Choose Granite Countertops in Chilmark, MA for Elegance and Durability

The winds change in March. The pace picks up inside and out. The birds’ songs are louder, and the chorus more diverse. Snowdrops are in bloom. I wish I’d cut back more of the blackberry stalks bending over the spikes of green pushed up by flower bulbs.

My brain is still foggy, but my voice is better. I still appreciate hot cups of ginger, lemon, and chamomile tea. My nose needs only a few tissues. I’m impatient, wanting to engage ideas that float into view, but can only notice the surface before my brain lets go. Hours spent trying to read, only to keep circling back because I don’t remember what I just read. Hours spent writing lead to deleted paragraphs. I’m eager for my brain, voice, and nose to clear. In the meantime, I’ll hold the faith that all of this will resolve, and pull up the quilt of love, patience, and kindness I wrap around those I love.

There are a lot of offerings in Chilmark this week.

The church is offering another Saintly Supper, 5:30 pm on Tuesday, March 12: . Irish fare, music, and stories of St. Patrick, a foe of snakes and patron saint of Ireland.

I want to give a shout-out to Heather Goff and Pam Goff and the Chilmark Community Church for the updated website.

The Chilmark library has many offerings for children and adults. YogiJay’s yoga class for preschool through second graders continues at the library, March 7 at 3 pm, and March 14 at noon.

Rebecca Gilbert offers bag weaving for kids ages 6 and up on Saturday, March 9, 2:30 to 3:30 pm.

Also on March 9, Anna Madden presents, from 1 to 2 pm, “Sonic Flow Writing,” pairing meditative sound with writing exercises. To register, email chil.programs@gmail.com or call 508-645-3360.

Finally, there will be a presentation by Sam Look on lawns that are safe for children, pets, and ponds on Wednesday, March 13 at 4 pm.

Pathways returns on Friday, March 8, 7 to 9 pm, with “3 Acts,” featuring Maryse Smith, Lexie Roth and Shawn (“Bones”) Barber.

Rebecca Gilbert’s slow stitching circle meets Thursdays, 1 to 3 pm.

“Writing and Poetry” on Tuesday, March 12, features Awotunde Judyie Ella Al-Bilali, a theater maker, arts educator and writer. Currently a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she has taught internationally, notably as a Fulbright scholar in South Africa, where she founded a theater company, Brown Paper Studio. She is the author of two books, “For the Feeling: Love & Transformation from New York to Cape Town,” a memoir about her experiences living abroad, and “Halcyon Days,” a book of haiku poetry published by Indian Hill Press. Her work is featured in the awardwinning, bestselling book “Black Acting Methods: A Critical Approach.” She lives on the Island.

At the M.V. Yoga Barn on Friday, March 8, 5:30 to 7 pm, experience traditional call-and-response chanting. Free, and open to all. Plenty of parking.

If you’ve never been to Kirtan, this is a sweet and inclusive introduction. It is like a yoga class for the soul! It raises the individual and collective vibration. Bring bells, shakers, hand drums, and sing together.

Nancy Aronie tells me that the last pop-up version of her workshop was an overflowing success. She had to turn some people away, and this week announced plans to offer a weekend version of her Writing From the Heart workshop, April 19 to 21. Friday night is just one hour, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, Saturday is 9:30 to 3 pm, and Sunday morning is 9 to 11 am. Lunch is included on Saturday.

The cost is $199. To register, either send your $100 deposit via snail mail, to 1 West Meadow, Chilmark, MA 02535, or Venmo Nancy-Aronie.

If you have questions, go to the website, chilmarkwritingworkshop.com, call Nancy at 508-274-4286, or email nancyjill73@gmail.com.

If you have any Chilmark Town Column suggestions, email Claire Ganz, cganz@live.com.

Happy March. If it comes in like a lamb, will it go out like a lion? Or is spring just going to come in nice and early this year? I’m hoping for the latter. Even my daffodils are looking promising. If you traveled over February break, welcome back!

Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Drew Kelly on March 7, and Richard Prieto and Solange Dos Santos on March 10.

Nancy Aronie is doing a pop-up Writing From the Heart workshop, April 19 to 21. It’s $199. It starts Friday night for just one hour, then Saturday 9:30 am to 3 pm. She’ll make a great soup and hot bread for lunch. And then Sunday morning 9 to 11 am. To register, either mail her a deposit of $100 or Venmo her. Details and more information are available on her website, chilmarkwritingworkshop.com. If you have questions, she’s open to getting phone calls. Her number is 508-274-4286.

The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse is hosting “Theater Fun for Adults” on Thursday, March 7, and continuing on Thursdays through March, from 5 to 6:30 pm. A fun introduction to acting and improvisation for adults of all ages. No experience is necessary. The instructors are MJ Bruder Munafo and friends, and it’s in person at the Playhouse. $15 per class; $10 for Playhouse members. Please preregister by emailing mj@mvplayhouse.org.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Oak Bluffs library and Slough Farm invite you to an evening of open writing and sound healing on March 7, from 6 to 8 pm, that is geared toward women. This is an open call for writers — whether your practice is poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, memoir, journalism, or screenwriting, you are welcome in this space to receive inspiration from and share with your fellow writers. Amy K. Nelson, a journalist and filmmaker with ESPN, MSNBC, and myriad national outlets, and Anna Marden, a creative nonfiction writer and owner of Sonic Flow, a sound healing practice, will moderate this two-hour session of sound, writing, and discussion. Light snacks will be provided. Spots are limited, and preregistration is required. Email oakb_mail@clamsnet.org, or call 508-693-9433.

Do you have questions about using your laptop, smartphone, iPad, or other device? The Edgartown library is partnering with the Edgartown Council on Aging to provide technology help at the Anchors on March 8, from 12 to 1 pm. You can also always stop by the library during open hours for technology help.

The Democratic Council of M.V. is hosting its monthly online meeting on March 9, from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Please email demsmv@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Curious what turns an ordinary brisket into corned beef? Join Chef Charles Granquist of Slough Farm at the FARM Institute in Edgartown, on March 9 at 10 am, for this workshop that covers it all — selecting the right meat cut, creating a spice blend, an overview on brining, and the best cooking techniques. This is a hands-on class that culminates in a delicious corned beef lunch. Go to the Trustees’ website, thetrustees.org/event/408637, to register. The cost is $24 for members, $30 for nonmembers.

The Trustees of Reservations are looking for volunteers to help plant beach grass at Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge on March 9, from 10 am to 1 pm. Light refreshments will be provided at the Mytoi Gatehouse. Free transportation is available from the Chappy side of the Chappy ferry. Work gloves, comfortable shoes, and season-appropriate clothing are recommended. Email cdrogin@thetrustees.org with any questions. Volunteers must be able to bend, stoop, or stand for prolonged periods, be able to perform work outside, be able to walk the property over uneven terrain, and lift and carry up to 10 pounds. You can sign up at thetrustees.org

The Agricultural Society’s annual Meat Ball is on March 9 at 5:30 pm, at the Ag Hall. The cost is $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers. Kids 6 to 12 are $10, and kids up to 5 are free. Enjoy a buffet dinner of Island-raised meat prepared by Charlie Granquist of Slough Farm, plus dance to Missis Biskus. Good for the whole family, and all ages are welcome. Please bring your own place settings and beverages. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and food service begins at 6 pm and continues until they run out. Vegetarian options are available. Go to the Agricultural Society website, marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org, to buy tickets.

Sunday, March 10, offers a Community Sing at 5 pm at Slough Cove. Learn songs from around the world with song leader Roberta Kirn. All ages are welcome. The event is free, and no registration is required. Meet at the Farmhouse Studio, third building on the right, located after the large barn doors.

The Edgartown library is hosting AARP Free Tax Help on Tuesday, March 12, from 10:30 am to 3 pm. Volunteers (certified and trained under the AARP Tax Aide Program) will be offering free assistance with income tax preparation at the library, with a special emphasis on taxpayers who are 60 years old and older. Sessions are by appointment only. Please call the Edgartown Council on Aging at 508-627-4368 to secure an appointment.

The M.V. Mediation Program is having a Dine-to-Donate and Bowling Fundraising event on March 24, from 3 to 5 pm. Bowling is $10 in advance, $15 at the door, and you can dine in or take out food to support the cause. Go to bit.ly/MVMP_BowlingFun to register for bowling. Hope to see you there.

That about does it. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead on March 10 at 2 am, or if you’re like most people, before you go to bed on March 9. You don’t want to be late for things on Sunday morning. Have a great week.

If you have any Edgartown Town Column suggestions, email Gail Gardner, ggardnermv@gmail.com.

It’s less than six months until the 400th anniversary of Chilmark, England. Some of you may recall we were visited by Mike and Jo Scott from Chilmark, England, last Oct. 5, now “Friendship Day” between our two Chilmarks. Mike sent the following description: “The 20th July, 2019, marks the 400th anniversary of a village event being held on the Fairmead field in Chilmark village. The date also coincides with the festival of St. Margaret of Antioch, the patron saint of Chilmark Church. The village intends to hold a major event to celebrate rural village life over the four centuries. The original Fayre featured sheep and cheese, and this will be repeated this year, plus many of the village participants will be dressed in 17th century rural costume. There will be a section of the Fayre centred on rural crafts, and many of the refreshments on hand will follow an ancient recipe or two. There, of course, will be all the usual stalls, and attractions such as the dog show, tug of war and children’s races, and village entries competition tent. The event will also celebrate the life of Thomas Macey, born in 1608 in Chilmark, a mere 11 on the date of the Fayre, and only in his early 20s when he set sail to emigrate to Massachusetts, where he became founding father of Nantucket and where his cousin Thomas Mayhew of Tisbury’s family also established Chilmark on the Martha’s Vineyard island. Based on the strong U.S. connection, it is hoped that a group from Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard, will also participate in the Fayre. Looking forward from the 400 years of history, the aim is to make it a plastics-free event.”

Mike also wrote: “As far it goes there are endless possibilities here, and if a small group was interested, many in the village are happy to have them stay in their homes, including with us. Over a few days we could arrange trips to perhaps Bath, including the Roman Spa, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral (made from Chilmark stone), the glorious gardens and estate at Stourhead, and Tisbury and Messums Art Museum, all less than an hour from Chilmark. We could hire a small luxury coach and that could do the airport transfers as well. I am happy to co-ordinate the itinerary.” If there is anyone interested in leading a small Island group to participate, please contact Mike Scott at treasurer@chilmarkvillagevoice.co.uk. So far Jane Slater has expressed interest in attending, but not leading a group.

The other week I ran into new year-round residents Marcia Smith and her husband Ken Andrichik at the Chilmark P.O. I thought I recognized their car license plate, having driven down the West Side Highway last year behind a Chilmark N.Y. plate. However, it turns out I was behind another N.Y. car where Chilmark is spelled out, and they tell me it’s a Subaru, though they’ve never met the owner. In any case, newly retired and finally making their dream year-round move from Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, to their now forever Chilmark home. I just want to say welcome.

School Break runs from Feb. 23 to March 3, I hope everyone enjoys their family time, staycation, away vacation, or just enjoying vacation camps and activities. Be sure to check all the listings for holiday break activities.

All ages are welcome to the Yard’s Public Dancing Allowed event with Brooklyn’s Red Baraat, an explosive South Asian brass band, bhangra, horns, and funk on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Chilmark Community Center from 7 to 10 pm. Tickets cost $15 for everyone, except $5 for children under 12. Member and Behind the Counter discounts apply.

Head over to the the Ag Hall for the fifth annual MeatBall and Dancing on Saturday, Feb. 23, starting at 5:30 pm. Pay at the door: adults $20, children $10, and children under 5 are free. First come, first served. For information, call 508-693-9549.

The Chilmark Community Church’s Community Suppers are on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm, all ages welcome. 9 Menemsha Crossroads, Chilmark. For further information call 508-645-3100.

Pathways Arts at the Chilmark Tavern will be closed over the school break.

The Yard’s adult dance classes with Jesse Keller Jason are ongoing at the West Tisbury library every Tuesday at 10:30 am through March 26, free.

The Chilmark library hosts artist Elizabeth R. Whelan from Chappy, who will offer two still life Drawing Basics classes with pencil on paper on Wednesdays Feb. 20 and 27, at 5 pm. Come once or to both and get tips to help draw more effectively. Materials provided, or you can bring your own. The Hybrid Poetry Club meets at 3 pm on Saturday, Feb. 23; this month’s pick is “Immortality” by poet Alan Feldman. Head over for Chowder and a Chat with Chilmark board of selectmen chairman Jim Malkin on Saturday, Feb. 23, from noon to 1 pm. The library will be closed for floor maintenance on Tuesday, Feb. 26, and Wednesday, Feb. 27. Please note the community room will be open for Maker Monday and Tuesday at 2 pm on Feb. 25 and 26, and for Wii-U Gaming at 2 pm, Wednesday, Feb. 27. On Thursday, Feb. 28, at 2 pm, enjoy Lego Free Build. Learn more at chilmarklibrary.org or 508-645-3360.

Have a great week.

On Saturday, March 2, from 3:30 to 5 pm, all are invited to an art reception at the West Tisbury library to honor the work of Island artist Albert O. Fischer. According to a press release, this exhibit, titled “Up-Island,” features photographs that have been taken over the past five years. The exhibit will be displayed in the library’s community room throughout the month of March. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Fischer was born at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in 1949. He grew up on the Keith Farm in Chilmark, and attended Island schools. He was drafted into the Army at age 20, and served one year in Vietnam in the infantry. After the war, he returned home and worked on commercial fishing boats for four years. He managed an estate in Aquinnah for 36 years, and he is presently semiretired and managing two smaller properties.

Fischer has always loved photography. On his way back from Vietnam in 1970, his plane stopped in Japan, and he bought a Minolta SRT 102 35mm camera with numerous lenses. Buying this camera helped him to heal from the war. Albert lives in West Tisbury with his wife Linda and his dog Beatrice. They have four grown children. He loves fishing and gardening, and has a passion for photography.

The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) announced Monday it had received the historic brickyard property in Chilmark, a gift from the estate of Flora Epstein. The 18-acre property on the north shore of Martha’s Vineyard is adjacent to TTOR’s Menemsha Hills Reservation property to which it will be joined by a future trail.

The red brick chimney, a familiar landmark for boaters, is all that remains of the former brick factory. The property is inaccessible to the public from North Road.

Ms. Epstein, a long-time resident whose family ties to the Island goes back generations, died in 2010. The site is historically significant, having served as the first commercial brickyard in New England, in operation from 1642 throughout the late 1800s, according to a TTOR press release. The clay deposits on the property are among the oldest soil found in the northeast, dating back 140 million years. By comparison, 99 percent of the Vineyard’s surface soils are less than 10,000 years old. The clay was used to manufacture the highly sought-after bricks that were shipped to Boston, New York, and Newport to help build these great American cities.

“It is through the generosity of prescient donors like Ms. Epstein and her family that The Trustees can help to preserve irreplaceable historic and archaeologically significant Massachusetts landscapes like the Brickyard for everyone, forever,” said Barbara Erickson, TTOR president and CEO.

Ms. Epstein contributed $60,000 to The Trustees in 2005 to establish a start-up endowment for the preservation of the Brickyard. The gift was realized in 2010, shortly after her death. The Trustees have also received a temporary easement from Ms. Epstein’s family, owners of the abutting property, so crews can access the property and begin making important safety and public access improvements. TTOR said that priority projects will include erecting safety fencing around the industrial remnants and creating walking trails for the public.

“We are honored to be entrusted with preserving and protecting the legacy of this important site and to be able to link it to our current Menemsha Hills Reservation,” said Christopher Kennedy, TTOR Martha’s Vineyard superintendent. “We look forward to creating many opportunities for Islanders and tourists to visit the property and learn more about its important place in our cultural and geological history.”

The Trustees expect the Brickyard to be open to the public during the summer of 2015, after a property plan has been established for the site.

The two candidates running for the Chilmark Select Board, Russell Maloney and Marie Larsen, had an opportunity to meet with voters and hear constituents’ concerns this week. Maloney and Larsen are competing to win the seat of longtime Chilmark Select Board member Warren Doty, who announced in January he would not seek re-election.

In a packed meeting room at the Chilmark library, the League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard hosted a candidates’ forum on Monday evening that was moderated by former league president Lorna Andrade. “This is a magnificent, democratic group out here tonight,” Andrade said. “I’ve never seen so many people that attended this forum in Chilmark.”

Maloney came to Martha’s Vineyard after retiring from a finance career in New York. He has lived in Chilmark for 20 years, and has worked to protect the town’s natural resources by serving on the Chilmark conservation committee and Chilmark zoning board of appeals. He also serves on the Island Autism board. Maloney underscored that he wants to hear the concerns of Chilmark residents as a select board member. “I believe I can serve our townspeople with competency and integrity,” he said.

Larsen was originally from Boston, and has done a variety of work while living on the Island, where she said she experienced the “Vineyard shuffle.” Her family was able to eventually buy a home in Chilmark eight years ago. Larsen underscored that she understands the Island community, having lived on Martha’s Vineyard for more than 40 years, and having “lived the issues.” She and her husband eventually opened the Edgartown Seafood Market; she holds a degree in economics from Smith College. “I love Chilmark, and I hope to be a part of the solution,” she said.

There were some issues the candidates shared views on, such as a need to decrease taxes and improving Chilmark School facilities, but the big shared concern — albeit for different reasons — was the Martha’s Vineyard housing bank. Over 200 Islanders traveled to Boston last month to advocate for the creation of the housing bank, seen as a way to help with the Island’s housing crisis, with the Massachusetts state legislature. While Maloney and Larson both supported the housing bank’s concept, they were concerned about how it would be implemented. Both of them mentioned that the housing bank’s benefits might not be as pronounced for Chilmark compared with other towns, because of its expensive properties. Maloney pointed out potential legal problems of the legislation requiring year-round residency and employment, which he said could be considered discriminatory.

The candidates also had some differing priorities. Maloney said some current projects threaten the character of the town. He also expressed displeasure at an increase of people from New York or Boston coming into Chilmark to develop properties without understanding the town, and without as much concern for the environment. Larsen said that many young people have been priced out of Chilmark, and the town needs a capital improvement plan to properly prioritize projects. She also underscored the importance of protecting Menemsha as a town resource.

When the topics of walkability and biking in the town came up, Maloney said he had issues about “tearing up” land to build an asphalt bike path; he said more information would be needed on how many people would use a path. Larsen said she was in favor of improving walkability and bikeability, even if it changes the characteristics of the town, especially with the concern of climate change.

The candidates also shared differing ideas on what could be done for the Chilmark School, although both of them agreed on the need to improve the facilities. Maloney said that it could be beneficial to regionalize the elementary and middle schools into a single facility, like Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. He said this was because of the expensive renovations Island schools are undergoing or in the planning stages, such as Chilmark School’s HVAC repairs. Although he did not want to regionalize town governments, he said, unifying the schools could help reduce costs for the Island. Larsen, on the other hand, focused on a need for a preschool in the town in a separate facility from Chilmark School.

Meanwhile, the candidates were asked whether they support a “wet” or “dry” Chilmark. Tisbury became the most recent town to allow serving alcohol without food in December. Maloney said he would be in favor of allowing alcohol sales in town restaurants, considering people already drink at places like Chilmark Tavern, which has a “bring your own beer” system.” Larsen said she would personally vote for it, but added this was an issue that would need to go to the voters and not just the select board.

In his final statement, Maloney listed what he believed will be the most important duties as a select board member: listening to voters and town staff, being able to learn, and being able to lead and enact the town’s wishes. “I promise you that if I am elected, I will listen, I will learn, and I will lead,” he said.

Larsen said she looks forward to serving the town, and that her approachability will help address residents’ concerns. “I care about where our money goes into this town,” she said. “I love seeing everyone walk by my house … I think I can help make this town a better place. I want this town to be a multigenerational place where people enjoy each other and enjoy the town.”

Candidates for two uncontested races, Kaila Allen-Poisin running for the Chilmark library board of trustees, and incumbent Matthew Poole running for the Chilmark board of health, also took time to meet with voters.

The Chilmark annual town election will take place at the Chilmark Community Center on Wednesday, April 26, from noon to 8 pm.

The forum will be available on the MVTV website.

With the much-discussed big-house bylaw now a fact of life in Chilmark, discussion at the town planning board this week turned to preservation of historic houses.

Pamela Goff, who owns a pre-Revolutionary house off Tea Lane, asked the board to consider an amendment to the bylaw approved by voters last year to regulate very large houses. The first-of-its-kind bylaw could have the unintended consequence of actually encouraging people to demolish old houses instead of preserving them, Mrs. Goff said.

“I’ve been going over the pre-Revolutionary and pre-Civil War houses listed in the master plan and it made me realize how many of them are essential to the look of Chilmark,” she said. “These old houses are very important to the town and important historically.”

Mrs. Goff said there are five or six properties with pre-Revolutionary houses “in transition,” either on the market or recently sold, and she was concerned what would become of them.

“In the last 15 years we’ve lost five houses,” she said. “For 250 years they lasted and in five years of extreme wealth they were gone.”

The so-called big-house bylaw requires a special permit process for houses that exceed 3,500 square feet on a three-acre lot. Home size is capped at 6,000 square feet per three-acre lot. Existing homes that exceed the threshold are allowed a one-time exception to increase the living area size by five per cent.

Mrs. Goff wondered whether some sort of exemption should be contemplated on the square footage limits to help preserve historic structures.

“How do we give the owners some little incentive not to tear them down, something that might give them the incentive to keep the houses up?” she asked. “I’m afraid with the stripped-down square footage allowed under the new bylaw that people have the incentive to tear them down and have additional square footage in a new structure.”

Planning board chairman Rich Osnoss agreed.

“It would at least show some intent on our part,” he said. “I certainly value it and I think other people in town do too. There’s so much character there.”

Kate Warner, a West Tisbury architect who attended the meeting, questioned whether a square footage exemption was the best approach since it would create a loophole that could possibly be abused.

“I’m worried if you give an exception on volume,” she said.

There was also discussion about creating a fund to help Chilmarkers maintain and restore historic homes, perhaps using Community Preservation Act funds.

The board agreed to ask the subcommittee currently working on the Squibnocket beach project to expand its responsibilities and explore amending the bylaw — with discussion to be continued.

In other business, a public hearing was held on amending the Squibnocket district of critical planning concern to clear the way for the upcoming public-private project at the town beach. The hearing was continued.