Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: March 4, 2010
Snow was falling in wet fat flakes. I opened the door to let the cat in.
It has been a week of gray skies and precipitation in varying forms. Rain in sheets or mists, and soft, swirling snow that fell all day and left not a whisper on the ground. We seem to have missed the heavy snowfalls that towns off-Island experienced, two feet or more that left many without power for days.
Losing our power (translation: no television) would have devastated my husband. Mike was hooked on watching Olympic curling competitions all week. He figured out the rules and strategy enough to explain it to me. I'll admit I enjoyed it, too. We were not alone. According to a NY Times article, interest in curling became a national obsession.
I had some business in town hall last week. Going from one floor to another, it occurred to me that for anyone wanting a warm, dry place to exercise out of the awful weather outside, our town hall is the place. Running up and down those stairs would provide anyone with an ample aerobic workout, especially if they, like I did, forgot something on the third floor and had to run up all over again.
One of my errands was to check out the final list of candidates running for office in our April election. We have a contested race for selectman; Erik Hammarlund and Cynthia Mitchell (I alphabetized) both want the job. Richard Cohen is running for assessor and Jonathan Revere for a seat on the finance committee. Incumbents are unopposed for all other positions.
Congratulations to Dan Rossi, who was appointed acting chief of police. He will fill that position while the selectmen search for a permanent replacement for Chief Beth Toomey, who is retiring this spring.
Congratulations also to West Tisbury sixth-grader Connor Downing, who won the All-School Spelling Bee by correctly spelling "enfranchise." Runner-up was Aaron Lowe.
The 2010 Census Job Fair will be held this Saturday afternoon, March 6, from 1-4 at the Oak Bluffs Library. They are still looking for West Tisbury residents interested in working on the census.
Happy Birthday wishes to Morgan Caruso. Morgan, the daughter of Paul and Laura Caruso, and granddaughter of Glenn and Linda Hearn, will turn three on March 3.
The West Tisbury Library is hosting its First Vineyard Limerick Challenge on Sunday, March 14, at 3 pm. That gives anyone interested a couple of weeks to come up with a limerick based on a Vineyard locale. Entry forms are available at the library circulation desk or website: www.westtisburylibrary.org.
Anyone who knows Marsha Winsryg knows that she is a creative and resourceful person. Her travels over the years through Africa, Zambia in particular, attracted her to the local crafts and craftspeople, as well as to the local political and economic realities. She made a movie to call attention to the situation. She began the African Artists Community Development Project. She continues to work tirelessly to promote their work as a means of economic opportunity for these desperately poor families. Please help by attending Marsha's latest open house and sale at her home off New Lane this Friday, March 5, from noon to 6 pm. Follow the balloons to see her slide show and collection of crafts for sale. Call 508-693-4059 for more information. To me, Marsha is the embodiment of one person making a difference in this world.
Sunday afternoon, March 7, at 3 pm, come to the West Tisbury Library's Winter Concert and hear Joe Keenan perform. Wednesday, March 10, there will be a reception for artist Lynn Christoffers at 4 pm. At 5:30 Wednesday, writers from Provincetown's Fine Arts Work Center will read from their poetry and fiction.
The wind is blowing outside, tree branches waving and dancing. According to predictions, the whole week will be wet, windy, and cold. It seems a perfect time to work on my taxes. I can spread the papers out on our dining room table and work with the wood stove warming my back. Uninterrupted. A whole six weeks before April 15.
