Town Column : Edgartown
I had the pleasure to talk to Nate Tarani, a summer resident of Chappy for 25 years, and I am pleased to share his wonderful story. Nate had a surprise visitor this summer, a buddy of his from the Korean War that he has not seen in 56 years. His name is Fletcher Neville, from Portsmouth, Va., and he made the trip to see his friend despite suffering a stroke two years ago and being confined to a wheelchair. Nate said the surprise visit "was the greatest things that happened in my life outside of marrying my beautiful wife."
Nate and Fletcher were in the war together for one and a half years, with Nate returning to the states six months before Fletcher. When Nate returned home, he wrote Fletcher a letter containing words of encouragement to help him cope with the war. To Nate's surprise, Fletcher still has the letter, and that means the world to Nate. Nate is currently in Medford, where he lives during the off-season. I wish him and his friend, Fletcher, all the best.
From my vantage point as a parent, the first few days back to the Edgartown School were a clear success. The teachers and principal were welcoming and gracious. The school was clean and organized, as always. The many handouts that have already gone home have kept parents informed of the policies, schedules, and activities. I feel very fortunate to have my children attend such a wonderful school.
The Charter School had a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for its four-classroom addition, including an art room. Paul Karasik, development director, writes, "We are excited about the educational opportunities our new classrooms and art studios will offer to our students and faculty as we begin our 14th year as a public school option for families of Martha's Vineyard."
I hope that Sardini, the seal, returns to the harbor again this year in search of fish scraps provided by fisherman in front of Derby headquarters. My sons and I went down to the dock one chilly night last fall carrying salmon scraps (thanks to a donation from Edgartown Seafood), in hopes of getting a glimpse of the seal. Within minutes of throwing fish into the water, the large grey and white animal appeared near the water's surface and stayed close to us as long as we had fish to feed him.
Irv and Estelle Brager, residents of Edgartown for almost 40 years, would like to announce that their daughter, Alison Bass, has received a prestigious prize for her book, "Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and the Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial." Her book tells the true story of how a prosecutor and a whistleblower won in court against the powerful pharmaceutical industry.
Alison is the winner of the 2009 Science in Society Journalism Award given by The National Association of Science Writers. One of the judges noted that "her investigations led to changes in policy in many areas of public health, not only nationally but internationally." Alison is a former investigative reporter for the Boston Globe.
Marilyn Vukota celebrated her birthday on September 10. I know she took the day off and ran an impressive nine miles. Congratulations Marilyn.
Don't forget the annual Kids Fishing Derby will take place this Sunday morning from 6 to 9 am on the Oak Bluffs Ferry Wharf.
Make every day special.
