Founding Foods: Seasonal Eating on Martha’s Vineyard from 1642 to 1850 with Norah Van Riper

At 6:00 PM on Thursday, January 9th, the Vineyard Haven Library welcomes local historian Norah Van Riper for an interactive program entitled, “Founding Foods: Seasonal Eating on Martha’s Vineyard from 1642 to 1850.”  

What did Islanders eat in the days before refrigeration and takeout? Norah Van Riper will delve into the complex reality of the way Martha’s Vineyard’s inhabitants fed themselves in the earliest days of English colonization–before the Industrial Revolution and its advances in technology and transportation up-ended seasonal and local patterns of eating. 

This interactive program features an array of unusual historical foods, recipes, preservation techniques, and samples of dishes available on Martha’s Vineyard in days gone by. The program will be presented in historical costume from a modern perspective.

Norah Van Riper, itinerant historian, has been in the museum and living history trades for the better part of twenty-five years. Though her focus is primarily on historical agriculture and domestic life in New England before the Industrial Revolution, she’s known to dabble in a number of other subjects and periods. Her real passion lies in giving voice to the forgotten and misunderstood people of the past. She lives in Vineyard Haven

This event will be held on the upper level of the library, with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. For more information, please contact the library at (508) 696-4211 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org. 

Library Renovation: Details on Town Meeting Vote and Cost Considerations

Key Details on Town Meeting Vote and Cost Considerations

The Town of Tisbury will hold a Special Town Meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday December 17th, at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center. The warrant will include an article to fund the renovation and expansion of the Vineyard Haven Public Library. This will be followed by a Special Town Election on Tuesday January 7th, 2025, from 12:00 noon - 8:00 PM at the Emergency Services Facility, 215 Spring Street. View the warrant on the town website: https://www.tisburyma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1321/f/uploads/stm_warrant_december_17_2024_for_print.pdf

What is being voted on?

• At the Tisbury Special Town Meeting on December 17th, 2024, attendees will vote to appropriate $4 million from the Town’s stabilization funds, and authorize borrowing of $4.8 million, for the library renovation project.
• If the vote passes at Town Meeting with a 2/3 majority, there will be a Ballot Vote on January 7th, 2025 to authorize a debt exclusion. Only if the project gets a majority vote on the ballot question will construction actually move forward.

How will the project affect my taxes?

• Borrowing for the library renovation is projected at $4.8 million, which would be approximately $135/household/year average (based on an average assessed home value of $1.79 million). Those with a lower assessed value and those with a residential exemption would pay less.
• Construction bids will be due and opened in advance of the December 17th Town Meeting, which may allow the Town to amend the warrant article to reduce the amount of borrowing and lower the tax impact.
• The capital campaign for the library project has raised more than $1.5 million, to fund the meeting room addition that will be included in this project. 

What would being funded by the warrant article?

The library project budget has been estimated at $10 million, including some funds already expended for project management, design and engineering. Proposed renovations and repairs to the building include the following:

• Replace leaking and inoperable heating & cooling systems with energy efficient, all-electric systems, with needed ventilation.
• Replace and insulate the roof, to prepare for rooftop solar.
• Update electric, plumbing, & IT to bring systems up to code, including bathroom renovations to correct accessibility issues, and eliminate recurring sewer gas backup into the building.
• Replace damaged, leaking, and inoperable windows and make other repairs and improvements to the building envelope.
• Interior painting & floor coverings throughout the building (not done since 1999).
• Repair and replace ceilings and light fixtures throughout the building that are missing or damaged.
• Removal of masonry chimney, before it manifests as a structural issue.
• Landscaping improvements including regrading to stop water intrusion, and to correct issues identified in 2019 Accessibility Survey. 
• The renovation will also enhance the current building by adding a multi-purpose community meeting room (with funding from the capital campaign), significant storage in the basement, and a renovated reading room with garden views.

For more information, visit www.vhlibrary.org/Building.shtml

Clara B. Kennedy’s “World of Miniatures” at Vineyard Haven Library

The Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to share with the community a display of miniatures from the collection of Clara Banta Kennedy, on loan from her family through the holiday season. The display can be viewed anytime during regular library hours.

Growing up in the 1920’s, Clara was given miniatures as birthday and Christmas gifts. Incredibly detailed for their size, these miniatures sparked her imagination and filled many days with play. Clara shared she could build entire “worlds” with them.  

As Clara grew older, she began slowly adding to her collection, following in her older sister, Jeanette’s footsteps. In 1945, Clara got married and eventually had four sons. While she was involved with many other things, her interest in miniatures never waned and her collection grew. Every year at Christmastime, she would set up a miniature village in Princeton, NJ for friends and family to enjoy. 

In the early 1970’s, Clara opened an antique store called the Calico Cat in Kingston, NJ, with fellow Vineyarder, Tita Vivian. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Clara sold miniatures from a space at Pyewacket’s on Beach Road. Eventually, she left her space and took her miniatures home to adorn the shelves and walls of her Vineyard Haven house, where they have been cherished for many years.  

Clara Kennedy was a dedicated volunteer for the Friends of Vineyard Haven Library and many other community organizations. She died peacefully in her home this October at the age of 101.

Writing from Life and Finding Humor in the Drama

At 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 19th, the Vineyard Haven Library welcomes novelists Kate Feiffer and Marion McNabb for a conversation about writing contemporary fiction, finding humor in the drama, and getting published. 

Kate Feiffer is the author of eleven highly acclaimed books for children, including Henry the Dog with No Tail and Double Pink. Morning Pages, her first novel for adults, was published in 2024 and was called a “winning adult debut” by Publisher’s Weekly. Kate is also an artist and the illustrator of the poetry/parody The Lamb Cycle. Kate has been the event producer for the annual Martha's Vineyard-based writers' festival Islanders Write since its inception in 2014. Her writing and illustrations have appeared in newspapers and magazines on Martha's Vineyard, on HNN and NPR, and in Literary Hub. 

Marion McNabb is a novelist and screenwriter who studied film at the Tisch School at NYU and graduated from Arizona State with a degree in Theater. Her debut novel, Some Doubt About It (Lake Union) was selected by Friends and Fiction as a noteworthy debut, and was described by Booklist as, “going beyond empty platitudes to offer some real philosophical depth." 

This event will be held on the upper level of the library, with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. For more information, please contact the library at (508) 696-4211 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org. 

Thanksgiving Pop-Up Book Sales to Benefit the Library

The Friends of Vineyard Haven Library will hold a Book Sale the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 29th and 30th, at 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven. Sale hours are 10am to 2pm both Friday and Saturday. This is a great opportunity to stock up with great deals on books for your holiday gifts and seasonal reading -- and all sales will benefit the Library's Capital Campaign. 

Sales will be held at the Friends' pop-up shop in the Landmarks Building at 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven. Please use street parking and do not park in the 15 Church Street parking lot. Sales are cash or check only.

Trans(formation): A Collaborative Portrait Series Exploring Gender Identity on Cape Cod

The Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to announce its latest Art in the Stacks exhibit: a collection of photographs by Cape-based photographer Julia Cumes, entitled “Trans(formation): A Collaborative Portrait Series Exploring Gender Identity on Cape Cod.” The exhibit will be on display in the lower level of the library during regular library hours from November 15 to December 15, 2024.

This evocative set of photographs explores the unique journeys of its subjects, inviting viewers to confront the expressive power and diversity of gender identity. The powerful project has been organized in collaboration with QueerHubMV. Additional photographs in the exhibit will be displayed at both Island Counseling and the MV Family Resource Center at MV Community Services, along with other venues. Julia will also give a talk and slideshow presentation at the MV Museum at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 15th.

Julia Cumes, the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s 2024 Artist of the Year, brings a unique and powerful perspective to her work, shaped in part by her experience growing up in apartheid-era South Africa. Through her lens, she uses photography as a means “to tell stories, to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, to reveal truth, and to inspire others to create meaningful change in our lives, our communities, and our world.” Julia’s work not only captures moments but also reflects her commitment to social impact and the power of storytelling.

Julia’s work has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, and USA Today, among others. She was a 2017 Arts Foundation of Cape Cod fellow, an Art Within Reach grant recipient, and an Alexia Foundation student grant recipient. She holds a B.A. from Brandeis University, an M.F.A. in writing from Cornell University, and a Masters in Photojournalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. 

Art in the Stacks is an initiative of the Friends of the Library to provide artists an opportunity to show their work, and for library patrons to enjoy art throughout the year. Artists interested in showing their work through “Art in the Stacks” may contact the Vineyard Haven Public Library at 508-696-4211 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org.

Pharmacy Night at the VH Library

At 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 12th, the Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to host “Pharmacy Night,” a presentation and Q&A with pharmacists David Caron, Vice President of Diagnostic and Therapeutics for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and Valci Carvalho, Director of Pharmacy at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. 

The presentation will provide an overview of common concerns about medication, including drug disposal, vaccine confidence, and ambulatory pharmacy. More specifically, the talk will include a discussion of safe disposal practices for unused and expired medications, including how and where to dispose of medications on Martha’s Vineyard. The MVH Pharmacy team will also address general concerns about vaccines and share information on benefits and risks, including considerations for patients diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. In addition, the team will share details of a new program being developed by the MVH Pharmacy, in partnership with MVH Internal Medicine providers, focusing on medication therapy management.

David T. Caron Jr., R.Ph., PharmD, is Vice President of Diagnostic and Therapeutics for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He received his pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and completed his doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky in 1992. He has held national leadership positions within the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and regional roles within Cardinal Health. Caron began his tenure at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in November of 1998, and previously served as both Chief Pharmacy Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.

Valci Carvalho is the Director of Pharmacy at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. A passionate healthcare leader dedicated to serving his community, he leverages his expertise to support the delivery of exceptional patient care. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He has served at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for 11 years. 

For more information, interested patrons can contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.