 
The Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury was full of visitors searching for unique or familiar crafts at the 14th annual Labor Day Vineyard Artisans Festival. Photos by Ralph Stewart Labor Day crowds fill Ag Hall
This past Saturday, 85 Island artists set up booths inside and outside of the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury to participate in the 14th annual Labor Day Vineyard Artisans Festival. On display were various wares such as pottery, photography, butcher blocks, lighting fixtures, hand-knit and felted bags, furniture, and leather work.
Every year new vendors add their creations to the offerings of veteran exhibitors.
The $2 parking fee at the artisan events at the Agricultural Hall goes toward a scholarship for a graduate from Martha's Vineyard Regional High School pursuing a career in art. A series of Vineyard Artisan Festivals runs from Memorial Day to December, and twice-weekly shows at the Grange Hall during the summer season. The Artisans Festival began in the mid 1990s.
Francis Creney of West Tisbury Clay Co. demonstrates his craft. 
Customer Susan Futrell, left, converses with photographer Janet Woodcock as she browses her work.The Patriot
Every day for the past 10 years, a much admired and appreciated Nancy Cook has raised and lowered all of Edgartown's seven American flags (Cannon Ball Park, Pease's Point Way, American Legion Hall (2), Courthouse (2), Town Hall, Memorial Wharf, and at The Anchors). As reliable as the sunrise, she carries out her task every day, unless the weather is such that flags are not supposed to be raised.
Nancy Cook on her self-appointed task. Photo by Sara PiazzaIt is no simple or easy enterprise. Ms. Cook does not receive any payment for her efforts. She volunteers for the twice daily task because she is dedicated to honoring our troops.
In a past conversation with The Martha's Vineyard Times, Ms. Cook said, "It makes me feel like I am doing something for the boys."
She begins her circuit through Edgartown starting at 6 am, starting with the flagpole at Cannon Ball Park and ending with the flag at Memorial Wharf.
A mother of two, grandmother, and great grandmother of one, Ms. Cook is a custodian at the Edgartown Town Hall. She began tending the flags in 1999, when George Luce, who cared for them for more than 42 years, retired.
Ms. Cook fulfills her self-appointed task with pride and joy - and determination. "I'd fight them if they tried to take it away from me," she said.
Author stares evil in the eye
Last Thursday, The West Tisbury Public Library invited author and cartoonist Paul Karasik to discuss his recent book, "You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation!," a 224-page anthology of cartoons and comics by Fletcher Hanks, a cartoonist who produced an amazing amount of work between 1939 and 1941, and then disappeared - almost. "You Shall Die" is a sequel to Mr. Karasik's first collection of Mr. Hanks's work, "I Shall Destroy All Civilized Planets." The discussion included a Q&A, followed by a book signing. Mr. Karasik's book is available at local bookstores. The library had many of its large collection of graphic novels on display for the presentation.
Paul Karasik points out a Fletcher Hanks illustration from his book "You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation!"
Mr. Karasik engaged and entertained his audience last Thursday at the West Tisbury library. Photos by Tony Omer
