Town Column : Oak Bluffs
By Megan Alley
Published: September 17, 2009
A good friend to many and an Oak Bluffs citizen who devoted himself to bettering his town, Bill Norton passed away last week. A plumber by trade, Bill was admired by his customers, friends, and town residents alike for his honesty, hard work, and his volunteerism. His family, the fire department, and hunting and fishing were Bill's greatest loves. At the age of 15 he joined the fire department and retired 51 years later with the rank of Deputy Chief. Bill was instrumental in the creation of the Oak Bluffs Fire Museum on the grounds of the Fire Station on Wing Road. His quiet manner sometimes hid his sparkling sense of humor, but I don't think he ever uttered an unkind word about anyone. We shall miss him and send sincere condolences to his wife Betty and children Debbie, Ralph, and Dawn, and their families. He was predeceased by his granddaughter Alexandra, and his son and fishing partner Tim. I will always picture him fishing with Tim and his dog Travis at his side.
The Oak Bluffs School opened on September 10 with a total of 405 students. Jennifer Arnold, the new assistant principal, has a long career in education as a math coach, classroom teacher, and administrator.
Several new staff members were welcomed also. Among them are third grade teacher Jennifer Bausman, fifth grade teacher Liz Forns, and Rob Oslyn, head custodian.
Free and reduced lunch forms were sent home to all families. If you did not receive them or have any questions about filling them out, please call or stop by the office and speak with Helen Hall.
VTA bus passes are available at the office at the Oak Bluffs School. Bus passes are $25 for the calendar year. Payment must be made via check payable to the VTA. Cash is not accepted.
The first PTO meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 7 pm in the school library. This is an important meeting because of committee sign-ups. Also, the executive board is looking for two people willing to serve as vice-president and secretary. If you are interested but have questions, please call Michele Moore at 508-776-4733. Childcare will be provided.
The Oak Bluffs School Eighth Grade Auction to benefit the class trip to Philadelphia will be held at the Sand Bar in Oak Bluffs at 5:30 pm on Sunday, Sept. 27, with auctioneer Carlin Hart. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Tivoli Day is this Saturday, Sept. 19, and hopefully a rain date of the next day will not be necessary. Come to Oak Bluffs early and view all the goodies on Circuit Avenue.
Come to the library on Thursday, Sept. 24, when Doreen Anderson will give a talk on Healthy Eating. Doreen has a BA in health arts and sciences and will discuss ways to improve your brown bag lunches for school and work. This event runs from 6:30 to 7 pm in the meeting room. There is no admission fee and refreshments will be served.
It was 40 years ago - September 12, 1969 - that the Beatles released their final, famous recording, Abbey Road. Now Tom Dresser has written and published his book, "It Was 40 Years Ago Today." It contains a compendium of Beatle albums, background info on their songs, dozens of comments by Beatle fans, and coming-of-age memories of the 60s. It is available through Amazon.com and PublishAmerica.com, and is a good read for Beatle fans of all ages.
The third annual Living Local Harvest Fest (LLHF) will be held October 2 and 3 in West Tisbury, presenting a rich program of free community events that aim to increase awareness and accelerate the uptake of sustainable living on Martha's Vineyard. The festival is presented by the Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society, Vineyard Energy Project, Island Grown Initiative, and the Vineyard Conservation Society.
LLHF will open at 7:30 pm on Friday, Oct. 2, with a discussion on "The Next Generation of Martha's Vineyard" at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. On Saturday, Oct. 3, the festival will be in full bloom, with a packed day of events from 9 am to 3 pm at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury.
Forums on leading-edge visions of sustainability by the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head's environmental education program are sponsored by the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).
We send birthday smiles to Helen Scarborough of the Campground who celebrated on September 13, Patti Moreis and Kathy Burton on the 17th, Corey and Amber Medeiros on the 20th, Ruth Metell on the 21st, and Ken Davey on the 24th.
I am still receiving emails with news items about events that occur before the Thursday paper publication. Please remember the column has to be submitted before noon on the Monday before that Thursday.
Enjoy your week. Peace.
