News
The Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living, formerly the Island Council on Aging, mapped out a plan to strengthen its programs — and locate a permanent home for them — at its annual meeting last week.
Great Job, Whitney
Whitney Hyde graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) leader development and assessment course, also known as Operation Warrior Forge, at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.
A student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he is the son of Elisabeth M. Benders-Hyde of Ferry St., Marshfield, and Robert W. Hyde of Roberts Way, West Tisbury.
Hyde is a 2006 graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Erosion and a changing shoreline may be a friend to Farm Pond, where a second culvert was opened from the pond to the sea last week.
The culvert, which originally emptied into Harthaven harbor, had been blocked off for about 10 years after erosion had eaten away the barrier beach and left the culvert clogged and ineffective.
But now the scene has changed again, and the migration of the barrier beach has moved so far inland that the culvert was facing the open sea.
For the past eight years the Community Preservation Act has provided funding for cash-strapped Island towns looking to preserve historic landmarks, protect open space and create affordable housing.
But in another indicator of the ongoing recession, the state this year has drastically reduced the match paid to towns, who raise their own money through the act’s property tax surcharge. The match for some Island towns has dropped more than 50 per cent, and many local officials are warning things could get worse before they get better.
Vineyard Haven resident Clea C. Baumhofer is one of three Falmouth Academy seniors named a semifinalist in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship program.
Clea, the daughter of Kim and Mark Baumhofer, has been at Falmouth Academy since seventh grade. She is a member of the National Honor Society and of the Falmouth Academy orchestra, where she plays the violin. She also plays basketball and has acted in several school drama productions. She is one of six members of the Falmouth Academy remotely operated vehicle team.
Zephrus Restaurant is offering the nonprofit community a fund-raising opportunity again this winter: Island groups can partner with Zephrus to raise money by picking and publicizing a specific winter date in which Zephrus shares 20 per cent of the evening’s special menu earnings with the group.
Two local agencies are on the menu year-round. Zephrus offers a nightly dessert, As American as Apple Pie, and donates the proceeds to the Island Food Pantry. Island Grown Initiative is the recipient of the 20 per cent for a locavore dinner every Wednesday.