Julia Rappaport
BY JULIA RAPPAPORT
A 2003 graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School who works as a dispatcher for the county sheriff’s department was one of three lucky Islanders who won an affordable Edgartown home in a town lottery this week.
“I’m too shocked to think,” said a teary Maria Williams following the drawing held by Edgartown selectmen in the Baylies Room at the Old Whaling Church on Tuesday.
Tonight is an evening for turning lemons into lemonade.
Islander Joyce Garde, a 14-year cancer survivor, was recently diagnosed with another cancer. Rather than fight the battle alone, she is celebrating with friends and is doing it in style — at a benefit held tonight in her honor at Lola’s restaurant in Oak Bluffs. All are invited to join her from 7 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. for free finger food, live deejay music, dancing, and a silent auction. The suggested donation is $20 at the door.
Bartending. The job used to be simple — pour a glass of wine, shake up the occasional martini, pop off a beer cap and call it a night. Not so any more. Today there are career bartenders. Mixologists. Professionals who stir the cocktail to levels of esteem usually reserved for celebrity chefs’ creations.
Generous contributions from shareholders have provided a temporary fix for the financial woes plaguing the popular Whippoorwill Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
Farm operations will continue as usual in October, members are guaranteed their weekly produce and flowers through the end of the month, but plans for November are up in the air and the farm is due for major changes. This was the word from farmer Andrew Woodruff and his advisory board at a well-attended meeting of shareholders at the Agricultural Hall on Tuesday night.
Retail sales may be slumping around the country and on the Island, but the thrift stores and consignment shops of the Vineyard are thriving hubs of business these days.
“We have been incredibly busy,” said Sandy Pratt, comanager of the Vineyard Haven Thrift Shop.
“I could literally stay open 24 hours a day sometimes,” echoed Deborah Alpert-Sylvia, manager of the Edgartown Second Hand Store.
Yes we can.
It is a campaign slogan which has caught fire ever since Presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama uttered the words after the New Hampshire primary. Celebrities from Scarlett Johansson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar to Herbie Hancock are saying it in English and in Spanish.