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Shamrocks and shillelaghs

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St. Patrick’s Day is Friday, March 17, and Islanders, Irish and otherwise, will celebrate with a parade, dancing, eating of corned beef, and general imbibing, with a hefty dose of blarney thrown in.

The Kelley House offers two days of fun. On Friday there’s a musical lineup that includes Pick Pocket at 1 pm, Mike Benjamin at 6 pm, and Dock Dance at 9 pm, hosted by the Newes from America. All weekend long they’ll be serving traditional corned beef and cabbage, running a limerick contest, and guessing how many wooden nickels were given out since March 1.

The sixth annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is Saturday, March 18, and begins at the bottom of Dock Street in Edgartown at 11:30 am, proceeding down its leprechaun-size route to the end of Kelley Street.

Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs is offering “pints, pints, pints” on St. Patrick’s Day, according to its Facebook page, and live Irish music all day long to go with them. For something tasty to start the day, they’re featuring a traditional Irish breakfast with soda bread, pancakes, blood sausage, and oatmeal. Lunch and dinner offerings include the usual corned beef and cabbage, but also lamb shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash.

The P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs is hosting St. Patrick’s Day karaoke with Molly Magee and Friends, beginning at 9 pm on Friday.

The Ocean View will celebrate all day with corned beef and cabbage on the menu, along with Guinness, green beer, Irish coffees, and whiskeys.

Linda Jean’s in Oak Bluffs is reopening for the occasion, and will offer a traditional Irish dinner.

The Wharf Pub in Edgartown reopened this week as well, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

And don’t forget that the Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group will sell bunches of daffodils on March 17. They’ll be available for $10 a bunch at Cronig’s in Vineyard Haven, Stop and Shop in Edgartown, Reliable Market in Oak Bluffs starting at 9 am, and at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital starting at 11 am.

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Gardens filled with imagination are cultivated at Pathways

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If you have any interest in gardening, landscaping, or the environment in general, Pathways is the place to be this Friday, March 24, when the arts organization based at the Chilmark Tavern hosts its third annual Imagined Gardens & Landscapes multi-arts evening.

Featured this time around will be talks by gardening expert Roxanne Kapitan, Native Earth Teaching Farm owner Rebecca Gilbert, and sculptor Bill O’Callaghan. As a special treat, Nina Gomez Gordon will be bringing samples of her homemade kombucha in a variety of flavors.

According to the Pathways website, “All projects imagine sustainable environments and expand notions of engaging with our natural surroundings — imagined or realized.”

Roxanne Kapitan, manager of Oak Leaf Landscaping, describes herself as a “professional grower of all things edible.”

“I manage growing of all the plants for Middletown [Nursery] and Oak Leaf,” she explains. “All are grown using organic methods. We use only organic seed and soil.” Ms. Kapitan also offers free gardening classes at Middletown every Saturday during the spring, summer, and fall months.

The title for Ms. Kapitan’s talk is Gardening as if Your Life Depended on It. She will start off her presentation by showing a video on creating a sustainable permaculture garden by New Zealander Morag Gamble.

Then Ms. Kapitan will present 10 sustainable practices that anyone can accomplish in their backyard. As examples she mentions composting, collecting rainwater, using seeds from the West Tisbury library seed bank, and more. One of her favorite suggestions is giving trees to friends as birthday gifts.

Ms. Kapitan met Pathways founder Marianne Goldberg shortly before she died in 2015, and discovered that the two had a similar interest in protecting the environment. Ms. Goldberg launched a number of environmentally themed events at Pathways, and the organization has continued with that tradition of education around sustainability.

Farmer Rebecca Gilbert has made it her life’s mission to teach people ways to mine the Island’s agrarian roots and learn more about sustainable and traditional farming practices. She has been hosting a weekly spinning and knitting group at Pathways since last fall. The group members not only share their fiber knowledge and passion, they also use the meetings to show their support for the Standing Rock protesters and discuss what’s happening there.

Ms. Gilbert will start off her presentation with a talk about natural dyes and the dye gardens at Native Earth. She will be handing out indigo seeds. For the second part of her talk, she will field questions from audience members. Ms. Gilbert has a wealth of information on farming and gardening, and is open to taking the conversation in any direction attendees are interested in, from goatscaping to composting to running a teaching farm. She will also provide information on two natural dye workshops she will be leading at Pathways starting on Saturday, March 25.

Rounding out the evening will be a presentation by potter and sculptor Bill O’Callaghan and his wife Robin Tuck, who will lead a virtual tour of their Story Sculpture Walk. For the past five years, the couple have offered a unique storytime adventure at Polly Hill Arboretum. Ms. Tuck guides families through an installation of Mr. O’Callaghan’s whimsical sculptures while incorporating the artwork into an original story.

Mr. O’Callaghan often draws on his Irish heritage in depicting fairies, castles, and other magical themes in his work. Ms. Tuck explains that she created the walking story series in response to her daughter’s visual cortical impairment. “Because of her particular condition, she has to move around a lot so that she can see,” says Ms. Tuck. Frustrated by the fact that many family-oriented activities required audiences to be stationary, which was problematic for her daughter, Ms. Tuck created this unique mobile story hour, which has proved very popular with people of all ages.

For the Pathways event, Ms. Tuck will tell a story called “The Message of the Butterflies” while showing a video of the sculpture walk.

Pathways’ annual Imagined Gardens and Landscapes, Friday, March 24, 7 to 9 pm at the Chilmark Tavern. Doors open at 6:30. Free, refreshments served.

Basic Introduction to Natural Dyes with Rebecca Gilbert, Saturday, March 25, from 12 to 4 pm at Pathways. Indigo Blues Workshop with Rebecca Gilbert, Saturday, April 8, from 12 to 4 pm at Pathways. Both workshops are specially priced for Islanders at $75 — half of the full-price summer dye workshops at Native Earth Teaching Farm.

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From Lake Wobegon Days to the Queen of Soul, summer concert series takes shape

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Thanks to the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series, summer 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting season for music lovers. The confirmed lineup for the series’ sophomore season, announced last week, will include shows starring 10 groups and individual performers of national and international renown. The highlight of the season will be an appearance by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

The series will kick off on May 28 at the Performing Arts Center with a combination storytelling and musical evening headlined by Grammy-winning storyteller extraordinaire Garrison Keillor. Keillor’s variety show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” which was aired on 700 public radio stations, ran for an astounding four decades, from 1974 through 2016. Keillor has also penned a number of books, including the bestselling “Lake Wobegon Days.” He will be joined by popular folk-Americana duo Robin and Linda Williams.

Next up, rock/new wave/pop icon Aimee Mann will take the stage at the PAC on June 28. The Oscar-nominated and Grammy awardwinning singer-songwriter founded and fronted the popular ’80s band ’Til Tuesday before embarking on a successful solo career. She will be performing her original folk-tinged music, including songs from her just-released ninth album, “Mental Illness.”

The action will move from the PAC the following week with a performance by folk legend Loudon Wainwright III on July 6 at the Old Whaling Church. The Grammy awardwinner will deliver a set of his trademark humorous, autobiographical songs.

Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash will perform at the Old Whaling Church on July 18. The Crosby, Stills and Nash co-founder has since pursued a very successful solo career, and is also well known for his work as an activist, having co-organized the No Nukes concert, among other benefits in support of social and environmental causes.

On August 19, the evening after the annual Oak Bluffs fireworks on August 18, the town will once again be ignited by a concert with the legendary Aretha Franklin at the Tabernacle. The performance by the 18-time Grammy winner and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient should prove to be a must-see event of the season.

The New Orleans–based Dirty Dozen Brass Band will take to the stage at the Old Whaling Church on August 21, rocking the house with their signature blend of bebop, jazz, funk, and R and B/soul.

Other shows in the series include performances by big band Pink Martini, acoustic duo and Vineyard favorite Jackopierce, political satirists Capitol Steps, and the Florida-based duo Black Violin, who perform a unique mix of classical, hip-hop, rock, and bluegrass music.

According to a press release, more shows will be announced in the coming weeks. Many of last year’s shows, including appearances by David Sedaris and Alan Cumming, were sellout events.

The Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series is curated by Island resident Adam Epstein and Chicago-based live event producer Innovation Arts & Entertainment. Tickets for all of the shows will be available soon. An all-new member loyalty program will offer three tiers of membership, with benefits including priority access to tickets, special discounts, and more. Discounted memberships will be on sale through April 15. For more information, visit mvconcertseries.com.

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Pathways hosts a ‘piano pig-out’

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If the music of one piano can entirely envelop a room, just imagine the experience of three pianists playing simultaneously in an intimate space. That was the treat that brought a standing-room-only crowd to its feet this past Sunday when David Stanwood presented his Three Piano Mix & Match at Pathways at the Chilmark Tavern.

The evening featured 11 pianists taking turns on two baby grands and one upright. The two Mason & Hamlin grand pianos, one belonging to Mr. Stanwood, one on loan from Claire Thatcher of Chappaquiddick, were brought in just for the weekend. A variety of local musicians were joined by accomplished musician Tim Ray, a teacher at the Berklee College of Music and longtime pianist for Lyle Lovett.

The concert was one of three weekend events hosted by Mr. Stanwood utilizing the trio of pianos. He played on Saturday, and then Sunday featured an afternoon performance by the Tim Ray Jazz Trio, featuring Eric Johnson on bass and Taurus Biskus on drums, followed by the concert/jam session that Mr. Stanwood referred to as “a piano pig-out.”

“It’s kind of a throwback to the ’80s,” said Mr. Stanwood, referring to the yearly piano event he once hosted at the old Wintertide Coffee House. “I had as many as 15 pianists and four pianos at one time.”

The tradition continued for a while at the former Che’s Lounge, until that venue closed its doors in 2010. Now Mr. Stanwood has found a new home for the event at Pathways, where he has been very much a part of the scene since the beginning. Marianne Goldberg, who died in 2015, founded Pathways in 2010 as a venue for presenting new work, integrating all of the arts from dance and music to poetry, prose, and videography. Her legacy lives on with Pathways, now in its seventh season.

“It’s a place for people to try things out, experimental things,” Mr. Stanwood said. “The fact that they’re still doing it in the spirit of Marianne is a wonderful gift to the community. It’s the gift that keeps giving.”

Mr. Stanwood has lent his considerable talents to many events, including a collaborative dance and music improvisation: “That was my favorite. That sort of thing has really been the core spirit of Pathways from the very beginning. Experimental and collaborative.”

This is the second year in a row that Mr. Stanwood has hosted the three-piano event. The collaboration last Sunday included the talents of 11 pianists who played solos, duets, trios and — for the rousing finale — a quartet. It was a wonderful sampling of the unique styles and musical choices of both amateur and professional locals.

Mr. Stanwood introduced the evening by explaining that the event “drew the closet pianists and composers out of the closet.” Some of the participants, like Jeremy Berlin and Wes Nagy, perform regularly on the Island. Others, like father and son Peter and Jaj Halprin and Jon Harris, were enjoying a first public outing.

The piano extravaganza started out relatively quietly, with Mr. Stanwood jumping from piano to piano with some improvisation. Then composer Dean Rosenthal played an original composition using just four notes for a surprisingly rich piece. Peter Halprin played an original composition followed by a Beethoven sonata, and his son entertained the audience with a Gershwin melody. Michael Haydn finished up the first half of the evening with two original, jazzy pieces.

After a short intermission, things really heated up when multiple musicians joined forces for a variety of jazz, blues, and rock numbers. Taurus Biskus added drums for a full-spectrum sound experience. A highlight was hearing Mr. Ray and Mr. Berlin collaborating on some jazz tunes. Mr. Ray has a very impressive résumé, encompassing a variety of musical styles. He has performed in concert with artists ranging from Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt to the Boston Pops and the Boston Classical Orchestra, has appeared on more than 70 recordings, and has played at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center, and the 1992 presidential Inauguration. Mr. Ray has also performed repeatedly on “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Conan O’Brien Show,” and other national TV and radio broadcasts. This was his first time performing on the Vineyard.

For the penultimate performance, four pianists joined together on some rollicking blues and rock numbers. The evening finished up with Mr. Harris accompanying himself on piano, showing off his considerable blues vocal talents.

At this point the enthused crowd of around 100 people were keeping beat — clapping and knee-slapping. A few brave souls even got up to dance. The evening will certainly be remembered as a highlight of the Pathways season.

The next musical evening at Pathways, on April 7, will feature African musician, dancer, and choreographer Godfrey Muwulya, who will perform traditional East African dances and music. Mr. Muwulya, who is currently in residency at the Yard, will also be appearing at the Oak Bluffs library on Thursday, April 6, and the Edgartown library on Sunday, April 8.

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Ladies of the Light

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There’s a certain kind of privilege bestowed on any Island visitor or resident who either owns an all-terrain vehicle or knows someone with an all-terrain vehicle, which can take them over the otherwise unreachable stretches of shore such as, well, the most stunning and unreachable of them all, the Great Barrier Beach of Cape Poge.

If you glance at a map of Martha’s Vineyard and its satellite island, Chappaquiddick, you’ll see, at the northern reach of Chappy, a long strip of land that embraces a big bay like a loving mother’s arm. At the northwest end of this arm, about where the wrist would be, stands a lonely white wooden lighthouse, 63 feet high, with a red door and exquisite upper phalanges of black metal. This metal curves around into an open-air balcony, where you might imagine a 19th-century lighthouse keeper’s wife clinging to the rail, her waist-length hair uplifted by stiff winds, her long skirt trailing behind her as she stares out to sea.

Now, just as our government is rolling back all manner of environmental protections, we have so many lovely private groups taking care of our natural resources, and some of them are here at home. Chappaquiddick’s 750-ish acres of woods, sandy beaches, marshlands, and ponds are tended by The Trustees of Reservations, proud owner of eight great Island properties: Wasque, Norton Point, Mytoi Gardens, Menemsha Hills, Long Point, the FARM Institute, and, as mentioned, Cape Poge.

The trustees of Cape Poge, headquartered at the exquisite Japanese-style Mytoi Gardens at the foot of Dike Bridge, are always on the lookout for new themes and tours to educate the public, and to treat visitors to the visual delights of the Vineyard’s cousin island. Engagement site manager Rebecca Uva and her colleagues have created a new tour, Ladies of the Light, to honor all the unknown and largely unheralded women who, over the course of three centuries, helped to keep America’s wicks trimmed and beacons ablaze, sometimes singlehandedly.

A maiden tour was planned for Saturday, March 18. For anyone with a keen memory, you’ll recall that a terrific storm swept over the East Coast and the Cape and Islands. Not quite the Godzilla the meteorologists predicted, but bad enough. The first tour was canceled, and tentatively rescheduled for Saturday, March 25. This time the weather gods cooperated; a little stingy with the sunshine, and in fact providing a daylong spitting rain and temperatures in the upper 30s, but still, Ms. Uva and her team were good to go.

This reporter from the MV Times and photographer Teresa Kruszewski reached the Chappy ferry, “curbside” on Chappy at 9:45 am. Ms. Uva met us in a dark green Trustees SUV, along with the first real customers to sign up: Gretchen Snyder, teacher at the Chilmark School; Barbara duBois of San Diego and Vineyard Haven; and Beth Dickinson of Vineyard Haven, manager of Middletown Nursery.

Ms. Uva, 29 years old and lively enough to light up Cape Poge herself, grew up in England, but has an only barely detectable accent. I suggested she watch Emma Thompson movies to reproduce that plummy, posh inflection. She’s engaged to former trustee, now conservation biologist, Brian Vasa, who had the good romantic sense to propose to her recently at the top of the Cape Poge Light.

We piled into the back of a canopied open-air Jeep with education assistant Shannon Hurley at the wheel, and with Mary Spencer, who described her job as “moral support,” while Ms. Uva added, “She’s the brains!”

It took three days to bump and lumber along the sand. I exaggerate, of course; it took a pleasurable eternity to phlump and flail along the six miles of barrier beach to the lighthouse.

Along the way we passed many of the most scenic coves, marsh meadows, saltwater inlets, and wide ocean views on the Island. Ms. Uva made sure we missed nothing.

Ms. Uva and Ms. Spenser doled out exciting historical facts. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Matthew Mayhew as keeper of the spanking-new lighthouse on Cape Poge. No worries about Mr. Mayhew suffering from loneliness at this isolated spot; he had a wife and eight children, all of whom inhabited a 15-foot-by-32-foot cottage alongside the beacon.

Mrs. Mayhew kept a kitchen garden, and homeschooled the kids. She was occasionally upset by sheep let loose to swim across the bay to manage the weeds, but they’d also home in on her veggies. She and the children shooed them off (maybe bagging one, suggested Ms. Uva slyly, for a hearty mutton dinner).

It took the sharp eyes of Ms. Uva to spot, across a narrow bay, an orange-billed oystercatcher and, minutes later, a snowy owl. Binoculars were swapped so we could all ooh and ahh.

When we reached the quaint white lighthouse — one of only two wooden towers left in the country — Ms. Uva spooled a key through the lock on the red door and, indescribable delight! — we were inside this hard to reach, impossible to visit without a trusty Trustee, lighthouse. It’s all in who you know.

Some fun historical tidbits: In the year 1824 alone, more than 20,000 boats sank in our seas. The need for more lighthouses was crucial. In 1814, lighthouses up and down the coast were extinguished to improve the odds of our side against the English during the War of 1812. In the mid-1800s, 122 women worked as lighthouse keepers in the States, including the vast wash of the Great Lakes. Women usually took over the running of a lighthouse from a deceased husband, although she had already been doing half the work anyway, and raising children, and tending the kitchen garden.

To book your own trip, ideally on a day brighter and warmer than the one we experienced, call the Trustees at 508-627-3599. Ask for Rebecca, and offer to bring her a latte from Edgartown.

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Bodhi Path hosts Shangpa Rinpoche

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Find the peace that already lies inside of you when Shangpa Rinpoche gives an introduction to shamatha meditation at a free season, open to the public, at the West Tisbury library on Friday, April 14, from 7 to 8:30 pm.

There are several methods of shamatha, or calm-abiding, meditation, but they all have the same purpose, according to a press release from the Bodhi Path Buddhist Center: to enable the mind to remain peacefully and uninterruptedly in a stable state of one-pointed concentration over an extended period of time. On Friday, Shangpa Rinpoche will speak about this meditation practice and give basic instructions on how to do it.

On Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, at Bodhi Path in West Tisbury, four sessions with Shangpa Rinpoche will be held, two each day, from 10 am to noon and another from 2 to 4 pm. The public is invited to come to any or all of them. Shangpa Rinpoche will provide teachings on the practices of shamatha and vipashyana (insight) meditation, according to the profound path of Mahamudra.

Since 1982, Rinpoche has overseen the Karma Kagyu Buddhist Center of Singapore at the request of Shamar Rinpoche. Shangpa Rinpoche is also abbot of Vikramashila Buddhist Institute in Nepal, Tharpa Choeling Nunnery in Mustang, and Drubgyud Choeling Monastery in Lumbini. In 2004, Rinpoche founded the Kagyu Institute for Buddhist Studies in Kirtipur.

Donations support the costs of the program, and an additional voluntary donation to thank and support the teacher is welcome and can be given separately. Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of the ability to donate. For more information, call 508-696-5929 or visit Bodhi Path online.

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Ugandan for a day

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“Today we are going to have some fun to the maximum,” said Godfrey Muwulya as an introduction to his program at the Oak Bluffs library last Thursday. It was the first of a number of presentations by the Ugandan-born singer/dancer/actor/teacher, and an enthusiastic crowd of about 30 people had gathered in the function room to participate in and witness some examples of East African music and dance.

The very upbeat, infectiously energetic Mr. Muwulya proved true to his word. Although there may have been a few attendees who were reluctant to let down their hair for an hour, by the end of the performance/lesson and after being led through a handful of participatory songs and dances, all were smiling, laughing, and walking out with a little more bounce in their step than they had arrived with.

The program also included a few songs taught by Roberta Kirn, founder of the Song Exchange Project. Among the songs that she led the attendees through was one that was accompanied by a series of claps and hand gestures.

Mr. Muwulya’s song-and-dance combinations included one that is traditionally sung to welcome visitors, and another that honors cattle. “Look at these beautiful cows,” he translated loosely while demonstrating a dance move that imitates the native livestock’s long horns.

Some of the choreography was a bit complicated, and the call-and-response numbers took the attendees a little time to memorize, but Mr. Muwulya broke each song and dance down bit by bit, and encouraged even the most wary to give themselves up to the rhythm and exuberance of the music.

The talented singer/dancer, who has been performing since he was 5 years old, also showed off his skill on a variety of traditional instruments, including one with a single string and a much more complex multistringed harp-like instrument. Mr. Muwulya makes all of his own instruments by hand, and he explained the process and materials to the audience.

It was the first of three public events led by Mr. Muwulya at venues around the Island. He performed at Pathways at the Chilmark Tavern on Friday as part of a musical evening, and made an appearance at the Edgartown library on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the two weeks that he was in residence at the Yard, the high-energy musician/teacher also made stops at a number of the local schools and the Anchors senior center in Edgartown. As a cultural ambassador, Mr. Muwulya, with his perpetual smile and abundant charm, made good on another promise he makes at the beginning of his instructional performances: “Today, when you leave here, you’re all going to be Ugandan.”

This is the third year Mr. Muwulya has visited the Island, hosted by the Yard. Deborah Damast, who runs a kids’ dance program for the Yard, had worked with the Ugandan native in a cultural exchange program at NYU. Mr. Muwulya came for a week in 2012, was invited back for a four-week residency in 2015, and then returned for his most recent extended visit.

“I’ve just really enjoyed working with him,” says the Yard’s director of Island programs and education, Jesse Keller. “He’s become a big part of our program. People have become familiar with him on the Island, and look forward to his visits.”

Mr. Muwulya brings more than music to the kids in the school. “He adds something to their studies. It’s helpful for them to be able to actually talk to somebody from East Africa and learn about the culture and life there. The students asked a lot of questions about things like food and recreation.”

Next up, the Yard will host a group of dancers from New York City led by Chinese-born H.T. Chen. They will be offering programs in the Island schools and present a dance called Gold Mountain, based on the history of the Chinese immigrants who were among the early settlers out West in the U.S. The visit will coincide with some of the schools’ studies on Chinese and Chinese-American history and culture.

The Yard has an extensive educational program, and is always happy to share and collaborate with other Island organizations. “We want to reinforce that educational aspect, and other organizations out there can always contact the Yard if they think that dance would add to their programs,” says Ms. Keller. “We have a lot of connections, and we’re always happy to help.”

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Keeping it real

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“Fake news” is credited in recent years as a major accelerant to the fiery and divisive state of our national discourse. The creation and dissemination of false content is now seen as a largely Internet-based weapon used to divide citizens, impact national elections, and threaten the framework of republics.

Longtime journalist and current college journalism lecturer John H. Kennedy has studied the phenomenon, and he’s got some ideas to help us to determine what’s fake and what’s real in electronic and print media offerings.

Mr. Kennedy will parse the fake news problem and offer real-world solutions at a presentation called “The Real News About Fake News: Taking Responsibility for Media Illiteracy” on Saturday, April 15, from 3 to 4:30 pm at the West Tisbury library. Mr. Kennedy, an Island resident, has 40 years of journalistic experience, and lectures at several colleges, including Boston University.

“(Fake news) has societal impact that is worrisome for sure, related to a variety of factors. We live in a media ecosphere; all you need is a laptop to create content. The content travels the world in seconds, and is rapidly rebroadcast. That phenomenon gives us pause on how we handle and verify information,” Mr. Kennedy said in a phone interview with The Times last week.

Defining fake news took on a new dimension during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when candidate Donald Trump decried traditional news outlets as fake news purveyors, instead preferring the often-iffy offerings on alt-right news websites. Island author and journalist Richard North Patterson experienced that war on news during the 2016 campaign. He has written a book, “Fever Swamp” (The Times, March 22), that includes detail on several candidates who struggled with truth-telling.

Mr. Patterson thinks fake news is pretty scary. He told The Times last week that “fake news” is more insidious than any act of terrorism: “Americans are unified in deploring violent extremism. But fake news exacerbates the social and political divisions in which political opposites increasingly live in separate realities rooted in facts [that] are often false, rejecting any search for objective truth.

“If we are arguing about what the facts suggest our national course should be, that’s one thing; if we can agree on what is factual, that is another. This threatens to destroy our political and social fabric,” Mr. Patterson said.

That’s where Mr. Kennedy comes in. He believes we have a responsibility to identify the truth of the information we consume. Mr. Kennedy will discuss media literacy, the origins of fake news, how its true meaning has been distorted, and what’s to be done about it. His presentation includes slides and short videos that describe the history of fake news and its impact, with opportunity for discussion and Q and A.

Mr. Kennedy’s media literacy mission is clear: “To understand what we are doing and to understand we have a responsibility to know what we are doing. We are aware of the streams of information, but we don’t have sufficient knowledge about them, and Americans have greater or lesser knowledge of that responsibility. In some ways we have responsibility to kids to educate them, to help develop their critical thinking skills, to be able to judge information on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Education at the elementary school level, in high school, and in college is not doing the job we need to do,” he said.

But Mr. Kennedy pointed to several media literacy programs in place that are catching on, including one launched 10 years ago by Stony Brook University on Long Island for all incoming freshmen. Stony Brook has shared that curriculum with a growing number of middle and high schools on Long Island that have incorporated media literacy into their curriculums, he noted.

“Young people use social media as their primary information sources, statistics show. Media literacy education allows students to look at the news ‘neighborhoods’ in which they live and how to vet the accuracy of those sources,” Mr. Kennedy said. “There has always been propaganda, but the fact is that in the digital world, some foreign ministries have departments of fake news, not for their internal audience, but directed at external audiences.

“I often think of a quote from U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan: ‘We all are entitled to have our own opinions but we are not entitled to have our own set of facts.’”

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Chillin’ in Chilmark

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The Chilmark Potluck Jam has been an Island community tradition for eight years. Last Saturday, families, friends, artists, musicians, friendly fishermen, and hospitable chefs once again gathered at the Chilmark Community Center to share song, story, and fare. The potluck jams are known for cool people and cold local shellfish, warmed with candlelight and hugs, friendly conversation, and a little libation to accompany the rhythms and melodies that unite hearts in song.

The diverse performances ranged from some of the very first chants ever discovered to rocking modern classics. With sound by Steve Mack, fresh quahogs by the Cap, and Alex Karalekas handling every aspect of the event from planning to stage management, the audience was comfortable and well taken care of. Karalekas also performed with the coolness you would expect from a dude known for surfing during snowstorms.

Saturday’s potluck jam was full of amazing performers, all with unique and seasoned performances. Isaac Taylor performed a peaceful meditative mantra with a unique squeezebox-type instrument he got in the Bargain Box. John Gonzalez and his daughter Jessica performed their rendition of the classic Buffalo Springfield song “Stop Children, What’s That Sound,” which lead to an impromptu singalong. Brian Weiland took the stage just after dark with his sons Aiden and Liam, and reminded everyone how even when he is not teaching music to the children of the Oak Bluffs School, he and his family keep learning and sharing increasingly awesome music. Jemima James treated the audience to one of the many excellent songs written by her son, Willy Mason. Nina Violet and Elisha Wiesner played amazing songs, and Mike Kerr, who is touring hard all over the world these days, reminded everyone why he is the Island’s favorite metal shredder.

As Tisbury selectman and musician Tristan Israel performed an original composition lampooning a radio talk show host, many began clapping and stomping along. Young Tash Nagi, age 7, and his assistant Annie Cook emceed professionally, introducing the acts with style and fun. Musica Sky ended the night with two epic piano pieces.

Recent potluck events have been in tune with and in support of the indigenous people at Standing Rock in North Dakota. The placement of an oil pipeline on sacred land has struck a chord with many on the Island, including the Wampanoag population. Musicians and activists on-Island and off are turning to the eternally constructive nature of collaborative artistic resistance. The roots of music are not always explored with song alone, but often with active opposition to certain political and monetary forces in the world.

Carole Vandal played a drum and flute piece with respect to ancient traditions, and reminded everyone that still today, with the sweet waters of Tashmoo on their tongues, voices become truth when people practice the timeless art of the story that holds friends and families together through the generations.

The next potluck will be held around Thanksgiving. It will be an opportunity for everyone to continue to give thanks for this sacred little spot of earth in the middle of the water.

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Summer haircuts coming up for Island Alpacas

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Island Alpaca is celebrating its 10th anniversary on the Island with a shearing day on Saturday, April 29. Come see professional alpaca handlers and shearers Jozi and Matt Best give the herd their summer haircuts and gather the fiber to be made into the yarns, handcrafted garments, and other products on sale at the Island Alpaca gift shop.

After the alpacas are sheared, the wool from around their torso is collected and skirted — a process where dirt and coarse hair are removed, sorted, bagged, and taken to the mill. There, it is made into yarn specific to each animal. The yarn is then sold or given to local weavers and knitters to be made into the handcrafted items on sale in the gift shop.

All the other wool collected from the shearing is sent off to Fall River, where Island Alpaca partners with an alpaca cooperative. Last year, Island Alpaca was able to donate around 250 pounds of wool to the cooperative, and in return got hats, scarves, socks, and other products to sell in their gift shop.

Alpaca wool is an alternative to sheep’s wool; there are more than 20 shades of alpaca wool naturally, and the fiber lends itself to easy dyeing.

Besides shearing, Saturday’s event will include a spinning demonstration given by Annamarie Di’Addarie, and other highlights, including a raffle. Refreshments will be available to benefit the Food Pantry, and food donations will be accepted.

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How they found their groove

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Dwight and Nicole are songwriters and performers of the kind of soul, blues, and R & B that speaks to you even when they’re playing and not singing. Their intensity is normally reserved for the likes of their own influences, yet they channel it with a personal delivery that reminds us why we love this music, and why we love music at all. They will perform at the Katharine Cornell Theater in Vineyard Haven, April 28, at 6:30 pm. It won’t be their first time here, but to them and all who witness their indy-soul performances, every time is special.

Dwight plays guitar magically and sings, and Nicole’s bass guitar grooves are as soulful as her singing. They took some time out of their busy touring schedule, and still beaming from their recent NYC performance, answered some questions about life, love, and how they found their groove.

What are your impressions of Martha’s Vineyard?

D: Martha’s Vineyard has always been a magical place for me. I used to work summers here and play the clubs at night. A lot of great musicians. A lot of great artists. I cut my teeth here in many ways.

N: The Vineyard for me is so special. It has its own energy and personality that I can’t help but feel and love the second I step off the boat. I never want to leave it!

Who inspires you?

D and N: Mavis Staples. Mahalia Jackson. Bill Murray. Wes Anderson, B.B. King. Joel Hamilton. Levon Helm. Yo-Yo Ma. Every day the list is a little different.

When did you find your groove as a duo?

D: We first got our groove as a duo sitting in with each other’s bands in NYC. People would ask us to sing together. They could feel our natural chemistry.

N: That connection was always there; we couldn’t help it. It is still to this day, bigger than us.

What is your creative process like?

D: We both create differently. Nicole often has whole songs come to her. She also stirs her creative juices making jewelry. Songs come straight out like that for me sometimes, but they also come the opposite way. A build into the story, for instance, a melody. I love to hear and see people’s ideas. Other artists inspire me.

N: For me, it’s all about tapping in.

How do you stay centered while touring?

N: It takes some practice, but we are learning to balance.

D: We eat well. We take time to be present.

N: We both meditate and take the time to jump around and breathe deeply every day.

D: We want to be as clean and clear as possible to make that connection with our audience.

What live events are you looking forward to?

D: We won band of the year at the New England Music Awards last year. We are really grateful for the honor, and look forward to playing at the awards show in Foxboro on April 29.

What advice do you have for talented young people in today’s music industry?

D: Follow your excitement. That’s where you need to be as much as possible.

N: My advice is to learn how to turn your love up as high as you possibly can, as much as you can. Push your love to 10 every single day. Make sure to either do that, or be in the process of learning how to do that. True, pure love carries every key to every creative option in life. It heals everything and is a bridge over every wall. The act of loving gives us our power.
Dwight and Nicole will be hosted by Phil daRosa of TPS Productions, who will also be performing a seasoned blend of tasty grooves. In another example of providing quality sustenance, proceeds from the event will benefit Island Grown Schools. Phil and TPS have done very well for the Island Grown Schools organization with similar musical events in the past, and Phil said he hopes this will continue on Friday. The mission of Island Grown Schools is to empower children to make healthy eating choices, learn to grow food, and connect to local farms. Check out Dwight and Nicole on youtube.com, and visit their website, DwightandNicole.com, for a tour schedule and where to purchase their music.

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Shellfish extravaganza doesn’t disappoint

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Saturday was a great night for shellfish lovers. Chowder flowed and oysters and quahogs were shucked endlessly at the Shellfish Group’s fifth annual Shellfish Extravaganza at the Chilmark Community Center. Hundreds gathered for the event, which included a silent auction, as well as entertainment from Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, because no event at the Chilmark Community Center would be complete without dancing.

Local businesses donated products, excursions, tours, and more on bidding tables woven around the whole building. Attendees had a chance to snag items from sunglasses to a quahog safari led by Pete Jackson Jr., who works the oyster propagation program at the Edgartown Great Pond for the Shellfish Group.

In past years, the extravaganza has hosted a chowder contest, but this year’s chowder was donated by Josh Aronie from the Food Truck/Home Port. The buck-a-shuck raw bars were a hot spot throughout the evening. Oysters from Katama were provided by Scott Castro, Roy Scheffer, and Jeremy Scheffer. Tim Broderick and Matt Mayhew sourced oysters from Menemsha for the night. And the town of Edgartown also donated oysters, grown by the Edgartown shellfish department in Sengekontacket.

Also available for consumption was the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group’s newest crop — sugar kelp. The crunchy seaweed was grown off Menemsha Pond and Eastville Beach, and was ready for harvest on Friday in time for the event.

“People were really excited about the concept, but we need to learn how to cook it,” said Amandine Hall, executive co-director for the Shellfish Group. “Some people like it fried, some people want to use it as a flavoring. I’m not a chef, so my little salad got mixed reviews. But it’s very healthy, and something you can use every day.” The Shellfish Group is looking to expand its newest aquaculture project in the seasons to come.

Near the end of the evening, the Shellfish Group announced it would be dedicating the new solar shellfish hatchery in honor of former executive director Rick Karney, who stepped down in January.

Proceeds from the event and auction will help fund the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, which supports the local shellfish industry and works to improve water quality on Martha’s Vineyard.

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Music to the ears

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Who among us doesn’t have a favorite poem, or two or three or more, to get us through vexing times — admittedly, what most of us Islanders are experiencing right now? Or so it seemed this past sunny Sunday as I sat in the West Tisbury library for the biannual poetry reading, in the company of poets Donald Nitchie, Jill Jupen, and Linda Guilford. Before festivities began, Donald and Jill discussed a political poem recently published in the New Yorker, and whether this feat was pulled off successfully. Donald thought not. Jill said she’d written a political poem herself recently, but it hadn’t struck her as one of her finer efforts.

And then West Tisbury poet laureate Emma Young called the gathering of 20-plus people together. (“Not a big turnout,” said Donald with a shake of his head. I whispered back, “A poetry reading on the first sunshiney day we’ve had in a week? The room is packed!”)

Emma read a few short poems of her own, starting with “Boats,” which included the line, “Grateful for boats and the creation of the getaway”; another titled “Ugh”: “Wanting to white out slug tracks of fear … clammy fingers gripping … a destination unclear.” She added with a laugh, “That was Saturday,” meaning she’d tossed it off the day before. Her poem “Dinner” served up the line, “Oh God! Another day goes by and you haven’t done what you set out to do”; “Rare Eclipse” included, “In these few hours the snow occults my day,” and she finished up with a flip, fun work called “The Eyelash Wish.”

Jill Jupen read next, with this poignant last stanza from a poem titled “Tom Hiddleston with Paint on His Face,” decoding the poet’s reaction to coming across a poster of the man: “I still feel the secret of you /of you and me /Come inside and we’ll talk about Shakespeare and /Tennessee Williams. We still /have much in common / Gabardine versus wool. I’ll ask that you have all manuscripts /sent to me. Really? /Loki, the Norse God of Mischief? /You are a prize. Shine yourself /Here, I’ll wash the paint /from your face. Make us a cup /of Earl Grey. The mugs, /a thrift shop find, commemorating /a royal wedding /bound to soon go wrong.”

Next up was our wunderkind Oak Bluffs library program director, Nate Luce, who read from a book edited by Jerome Rothenberg, “Technicians of the Sacred,” with such lines as this from a Bantu poet: “I’m still carving a bamboo stick, I’m still thinking about it”; and from Tibet: “… a man blown from a flower in space — the hair of a tortoise …”; finally, from the poetry of Latin American mystical poet Maria Sabina: “Saint woman, spirit woman, a woman of clarity, a woman of the day … Southern Cross woman says I am the little woman of the sacred fountain … I am a book of woman, says my book of prayers.”

Lenny Hall read from his work “The Poet’s Cauldron”: “The porridge of emotions, spells and potions, prophetic words, my conjured stew …”; and from “The Omen,”

“Sea apparitions of tomorrow … Around the edges … when I looked in the middle, all I could see were the edges …”

Meanwhile, as poets recited, sunlight spilled through the windows looking out over the rear guard of giant white dancing figures in the Field Gallery. A perfect backdrop.

Adam Bailey took a chair and said with a chuckle, “Today, rather than read my own stuff, I’m going to do covers.” He confided that the past year had thumped him with health problems, and he’d found, as so many of us do, inspiration and succor in poetry. He recited full-length poems from Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Book of Hours,” David White’s “The Well of Grief,” Derek Walcott’s “Love After Love,” and Mary Oliver’s always annealing “Wild Geese.”

Adam said, “She’s a good poet for those of us who’ve grown up with a Puritan ethic.” He repeated the lines, “You do not have to be good /you do not have to walk on your knees /for a hundred miles repenting /you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” Finally, he turned to e.e. cummings: “I thank You God for most this amazing /day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees /and a blue dream of sky; and for everything /which is natural which is infinite which is yes!”

Library assistant Maureen Hall shared, “It’s not a club they talk about /handing that child into your arms … “ and a poem about polio: “The nuns said my mother would never walk again /My grandmother standing up to the nuns, telling her child to walk …”

Linda Guilford read her moving poem “The Dream”: “Give us the outer lands/ windswept and wild /like our depths /the sandy path /the blue heron /rising from marsh /all call our name /Osprey will leave /wildflowers fade /Yet, we will be here /when dear forest /between ocean and bay /sculpted and bent /is shrouded with snow /outside our window /the lighthouse dreams in circles /the deep above /the deep below /the sea may change all that is /all that was /nothing will touch /our sojourner soul.”

Nan Byrne read from her timely poem “Spring,” including “The earth settled on bloody sheets, like doubt, all the pretty flowers … I mention the frequency of ether to bother my mother … She rubs my knuckles, her precious gems in need of shining …”

Donald Ritchie shared “In the Garden,” about a visit to his mother in a nursing home: “All moving to the same inevitable austerity of fall … and a certain New Yorker subscription which everyone seems to think of as theirs … instead of posture and balance, the fear of falling … let’s talk about something more cheerful, I say, like the election, and we laugh.”

The delightful hour concluded with Barbara Emerson’s lyrical musings on another recent cultural event, “What’s Written Within,” a dance at Sally Cohn’s performance space off a bumpy Edgartown road. The work, titled “Down the Rabbit’s Hole and Back,” reads, “Inside we are greeted to a cathedral to dance … meditative hum fills my mind … existential bliss … post-applause, we walk in dark tucked in the woods this cold April night …” And from a recent night at the Vineyard Playhouse, she composed these lines: “Stage bright, audience dark … time warped, wrapped in new creation …. raking leaves … winter survivors … timeless connection, winter gone, warm May day.”

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Spend an enchanted evening with ITW’s concert version of ‘South Pacific’

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“Bali Ha’i” will be calling this weekend when the Island Theater Workshop (ITW) presents a concert version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” The production will include the entire score of the Tony- and Pulitzer-prizewinning musical, which is jam-packed with some of Broadway’s most memorable songs. Among the 15 songs a select group of ITW singers will be performing (with live musical accompaniment) are “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m In Love with a Wonderful Guy,” and “There Is Nothing Like a Dame.” Sections of dialogue that will explain the action will precede each musical number to keep the audience on top of the plot.

Kevin Ryan, ITW artistic director, explains the group’s decision to stage the show in a concert version. “The subject matter is tough,” he says. “When you sit through the whole show, you’ve got just under three hours of love and anger and war. At the core of it all is racism. The text and dialogue are cut down to allow us to focus on the songs. Of all the musicals, this is some of the finest music because of the simplicity. Many of the big Broadway shows feature big, bombastic scores. The songs from ‘South Pacific’ are so amazing — funny and warm and beautiful and bright.”

Among the performers delivering these familiar tunes will be three professional singers. Playing the two leads are former opera singer David Behnke, who played the Beast in last summer’s ITW production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and Jenny Friedman, who took the female lead in ITW’s “The King and I” in 2015. Ken Romero, who will take on the second major male role of Lieut. Cable, has extensive musical theater experience. Other featured performers include Shelley Brown and Brad Austin. The chorus will be made up of about 20 local singers.

The small orchestra will include Adele Dreyer on piano, Jan Hyer on cello, and Liz Henderson on violin.

When it opened in 1949, “South Pacific” was considered groundbreaking both in form and subject matter. It was among the first of the major musicals to feature songs fully integrated into the plot. The action takes place in the midst of WWII, with many of the principals members of the military. The spotlight on racism was considered forward-thinking for the time.

“Here it is 68 years later, and look at the world we live in,” says Mr. Ryan. “We’re spread across the globe militarily. We still have issues of race and religion. We still have all of the same problems. That’s why the show hit home with me.

“For me, there’s an awful lot in the core of the story to make it relevant now. It’s a gentle reminder that we need to look at each other more closely, smile more warmly. We can fix the planet.”

Of course, it’s the music that was as much of an attraction as anything for Mr. Ryan. “When you look at all of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s shows, you might get three songs that are memorable,” he says. “It’s just remarkable that ‘South Pacific’ has a dozen memorable songs. The show is just full of love and hope and humor.”

Humor is certainly a big part of a show that features such songs as “Happy Talk” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”

Come enjoy an “Enchanted Evening” this Saturday, April 29, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 30, at 3:30 pm at the Old Whaling Church.

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Cookbooks ‘R’ Us at the Oak Bluffs Public Library

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Indisputable fact: We all eat. And most of us love to eat. We’ve come a long way since we waited beside the campfire for the hunters to return with a wooly mammoth, at the sight of which we took out stone utensils, sliced big chunks, and ate them raw and bloody.

Now we can eat whatever we want, whenever we want, and the best part of the whole operation is that so many of us these days love to cook, and love to talk about cooking. From this basic truth, Oak Bluffs library director Allyson Malik formed the ingenious plan of launching a monthly cookbook club, each devoted to a different author or cultural cuisine.

Last Saturday afternoon marked the launch of this club. Ms. Malik chose the well-known author, chef, and foodie Ina Garten, a.k.a. “the Barefoot Contessa,” which is also the name of the food specialty store Garten opened in 1978 in Westhampton on Long Island, as well as the title of her first bestselling cookbook.

Allyson explained her choice to the half-dozen participants, all women — but there will be men, I promise you; they too eat, cook, and love to chat about it: “I took a look at our records of cookbook authors, and Ina Garten was the most checked-out in our entire library system!” exclaimed Allyson.

A woman named Jackie said she’d been cooking with Ina Garten’s recipes for years without a single dud: “I never made one that wasn’t good.”

The others among us had worked with the Barefoot books and found them agreeable, although we each had our own favorite cookbook writers, which we shared gladly; that’s what one does in book clubs. One of my own special foodies, I told the others, is Island author Susie Middleton, who grows a lot of her own herbs and veggies. I revealed how I’d been assigned to review her first book, “Fast, Fresh & Green.” It was late afternoon, and each of her recipes sounded SO wholesome and delicious that I exhausted myself with a continuous longing for someone to come in and prepare a Middleton meal for me.

A strong draw of this new cookbook club is that Allyson invites people to bring a potluck dish. She herself prepared, from Garten’s first famous book, a white cannellini bean soup. From a big pot she ladled out portions, offering spoons and napkins. It was good-ish, but the consensus was that it needed “something,” that elusive extra ingredient that most of us who cook are always willing to explore. Jackie thought Garten was often heavy-handed with the salt. A woman named Joyce described her eagerness to avoid salt by finding piquant spices and herbs. Patsy, whom I know from Featherstone, opined that the texture was excellent; Allyson had done her due diligence by soaking the dried beans, although a couple of us admitted we would have taken a shortcut and reached for canned beans in the market. Someone else thought a splash of half-and-half would go a long way.

A woman named Kathy brought another big pot, this one containing Garten’s meaty “Weeknight Bouillabaisse.” And a surprise visitor, Jennifer Schilling (married to the gorgeous dreadlocked Roger of the boutique on Circuit, ‘C’est La Vie’) appeared with her incandescently cute 6-year-old daughter Bella, and dropped off her own favorite Contessa dessert, “Pear Clafouti”: “I make it at home all the time for the kids and Roger.” Roger loves it because it reminds him of his mother’s cooking; he grew up in the banlieues outside Paris.

As we happily ate and talked shop, our subjects ranged from textures of salt to finding awesome recipes on Pinterest, to growing basil, parsley, and rosemary in a kitchen pot. We also darted hither and yon with chitchat about a tick out West whose bite turns people into vegetarians, genealogy charts to better grok the culinary specialties of our ancestors, and some of our favorite Island chic-but-fast food places, including Sweet Bites and Bite on the Go.

Then we got sidetracked into — what else? — politics. But we mentally slapped our cheeks, and returned to the Barefoot Contessa. Bottom line: Nothing makes us more voluble and happy than eating and yakking about eating. Next month’s cookbook club will feature Indian and Pakistani food. (Allyson’s husband is from Pakistan, and when his mother comes to visit, they indulge in a dream of sheer yumminess.) Don’t miss it: Saturday, May 27, from 1 to 3 pm.

And bring a bib.

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It’s wine time in Edgartown this weekend

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For the fifth consecutive year, the MV Wine Fest returns to the Island to showcase world-class wines in Edgartown from May 11 to 14. The four-day celebration will feature wines from the U.S. as well as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, Piedmont, Rioja, and more. The MV Wine Fest also provides the opportunity to enjoy the culinary talents of Island chefs such as John Thurgood, Carolyn King of the Edgartown Yacht Club, Gavin Smith of Food Minded Fellow, and Randy Rucker of State Road in unique, intimate settings. Chefs will be asked to prepare the perfect pairings at private, in-home wine dinners, cooking competitions, and farm tours. The fest culminates with a tented grand tasting event on the grounds of the historic Kelley House.

Looking to get in on the fun? There’s still time to purchase tickets. Here are some highlights of what’s in store:

Friday, May 12; 4–6 pm: Real Men Drink Pink Rosé wines aren’t just for the ladies — discover a wide range of rosé wines while enjoying the picturesque porch at Chesca’s in Edgartown. Discover new favorites and meet brand representatives while enjoying delicious pairing bites provided by Chesca’s. Tickets $50.

Saturday, May 13; 11 am–1 pm: Burgers & Bubbles Start by sipping chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne and slurping down fresh Cottage City Oysters while walking the grounds of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown. Then enjoy the burger creations of three chefs, including locals Ralston Francis of the Edgartown Diner and private chef Gavin Smith. Vote for your favorite burger and watch the winning chef take home a new DCS Professional Grill. Tickets $75.

Saturday, May 13; 3–6 pm: Grand Tasting Under the tent at the Kelley House, more than 400 wineries will convene to present their best wines and spirits. Meet the winemakers and taste their efforts, while pairing the wine with delectable locally made foods from some of the best Island restaurants, including Detente, the Terrace, and Right Fork Diner. The Grand Tasting will also include a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School culinary department. Tickets are $125, but Gilt City is currently offering them for $89 at http://gi.lt/2oVLiuc.

Saturday, May 13: Barbeque & Brews Taste some of the best New England beers along with lamb tacos at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. Chef Dan Whalen of the Food in My Beard will be cooking with lamb from the American Lamb Board, and using hand-pressed, locally made tortillas from Backyard Tacos. Participating breweries include Wash Ashore Beer, Peak Organic Brewing Co., Brooklyn Brewery, Farmer Willie’s Ginger Beer, and Stony Creek Brewery. $50.

For additional information and tickets, visit themvwinefestival.com.

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The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse gets the season started with big laughs

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The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse will be offering an early treat for Islanders this year when it hosts two preseason shows, both comedy/dramas. “Been There, Still There,” will be featured as a one-night-only show on Saturday, May 6, and was written by and stars two Second City Alums, Bruce Jarchow and Nancy McCabe-Kelly, who have gone on to forge successful acting and writing careers. “From Ship to Shape” will be performed on Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, and is an autobiographical one-man show starring awardwinning radio personality Walker Vreeland, developed with and directed by Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award–nominated director Scott Schwarz.

The two shows will offer a good dose of humor to start off a Playhouse season that will feature comedies in the first two slots of a three-play season. “We can all use some humor right now,” says Playhouse artistic director MJ Bruder Munafo.

The two-person showBeen There, Still There” was brought to Ms. Munafo’s attention by Judy Pisano, the widow of John Belushi, another Second City alumnus. According to the description by Mr. Jarchow and Ms. McCabe-Kelly, “The show follows a baby boomer couple on a road trip to Wisconsin for a destination wedding. Along the way they ponder empty-nest angst, becoming victims of both urban gentrification and illogical technology, and anything else that comes to mind — with the local radio and nostalgia of Wisconsin as their backdrop. Though this is a scripted show, each performance is slightly different as they expound, riff, and allow themselves to go off script as the spirit (and audience) moves them.”

Been There, Still There” was named one of the “top 10 shows of the year”and “Critics Choice” in TimeOut Chicago. The show just enjoyed a recent run in New York, and a sold-out performance at Second City’s e.t.c. stage as part of the Chicago Improv Festival.

Mr. Jarchow previously worked with John Belushi on the movie “Continental Divide.” He has also appeared in more than 20 other films, including “Ghost,” “Radio Days,” and “Somewhere in Time.” He has also guest-starred in a number of TV shows, including “Seinfeld,” “E.R.” and “Parks and Recreation.” Ms. McCabe-Kelly has also enjoyed a very successful career as an actor and a comedian.

At the suggestion of Ms. Pisano, Ms. Munafo and Playhouse artistic associate Jenny Allen checked out the couple’s show in New York City last year. Ms. Munafo, who calls the show “hysterical,” invited the veteran performers to the Vineyard for a one-night appearance. “They’ve agreed to do a talk-back after the show,” she says.

Next up for the Playhouse will be “From Ship to Shape,” a one-man show by awardwinning radio personality, producer, writer, actor, and singer Walker Vreeland. The show, which is described as an autobiographical monologue, is a mixture of humor and pathos, describing Mr. Vreeland’s time as a lead singer for a cruise-ship line, and how the experience led to a mental breakdown and a stay in a psychiatric ward. The show’s tagline, “How a cruise ship can push you over the edge,” gives a good indication of Mr. Vreeland’s ability to find the humor in a serious situation.

Newsday described the show as “the funny and wrenching account of Vreeland’s personal struggle with mental illness, in which sanity surfaces in unlikely places.” And the Southampton Press said of the performer, “Mr. Vreeland’s openness and raw honesty within ‘From Ship to Shape’ brings his audience one step closer to a world free of the stigma surrounding mental illness. The subject matter is universal.”

Mr. Vreeland previously performed at the Playhouse in 2001 as the lead in “Arthur’s Christmas: A Musical Story, based on the “Arthur” books by children’s author Marc Brown and adapted for the stage by Ms. Munafo. Ms. Munafo has kept in touch with the performer since then. After reading the script for “From Ship to Shape, she knew she wanted to bring the show to the Vineyard, and decided to include it in this year’s preseason schedule.

Mr. Vreeland, who sings as well as acts in his monologue, most recently presented the solo show at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, Long Island, and will be stopping at the Playhouse for two nights as part of a national tour.

The two early offerings from the Playhouse will set the stage for a season highlighted by comedy. The theater’s 35th summer season will open with “Dusty and the Big Bad World by actor and playwright Cusi Cram, former writer for the “Arthur kids show on PBS. “Dusty” is based on a 2005 scandal in the world of children’s television known as “Bustergate,” and is described on the Playhouse website as “a darkly funny, no-holds-barred yet evenhanded look at PBS, government censorship, gay marriage, and what it takes to ultimately step up and fight for what you believe in.” The show will run from June 30 to July 29.

Following on the heels of that show will be the world premiere of a new comedy by Emmy

awardwinner Matt Hoverman. The play “Who You See Here” centers around a therapist, her recovering alcoholic husband, a disturbed movie star, and his stalker all coming together around a small-town 12-step group.

The final presentation in the mainstage season will change the tone a bit as the Playhouse reprises the play “This Island Alone,” with a totally rewritten version, “Chilmark, based on the deaf community that thrived on the Vineyard in the 19th century.

The Playhouse season will be rounded out with an all-female production of “Julius Caesar at the Tisbury Amphitheater and a full schedule of Monday Night Special play readings, beginning in mid-June.

Tickets are available online at mvplayhouse.org, and at the Playhouse box office. Discount season FlexiTickets are now on sale for a limited time. FlexiTickets are valid for three individual tickets, to be used in any combination of main-stage summer shows.

“Been There, Still There” with Bruce Jarchow and Nancy McCabe Kelly, Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. Tickets $20 adults, $15 juniors (under 30). “From Ship to Shape,” an autobiographical monologue by Walker Vreeland, May 12 and 13 at 7:30. Tickets $20 adults, $15 juniors (under 30).

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Paint the town pink and green

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Consider Edgartown a one-stop shop for deals, dinners, drinks, and donations all weekend long. The town will host its sixth annual Pink and Green Weekend starting Thursday, May 11, and running through Sunday, May 14. The four-day event combines celebrations of spring and Mother’s Day, and was organized and sponsored by Edgartown Board of Trade.

Main Street storefronts will be kicking in with deals, so grab your mom, throw on a pink or green shirt, and take full advantage of these weekend-only specials.

Stefanie Wolf Designs is offering 10 percent discounts to people wearing pink or green. Sale items are included, and the deal runs all weekend long. Also stop in to enter to win a special gift, no purchase necessary — the drawing will be Sunday.

The MV Boy’s and Girl’s Club’s Second Hand Store is also offering deals to those who are wearing their spirit. Wear anything pink or green, and save 25 percent. Wear both pink and green, and it’s “buy one, get one free” for anything in the store. Free door prizes are offered every hour, and the store is serving complimentary coffee, tea, and snacks. Swing by for these deals on Friday and Saturday.

Bring mom to Sea Spa Salon this weekend for a Mom and Me Spa Day. Treat yourselves to 35 percent off all nail and spa services.  

Backwater Trading Co. is also offering something special. Spend $75 or more and receive a free Mother’s Day gift bag. The sale also runs from Friday through Sunday.

Katydid’s deal of the weekend is a free pink or green Coobie Bra with the purchase of three. Suka is running a 10 percent off storewide sale all weekend long, and so is Vintage Jewelry.

Past & Presents is the perfect place to get ideas for refreshing your home this spring. Shop their furniture and accessories and receive 15 percent off Friday through Sunday. Get your classic Martha’s Vineyard T shirt at Shirt Tales this weekend, where they’re offering 10 percent off their pink or green clothing. Claudia Jewelry is also offering 10 percent off its pink or green accessories. Wheel Happy is offering a deal on spring tuneups this weekend only. Bring in your bike and get it ready for the season for $35 instead of $50.

Chesca’s will be mixing up pink and green hibiscus margaritas all weekend long, starting Thursday. Stop in for a sip, sit on their outdoor porch, and always remember, it’s five o’clock somewhere.

Try a $8 “Pink Eddy” or “Pearl Harbor Martini” served all weekend at the Newes from America Pub at Kelley House.

Don’t miss Lucky Hank’s three-course pink and green event on Friday from 5 to 9pm. The restaurant and cafe will donate 10 percent of food sales to Family Planning MV.

The MV Food and Wine Festival always seems to be buzzing about the same weekend, making Edgartown even more of a destination than it already is. From “Real Men Drink Pink” to the Grand Tasting at Kelley House, there are plenty of events for everyone in your party. For a full listing, visit themvwinefestival.com.

When you inevitably end up at the Black Dog on Main Street, do your deed of the day and make a donation to Angels Helping Animals animal shelter. The Island-run nonprofit works to find animals permanent homes.

Don’t miss Donaroma Nursery’s signature birthday celebration. This year it’s hosting a “1977” 40th birthday party from 4 to 6 pm that includes a DJ, trivia, prizes, refreshments, and fun surprises for all.

Ready or not, the beginning of the season is here, and Edgartown’s getting its first taste of it this weekend.

The post Paint the town pink and green appeared first on The Martha's Vineyard Times.

On the road family-style, with the David Wax Museum

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David Wax and Suz Slezak started the folk group David Wax Museum in Boston a decade ago as friends. Since then they have released multiple critically acclaimed albums and toured internationally as both a full band and a duo. Today they are married with two children. While their music draws on many influences, including Mexican and American folk, pop, and rock, Bob Boilen of NPR described it simply as “pure, irresistible joy.”

They are currently touring as a duo, and will perform an all-ages concert at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, May 20, at 7 pm. I got a chance to catch up with David Wax on the telephone and talk music, family, and touring.

You draw from a lot of different influences. What are some common threads you find in your music regardless of the genre?

That’s an interesting question. I think I’ve always been interested in contrast. Some of it is about the relationship between the lyrics and the music. We have a lot of really bright, uplifting music that we are playing along to, but the lyrics have kind of a darker undertone. There is some part of me where as soon as it starts getting too cheery, I have to kind of undercut it in some way. As a lyricist, I’m always playing with that. I guess in my mind it’s an effort to make sure that the music kind of represents what it is to be alive and that those things coexist all the time. You have joy and sorrow. Sometimes I’m playing with that concept in the music and sometimes internally with the lyrics. All of the music has this brightness because it’s drawing on Mexican folk music, so a lot of the instrumentation comes from that. There is a syncopated rhythm and a certain buoyancy that is inherent with that music. I’m embracing some of that, but those influences are going through my own personal filter of growing up in the Midwest and being kind of an alt-country kid. There are very different influences that come through American and Mexican folk music, and a lot of time I’m playing them off each other.

Have you had a chance to play any shows in Latin America since releasing the EP “A La Rumba Rumba”?

We haven’t. We put out the record in November, then we had the baby in March. We had a brief U.S. tour in between, so we haven’t gotten to do that yet, but we are always scheming. We’ve been playing these songs for a long time, though, and playing them for a Spanish-speaking audience in L.A. and the Southwest. We have Spanish-speaking fans across the U.S., so we feel like we’ve gotten to play this particular batch of songs for an audience that understands what we are saying and where the music is coming from.

When you are performing as a duo, as opposed to a full band, what are the challenges and what are the rewards?

The duo show in a way is a lot more work, and that of course ends up having its own rewards. When it’s full band I often feel like I’m riding a wave. The rhythm section propels the song and I’m just trying to feel it in my body. It’s definitely about the whole sound and groove, and I think sometimes that overshadows the songs and the lyrics. That’s the price you pay. It’s a balancing act. When it’s stripped down to just the two of us, it’s so clearly about the harmony and the song. It’s really zeroed in on me and Suzanne singing to each other. It’s more intimate for us and it’s more intimate for the audience. Some of our fans prefer that, so it’s cool to be able to do both. We put a record out, and we toured with a full band for a year and a half, so now we’re in that transition period before the next record comes out. That gives us the opportunity to go out as a duo. It’s so streamlined and so easy. It’s just the family and a helper, and there is some aspect of it that’s really relaxed.

That segues to the next question. Is there anything about touring as a family that has surprised you?

It was really hard to imagine. It wasn’t part of some master plan. I mean we always wanted to have a family, and we hoped we could do it as touring musicians. We saw people doing it, so we thought, “Yeah, we are going to try to make this work.” We often have someone on the road with us to help us with the kid, well now kids, but we’ve also had to rely on this really wide community. We’ve been going out on the road for 10 years as a band, so we have a really far-reaching community. It’s amazing how supportive people have been. They have really gone above and beyond to help us out. You have this hope that if you take a certain risk, your community will support that. We’re really fortunate.

What is the last cover song you learned? For performing or just for fun.

One that I’ve been messing around with lately is “Calico Skies” by Paul McCartney. It’s been stuck in my head.

What’s one place that you’d like to tour that you haven’t yet?

Well, Suz and I have been in Mexico City and done small informal shows, but we’ve never had the full band in Mexico. I would love to do that.

What musician (dead or alive) would you want to have a day to play and write music with?

One of my biggest influences is Paul Simon. I would love to see how he works up close, lyrically and musically in the studio. That would be so illuminating. His work has been so impressive across his entire career, and he is still making great music. I think his last record is brilliant, and to still be doing that at 70-plus years old is inspiring.

David Wax Museum will perform at the Katharine Cornell Theatre on Saturday, May 20. Doors open at 6 pm, show starts at 7 pm. All ages welcome. Tickets are $20 presale and $25 at the door. For tickets and more information, go to tpspresents.com or davidwaxmuseum.com.

The post On the road family-style, with the David Wax Museum appeared first on The Martha's Vineyard Times.

Harbor View’s Celebration of Pets

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From furry to feathered to even scaly, Harbor View Hotel and the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard welcome all pet owners and animal lovers to bring their favorite animal friends to the seventh annual Celebration of Pets on Saturday, June 3, from 10 am to noon.

Led by the Black Dog mascot, all are invited to march in a parade around the picturesque Edgartown Lighthouse, returning to the Harbor View Hotel’s wraparound porch, where treats and water will be provided.

For dog owners traveling and looking to celebrate throughout the weekend, the Harbor View Hotel’s Island Dog Package has been specially designed for dog owners. The package includes canine goodies fit for travel, including dog treats, an Orbee ball, a Black Dog squeaky toy, a bandana, a 2017 Vineyard Seadogs calendar, and a travel snack.

The post Harbor View’s Celebration of Pets appeared first on The Martha's Vineyard Times.

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