Kay Mayhew, who passed away on April 12, was the longest-serving writer of The Martha’s Vineyard Times, as the Tisbury town columnist since early 1987. We’ve been honoring her legacy by sharing past excerpts of her signature “Heard on Main Street” observations. This week, we share with you what we believe to be her first-ever column. (She might have begun the week before, but that issue eludes us.)
Here is a slice of life from Jan. 15, 1987.
Barbara Barstow played her violin to the delight of the patients in the Long Term Care Unit at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital during Happy Hour last Thursday. Her obvious pleasure in sharing her music increases the enjoyment of her audience.
Barbara also volunteers with Shirley Adams to deliver a moment of sunshine and a hot meal to shut-ins for Meals on Wheels. More neighbors who care are needed. If you have a car and can give two hours a week, please call Kay Kenney or Fran Carter at 693-4393.
“I have spent 61 Christmases in the town of Tisbury, and never has it glowed as beautifully as it has this year,” began the thank-you note received by the Tisbury Business Association from Kathryn Stewart.
“Thank you for making it such a special time of year!” This thank-you should really go to the whole town, because it was truly a community effort that created the winter wonderland in Tisbury this season. The merchants began it, but the volunteer firemen and others in town carried it on. Thank you, Mrs. Stewart, for getting into written words the comments heard all over town.
Jane and Jack Ware have returned from a three-week trip to the West, spending Christmas with their son Peter and his wife Diane and 5-year-old grandson Jared. They then visited cousins in Los Angeles; Jack’s sister Betty Harper in San Diego; Jane’s cousin Dorothy Dunlap in Tucson; and spent the last five days with Sim and Ann Hyde in Albuquerque, N.M. Sim is a schoolmate of former years of Jack Ware’s, and the Hydes are summer residents of Vineyard Haven.
The Tisbury Museum fundraiser, Past and Repast, is scheduled for four Mondays beginning Jan. 26.
Only 50 people can enjoy the pleasant lunch break, a slide show followed by soup and a sandwich at the Baptist Parish House. The programs are Jan. 26, Phyllis Meras sharing anecdotes of her traveling career; Feb. 2, Phoebe Eshleman discussing post-Impressionists in France; Feb. 9, Marian Halperin showing artifacts of the Dukes County Historical Society; and, Feb. 16, Dr. Malcolm Dunkley speaking on his recent trip to Nepal. Call 693-1371 for tickets.
The new guide to health and social services for Islanders, “Vineyard Help,” will be given free to Islanders the week of Feb. 9. It will be distributed between 8:30 am and 6 pm at various Island food stores.
The information has been gathered by a committee of the League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard after they surveyed Island health needs. Publishing funds were provided by Colonial Nursing, Inc. Look for your free copy in February.
Heard on Main Street: The 1987 ferry schedules are available in mail-in forms for those of you who like to plan ahead. The new proposals of the Steamship Authority to ease the problems of the past sound very promising. The SSA is scheduling two days, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, for individuals to make reservations for personal use. The SSA states that only three round-trips may be reserved in person at one time.