It’s lovely to have the doors and windows wide open, to be outside with my coffee or a sandwich, walking around, looking at everything coming up, everyday changes in the landscape. One of our ornamental cherry trees has been blooming for two weeks or so, and the other is a waterfall cloud of almost-opened pink buds.
Take a look at the double line of pear trees at the cemetery, or the greening willows and multiflora rose bushes around the Mill Pond.
This weekend will be busy with activities honoring Earth Day taking place around the Island, too many to attend them all. Fingers crossed for nice weather.
The West Tisbury tree committee will be planting trees around the town’s historic district on Saturday morning, April 27, 9 am to noon. Arborists will be on hand to help the volunteers. Please contact David Fielder at drfisherdavid@gmail.com or 571-748-9747, or J.T. Hunt at jhunt@bartlett.com or 508-560-3022.
Beach BeFrienders has planned cleanups at all of the Island’s beaches on Saturday morning, too. In West Tisbury, volunteers will be waiting with bags and gloves at Cedar Tree Neck, Lambert’s Cove, and Long Point beaches. After the cleanup, come to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum for an afterparty with free lunch.
It is also the museum’s second annual Earth Day Festival. Several island organizations are participating in the events, including lunch, cultural and educational presentations, games, crafts, trivia, and more, from noon to 3 pm. The program will be opened by Carole Vandal of the Aquinnah Cultural Center.
The Visioning Weekend, organized and hosted by the West Tisbury planning board, will be held at the West Tisbury School. You may have seen the colorful poster, with a painting by Kenneth Vincent, and information about the event in English and Portuguese.
A potluck and discussion of topics will begin at 5:30 pm Friday evening. Saturday’s program will begin with breakfast at 8:30 am. Then groups will meet to discuss and brainstorm about the area of concern or interest they have chosen. There will be a break for lunch at midday, after which each group will make a presentation to the gathered attendees. The program will end at 3 pm. Childcare and transportation will be available.
Call Jane Rossi at 508-696-0149 to make arrangements or with any questions you might have. Jane and the planning board have been working on revisiting and updating our town’s master plan. The last one was done in 1997. Please make time to come, participate, and listen. We are responsible for our town’s future, for shaping it to reflect our values, and for working to make it so.
“A Matter of Balance” is a series of classes designed and presented by Healthy Aging M.V. to teach seniors how to avoid falls, gain strength, and improve balance. The eight-week course will begin on Tuesday, May 7, 10 am to noon, at the Howes House. To register, contact Susan Merrill at coaoutreach@westtisbury-ma.gov or 508-693-2896.
West Tisbury cartoonist Paul Karasik has been surprising me a lot lately. A few weeks ago, one of his cartoons filled the back page of the New York Times Wednesday’s Food section. It was a story about truffle omelets he and Marsha made when they were living in Florence. “A Simple Trick Makes a More Flavorful Egg” appeared on March 22; you can find it online. Then he had another full page on the back of last week’s Book Review, a tribute to author Patricia MacLachlan. Close to home, his cartoons have recently turned up in the Vineyard Gazette and Martha’s Vineyard Magazine. All clever and very funny, as is Paul.
If you have any West Tisbury Town Column suggestions, email Hermine Hull, hermine.hull@gmail.com.
