On our morning walks with Talley and Nanuk, we have been watching the opening into the Great Pond. We have been watching it since it was cut last Dec. 18, 2014. It’s the talk of up-Island that no one ever remembers it remaining open as long as this. Yet open it remains. It moves a little to one side or the other, the channel deepens or grows shallower, widens or seems almost ready to close. It’s been our own miracle of nature to observe.
Brandy Wight and Bruce Blackwell are on the Island, celebrating Brandy’s 100th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the founding of VCS, Vineyard Conservation Society, of which Bruce was the first director. Together they ran the Granary Gallery/Red Barn, site of the festivities. Current owners Chris and Sheila Morse hosted a birthday party on Tuesday afternoon, then a preview and sale of paintings done en plein air by the following artists: Valentine Estabrook, Lowely Finnerty, Nancy Kingsley, Kanta Lipsky, Thaw Malin, Marjorie Mason, Harry Seymour, Tiffiney Shoquist, Jeanne Staples, Liz Taft, Wendy Weldon, Allen Whiting, and Rez Williams. This will all have taken place by the time you are reading this. Welcome home to Brandy and Bruce. Congratulations to VCS for all you do to preserve and protect our island.
Andrew Gordon Moore opens his solo show at the Granary Gallery this Sunday, 5 to 7 pm.
On my way to Mermaid Farm I saw a sign on Susie Boass’s honey stand. Due to theft of the money box, she is selling her wares at her house instead of on the road. I remember all the thefts at farm stands last summer, and am outraged that it’s happening again. Whoever you are, please don’t change the trust and way of life we are accustomed to and value. This is not the way we want to live.
On a cheerier note, I happened to be driving on Beach Road out of Oak Bluffs and spotted two familiar faces at a roadside lemonade stand. Laura Hearn and her daughter, Morgan Caruso, have a friend on Farm Pond Road who gave them permission to set up. In fact, he was ensconced in a director’s chair sampling the goods. The lemonade was delicious, with fresh mint from their garden, and Morgan also had freshly baked blueberry muffins. This is her project to earn money for the Ag Fair. She plans to be there again, so do stop by.
An Island group called C.E.O., Creative Entrepreneurs with Opportunities, has designed a project for kids in grades K through 8 to learn entrepreneurial and startup skills. Their first annual Lemonade Day is August 29. They plan to mentor kids to start 20 lemonade stands across the Island. Download a registration form online. For information, info@iamaceo.org.
Teena Parton just told me the sad news that Marilyn Kerr died at age 84 at her home in Canada. Many will remember Marilyn from her years on the Island. When I met her, she and her partner, David Wessling, lived in a tiny rental off State Road. It was too expensive to heat adequately, and was probably not well-insulated, so Marilyn spent a lot of time keeping warm at the old library on Music Street. She was a force of nature, creative in everything she touched, interested in everything and everyone. She attracted friends with her energy and sweetness. Eventually they moved to Vineyard Haven, to a slightly less chilly house, that became a gathering place for writers, musicians, weavers, knitters, papermakers, and just plain interesting folks. Marilyn sang in the Island Chorus. She had been a champion figure skater and an elementary school teacher in Canada. She was elegant in a comfortable way, warm, always planning a project and inviting people to join her. I have wonderful memories of doing crafts at her home, listening to music and her musical laugh, always encouraging. Then there were her darling grandchildren, Oliver, Eliot, and Gemma, who were just as interesting and creative as she was. One of them even had drawings at Shaw Cramer Gallery. I can’t imagine the world without her.
Another creative person in town was award-winning playwright and teacher Jon Lipsky, who died in 2011. His son, Jonah, and a former student, Bill Barclay, now musical director at the Globe Theatre in London, have collected and published two volumes of Jon’s full-length plays. Many were first performed at the Vineyard Playhouse, where the publication was heralded Sunday afternoon. There will be a second event at Porter Square Books in Cambridge on August 12.
Start anticipating the West Tisbury Church’s sixth annual Peach Festival, to take place next Saturday, August 15, noon to 4 o’clock. All sorts of delicious peach treats are planned.
The trustees, staff, and Friends of the West Tisbury library invite you to their annual Volunteer Reception this Saturday, August 8, 5-6 pm, at the library, “with gratitude and appreciation for your support of the library this past year.”
There are three book talks and signings at the library. Kevin Parham, author of “The Vineyard We Knew: A Recollection of Summers on Martha’s Vineyard During the 1960s,” will speak on Tuesday, August 11, 5-6 pm. Ali Berlow will be there on Wednesday, August 12, at 5:30, with her newly published “The Food Activist’s Handbook.” On Thursday, August 13, there will be a book talk and cooking demonstration at 5 pm by Sarah Waldman, co-author with Christine Chitnis of “Little Bites: 100 Healthy, Kid-Friendly Snacks.”
Sue Hruby has been looking forward all summer to the arrival of her Aunt Marie Schwebach and cousins, Karen Wallenberg and Terry Carson, from South Dakota and Minnesota. This was the first time any of them had visited the Island, and Sue planned a perfect tour. They saw the Campground houses, the Aquinnah cliffs, Menemsha, all the down-Island towns and the most picturesque scenery up-Island, ate at the Beach Plum, and had fish and lobsters at home. Everyone had a grand time.
Glenn and Linda Hearn had guests last week. Their son, Mark Hearn, and his son, Blake, were here with two of Blake’s friends, enjoying family time on Town Cove. Linda had just taken the boys to breakfast at the airport, then back home to meet Mark in time to catch the 9:30 boat.
Caroline Flanders and I caught up with each other on Alley’s porch. She is a newly elected library trustee, and was volunteering at the Library Foundation’s Tuesdays at Twilight concert. Her children, Jean and Oscar, have had a busy summer swimming and catching frogs. They are currently in Medford visiting Caroline’s parents, and checking out the Museum of Fine Arts and Legoland. Other city attractions are on the agenda.
Caroline also mentioned that a new associate attorney has joined George Brush’s firm in North Tisbury. His name is Tim Moriarty. He attended primary school on the Island and met his wife here, Liz Anderson, an Island native and nurse practitioner. After practicing in western Massachusetts, Tim is back on the Island. He and Liz have 2-year-old twins, Maeve and Finn, and are expecting another baby this winter.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s annual meeting will include a Medal Award Ceremony honoring two West Tisbury recipients. Selectman Cynthia Mitchell will present the posthumous award for Pat Gregory to his son-in-law, Dan Carbon. Town Moderator Dan Waters, who also works at the Museum, will present Cynthia Riggs with her award. The third honoree is Patricia Morgan, whose award will be presented by YMCA Executive Director Jill Robie-Axtell. The award ceremony is on Monday, August 10, 5 pm, at the former Marine Hospital, future home of the Museum. It is free and open to all.
On Monday at the Grange Hall, we welcome back Islanders Write. Justen Ahren, Geraldine Brooks, Jemima James, Tony Horwitz, Donald Nitchie are a few of our year-round residents who will be taking part in panel discussions, which start at 7:45 am. The day will feature workshops and panel discussions about writing. It’s free and open to the public. For information, visit IslandersWrite.com.
Belated happy birthday wishes to Debby Athearn. She decided to give herself a party, and invited her friends to a wonderful potluck at her and Harry’s house last Saturday. Debby and her ukelele group entertained the partygoers. This being West Tisbury, the company and the food were the best, and Debby received enough admiration to keep her going for another year.
