The Martha’s Vineyard Museum needs volunteers now through Columbus Day. Help is needed in visitor services, the library, special events, and more. If you have 3-4 hours a week to spare, call Betsey Mayhew at 508-627-4441 ext. 112. For further information call Jean Ross at 508-693-5383.

July has virtually disappeared in a rush of glorious weather and nonstop activities in East Chop. The month began with the annual meeting of the East Chop Beach Club on Wednesday July 4^th. President Carol Slocum presided over the meeting which consisted of several committee reports. Members left the meeting in high spirits, impressed by the financial and physical health of the club, and excited about the new staff under the leadership of Eric Surface.

The Tennis Club held its July meeting on Saturday July 7^th. Again, the news was good with the club in excellent physical and financial shape. To maintain this tradition of excellence, Betsy Puchner is heading a planning committee to identify future needs of the club. Lee Hunsaker and Lyn Herrick have agreed to co-chair a committee to plan the celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the club. Members with ideas, special memories, or historic photographs should contact a co-chair. President Walter Vail thanked Jim Davin for leading a very successful volunteer workday on June 2^nd, and Dave Cunniffe for his many hours of volunteer service during the off-season.

Craig Dripps opened the July meeting of the East Chop Association with his classic good humor the following Saturday at the East Chop Beach Club. John Breckenridge outlined new policies and procedures for the management of our several parks. Vice President Sandy Dibble presented a draft of new bylaws for the association. Interested members can read these new bylaws online at eastchop.vineyard.net/proposed_bylaws.htm. Instructions for making comments or suggestions (by July 28th) are located there. President Dripps concluded the meeting by honoring Liz Huss and Wink Winkelman for their long years of dedicated service.

Lyn and I were honored to attend two weddings involving East Chop families. Alex Williamson (son of Chrissy and Woods) was married to Katie Marks in New York City on May 19^th. The rehearsal dinner was held at the New York Yacht Club with the wedding at the Yale Club. Lyn was all dressed up. It was fitting. The occasion was elegant.

Annie Herrick (daughter of Maria and Beau) and Michael Mortara were married on Saturday July 21^st at the Federated Church in Edgartown. Three hundred enthusiastic guests were in attendance. The festivities began with a party at the home of Sally and Seward Ryan on Thursday night. This was followed by a rehearsal dinner at the East Chop Beach Club on Friday night. The reception was held at the Daniel Fischer House in Edgartown. The couple flew to Mexico on Sunday morning for their honeymoon into the eye of a hurricane. The fact that all is well as of this writing bodes well for the success of their marriage.

It was a hard winter for East Chop mothers. We lost three special women: Lelia Carroll, Nancy Stephens, and Jane Herrick Ryan. In addition, Pete Perrine, Varnum Mead, Mal Malory, Ruth Dolby, and Peter Shoup passed away during the course of the year. All eight people were long-time summer residents of East Chop, and will be greatly missed.

Finally, Adele Nelson died of Sunday July 22^nd. Adele was 63 years old, the victim of ovarian cancer. Adele will long be remembered for the courage and grace she exhibited over the last three years while fighting this dreadful disease. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday July 31^st at 11 a.m. at the St. John on the Mountain Episcopal Church in Bernardsville, New Jersey. A memorial service on the Vineyard will be held at some future date. Adele is survived by her husband Frank, daughter Libby Hiltabrand, and son, Jamie Nelson.

June 20, 2007 News Update

June 20, 2007 News

We finally got some much needed rain and hope to get more in the next few days. That’s not good news for social events and the wedding of Annie Herrick this Saturday.

Ran into Polly Fredricks at the Reliable. She’ll be on the Vineyard for only one week as she’s back in New Hampshire caring for Bob who is not well. He’s in the nursing home part of the life care place where they live.

Putsie and Jack Ritchey are visiting for a week with his sister and brother-in-law Jean and Wally Ross. Polly O’Leary entertained Sheila Rockwell from Connecticut for a few days. Carolyn Roedel had Bob and Joan Harding from Cape Cod as houseguests. Betty Willis is arriving today.

The Herrick family hosted a gathering in memory of Jane Herrick Ryan. Even though it was a rainy evening, the Dripps house managed to squeeze in many friends and family to honor Jane.

Betty Henrickson is in residence on Monroe Avenue for a month in the same house she rented last summer. Her phone number is 508-693-6804.

John Potter had a successful back procedure at Cape Cod Hospital. He seems to be recovering well and is getting out and about.

Construction is still underway at the Havlicek house on Monroe Avenue, the “spec mansion” across from the lighthouse, and the Christian’s house on the bluff on East Chop Drive.

Barry and Barbara Carroll are introducing their two newest grandbabies to East Chop this summer: Wallace Pehrson deVeer and Benjamin Holden Erulkar.

We’ve just learned that Mimi Sanford had a bad fall recently and broke her shoulder in three places. We understand she’s off-island at an orthopedist in Hartford, Connecticut. We wish her well and a speedy recovery.

Nancy Protzmann (Patsy McCornack’s daughter) will be competing in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk on August 3, 4, 5. You may recall that both Carol Traenkle and her daughter Wendy Reagan participated two and three years ago and raised a great deal of money for breast cancer research. Nancy could use the same support from we East Choppers so, if you want to help out, pull up the following on your computer: www.The3day.org, click on Boston, Donate, and Nancy Protzmann’s name. If this doesn’t work, call Nancy on her cell phone: 1-603-321-7099 for further details.

You may send news in an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

July 10, 2007

Word has just been received that Mal Mallory died at the age of 92 on July 6. He had been living near his son in Burlington, Vermont for several years but many East Chop Tennis Club players will remember him as an avid player and a familiar face around the Chop. A private gathering for family and friends will be held on the island. For further information, contact Lal Dowley.

Today marks the birthdays of seven (that’s 7!) East Choppers who were born on this auspicious day: Graham Dripps, Susan Garrett, Ute Hargreaves, Sterling Ivison, Helen Meleney, Jamie O’Brien, and Jean Ross. If you believe in astrology, that means they’re all Cancerians, for whatever that’s worth.

It seems that both Sally and Bob Hammett and Penny and Don Hinkel are considering winterizing their respective houses in order to live on the Chop full time. For those of you who already live here during the winter, you’ll probably be pleased to have more houses lit up during the dark months.

We’re glad to hear that Bob Blacklow has a clean bill of health and that his daughter-in-law (Stephen’s wife) is responding well to her cancer treatment.

Craig and Mary Dowley are in residence in their beach house with their new little adopted son Turlough who comes from Omsk, Russia. Grandmother Lal will be caring for him for a while in July.

Ginny and Roz Patterson are on the island but Ginny is either in a wheelchair or on a walker recovering from a hip replacement. We hope she mends quickly because in three months she’s facing a replacement of the other hip. No fun, Ginny!

Congratulations to Bill and Joanne Whitman who celebrated their 50^th anniversary. How time flies!

You may send news in an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

I am very excited by the response to our July 14^th party! We have a large group already signed up, but still have plenty of room for the rest of you. If you’d like to attend (or have friends that aren’t on the list that might) please let me know as soon as you can so that we can be sure to save you a space. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can purchase, and Betsy and I will have the menu and price confirmation for you in the next few days.

I am hoping to have our home-grown flowers on the tables at the party, just as we did for the anniversary party last year. Of course I can’t do it without you! If you have hydrangeas you’re willing to donate (we’ll do the cutting) please let me know. It’s a great way to keep costs down and really adds to the event.

Many East Choppers will remember Ruth Dolby who was active on the Chop and was Secretary of ECBC for many years. Ruth suffered from Parkinson’s disease and died this past spring off island. A family internment was held May 19 at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Construction, construction, construction……a lot of it around the Chop. Structures are being remodeled or built from scratch and small lots are crowding in around established ones. Change is definitely in the air. The worst eyesore is the unfinished mega mansion across from the lighthouse. We wonder if the contractor ran out of money but, whatever the reason, the property is a mess.

Even though she can’t participate, Adele Nelson has arranged a cruise aboard “Seaborne” for a group of 14 Choppers. The itinerary is Iceland, the Scandinavian countries, and into Russia. Sounds like fun and definitely first class.

John Potter has had a bad winter. First he underwent a complete shoulder replacement, then suffered from compressed discs in his back, became allergic to the antibiotics administered to him, then learned that he had extremely low electrolytes. He’s better now and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Hi and happy summer once again! I was very glad to see many of you this past weekend on the island. It sure was nice of the weather to cooperate!

We are thrilled to have Marshall Morgan and the “Cool Rays” playing our Beach Party on July 14^th. We are expecting a large turnout once again for our biggest party of the season, so please feel free to sign up at any time through e mail. Ticket price and menu have yet to be determined and I will forward those details along as soon as I get them.

Our other big party this season will be the Clam Bake on August 11^th. This party promises to be amazing as well and advanced reservations are encouraged. Again ticket prices have not yet been determined but I promise to get them to you soon.

There is one event that is not noted on the calendar, a Labor Day brunch on September 2. The club will provide mixers for bloodies and mimosas for the brunch, and will continue to provide ice and mixers for all other events.

There have been some minor changes to the summer calendar so I have attached a revised copy. Also please note that my email address has changed to kdavin@pinnaclefood.com. If you know of someone that may not have received this message please forward it along.

Thanks as always for your enthusiasm and support. If you have any questions please let me know.

Lyn Herrick called this morning to report that the Tennis Club has added an Grill Night for Saturday, May 26 at 6:00 pm. For those of you who may not know, a ECTC Grill Night means BYO everything except hot coals and good friends!

The Columbus Weekend Pot Luck at ECBC was a tremendous success with about 60 members in attendance. The weather was perfect, the food varied and delicious, the ambiance superb, and the joviality the best. Many thanks should go to Bruce Sanders and his crew for opening up the Club and to Kristi Davin for setting up the tablecloths and decorations on the serving tables. The Club is fortunate to have such dedicated members.

If you have some news that you would like to share until we return in May, please send it along as this site can be active as long as you participate. In the meantime, have a safe, healthy, and happy winter.

You may send news in an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

Kristi Davin has just sent an email to the Web Master asking him to inform the East Chop Community that the date of the Columbus Day Pot Luck has changed to Saturday night instead of Sunday. The other details are below in the September 4th news posting. If you have any questions, you can contact Kristi at by clicking this link.

For those of you reading this off-island, you might be interested in knowing that the end of “Ernesto” caused only minor damage at ECBC: twisted slide, loss of the life guard stand at the end of the pier, some boards there also. Surprisingly, the raft survived. The surf was huge, as usual, and washed some sand up onto the clubhouse deck. The deck is now almost on a level with the beach.

The potluck party was held on Sunday night with about 25 attending. The sun appeared about an hour before so the party could be held on the deck as well as inside.

Speaking of potluck – mark your calendars for the final bash at ECBC on the ~~Sunday~~ Saturday night of Columbus weekend -- 6 o’clock. Remember to bring everything: plates, napkins, cutlery, drinks, and a dish to share. It could be an entrée, salad, hors d’oeuvre, or dessert. Dress for the weather and be prepared to help clean up afterward to put the club to bed for the winter. Bruce Sanders could use your help.

And now for another note on using a bus to get around. I’ve learned that you can take a trolley from the Woods Hole Steamship dock, change at the Falmouth Mall for another bus to Hyannis with stops at Mashpee Commons, Cotuit, Osterville, and Centerville. There are connecting buses to the Cape Cod Hospital and other locations in Hyannis. For more information go to www.TheBreeze.info, Google "Cape Cod buses" on the internet or call 1-800-352-7155. You’ll need exact change but it only costs $.50 for seniors and $1.00 for others. Worth a trip!

You may send news in an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

For those of you that will be able to join us on Sunday night, I just want to let you know that a little rain (IF it comes) will not stop our party. If it’s raining, we’ll simply have an inside “pot luck” party instead. We’ll still start at 6, it will still be BYO-Everything (we’ll still have ice for you). However we will NOT be able to grill.

So whether it’s beautiful or raining sideways, please plan on joining us to celebrate a great summer!

You may send news in an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

Remember way back in May when I said it was too early to be thinking about things in mid-August? Well, it’s almost mid-August so I wanted to check in again with regard to the remaining events for the season:

August 18^th—Fireworks cookout. As always you are welcome to bring your dinner and drinks to the club and watch the OB fireworks. Truly Scrumptious will be serving something delicious for dinner if you would prefer not to bring your own. The club will once again be supplying grills so please do not bring yours.

August 20^th—Second Annual Member Craft Fair and Breakfast. For those of you that are interested in reserving a table, please contact me as soon as possible. If you have already asked to participate, just simply confirm with me exactly what you’ll be selling. Remember there is no cost to you except a donation worth $20 or more for the raffle table. I will soon announce the cause to which all proceeds will be given. Remember that last year we raised over $650 for the American Cancer Society!

During this event breakfast will also be served. Come on down, take a look at what our talented members have to sell (it’s never too early for Christmas shopping!) and have a great breakfast on the beach.

You may send news in an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

The Davis Cup was rained out last weekend at ECTC and will now be held this Saturday, July 29th from 8-10 a.m. Sign up by noon on Friday the 28th noon at ECTC.

I wonder how many East Choppers have ever taken the bus to anywhere on the Island. It’s really quite simple and costs only $1/town for “oldie moldies” but $2 for everyone else. I often take the bus into Edgartown (sometimes dressed up) and usually pick it up at either Debettencourt’s at the end of Monroe or walk further uptown to the stop near the Steamship dock. Bus #13 leaves every 30 minutes (on the hour) and is an alternative to beat the high gas prices, traffic, and parking problems we’re facing during the summer. It’s worth a try!

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

The ECA Meeting this morning was exceptionally well attended. President Craig Dripps conducted an organized agenda with time for much comment from members. Wink Winkelman, Treasurer, stated that the Association’s finances are in good order with “cash in the bank” for unexpected park maintenance that might occur. Discussion focused on the inclusion of East Chop into the Cottage City Historic District and Craig stated that the issue is dead. He will report further on this subject at the August meeting. The problems of acute bluff erosion at the foot of Brewster Avenue as well as the proposal by the Oak Bluffs Selectman to make East Chop Drive a one-way street were also discussed at length. Residents were urged to talk about them for further discussion at the August meeting. Paul Strauss moved that the ECA send a letter to the Oak Bluffs Conservation Commission and the Board of Selectman stating our organization’s concern. Peter Puchner praised the Board for its diligence in managing issues that are of concern to all of us. To be continued……

Diane Straus and her daughter, Alexis, are in Thailand working as volunteers in an orphanage. She reports that it’s extremely hot, without air conditioning, and conditions are primitive. What troopers they are!

Betty Henrikson recently entertained her daughter Susan Craddock and husband Bob for several days.

The Lighthouse Party on July 6^th was a huge success with estimates of between 400 and 500 people celebrating its 130^th birthday. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum sponsored the bash with vanilla/chocolate Dixie cups and a tall chocolate birthday cake made to look like the lighthouse. In a few years the lighthouse will need financial assistance to keep it maintained and all of us will be asked to contribute.

The “McMansion” across from the lighthouse is back on the market for a huge price and we’re told that construction will be restarted shortly. Would this structure have been allowed if we had been part of the Historic District?

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

4^th of July cookout on Tuesday July 4^th: BBQ chicken, ribs, salad, cornbread, in season veggies and dessert. Please sign up at the front desk.

Retro Party on July 15^th featuring the music of “Almond Joy” (with Katie Davin): Meat and fish kabobs, rice, salad, in season veggies, plus dessert. Prizes will be awarded this year for the most authentic and the most outrageous outfits. Sign up at the front desk or with me via email. Please note that we may have a big turnout for this one so sign up early!

Once again if you need to cancel your reservations for the Anniversary party on July 29^th, please do so ASAP. Tickets are non-refundable after July 1.

Grill Nights at the Tennis Club are well attended and members are encouraged to bring something to share as well as something for yourself to eat.

Don’t forget the Yacht Club party on July 8 at ECBC. Also, reminder about the Lighthouse Party on Thursday, July 6. See the Calendar for details.

The two public meetings regarding East Chop possibly becoming an Historic District have been cancelled. More details about this at the ECA meeting on July 15.

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

This Friday will be the first “Friday night dinner” at the ECBC. It will be a clam bake with all the fixins, plus dessert! Betsy and Perry welcome everyone to join them for cocktails at 6 and dinner after that. BYO, as always. Pricing will depend on market price that day.

I’ll shortly have menus for both the 4^th cookout and the Retro Party. In the meantime please note that the Retro Party was a huge success last year and space will be limited, so sign up early! Price will again be $35 per person including appetizers, dinner, and dessert PLUS entertainment by “Almond Joy” with Katie Davin on the drums.

This year prizes will be awarded for the most authentic and the most outrageous retro outfits. Come join the party!

Finally a quick update on the Anniversary Party on July 29^th: I have tickets to distribute to those of you with reservations. You will need to bring these tickets with you the night of the party so please put them in a safe place. As of July 1 there will be no refunds so please let me know as soon as possible if you need to cancel your reservations.

While we have COMPLETELY sold out thanks to your enthusiastic support, I have started a waiting list for those that would still like a chance to join in. As I will mention at the club meeting this weekend, there will also be an opportunity for additional members and their guests to join us at 9pm to hear the band. Cost will be $10 per person.

I think that’s it for now. As always please feel free to call or e mail me if you have any questions.

At the East Chop Association's Board Meeting today, it was announced that the Cottage City Historic District is tabling its consideration of adding East Chop to be a part of its Historic District, so that it can study the issue further. Therefore, the two meetings scheduled for July and August that were posted on this Website's Calendar have been cancelled.

For those of us on island, the weather has been superb. A few hearty souls have even braved the 60-65 degree water. Even though we had another infestation of oak-eating caterpillars up island, we in East Chop somehow managed to escape most of the ravaging creatures. We didn’t even have much “June dust” this year. But Mother Nature will always have her way!

Comments are flying around the Chop regarding the proposal to incorporate us into the Oak Bluffs Historical District. After much discussion several members have decided it’s not as good an idea as had originally been suggested earlier in the winter. Apparently some East Choppers want to continue to be independent from town controls; maybe good and maybe bad. You decide. The East Chop Association meeting will be held in early July so you’ll have a chance to vote yeah or nay. In the meantime, keep informed!

Jan Mead will be returning to her home very soon. By the time you read this she may even be there.

Pam Anderson and husband Bill Williams spent a great deal of the winter in adventurous travel throughout the world. Now that Bill is retired (and Pam close to it), they want to see as much of the globe as they can while they can. A splendid thought!

A further note on those retiring: both Patsy McCornack and Kathy Wilkerson are joining the ranks. To celebrate that momentous event, there will be a fun games time at ECBC at 5:30 PM on Monday, July 10^th. BYOB and participate in “Beach Croquet” and “Potato Guns.” Sounds hilarious!

Dottie Park will not be returning to her cottage on Munroe Avenue this summer. She’s in poor health in California and is already missed by her old friends.

Joan Desautelle has been living off-island in Connecticut this past winter and commuting to her job in the school system. What an ordeal with the price of ferry tickets and gas!

It seems like a great deal of construction is going on around the Chop. Ted and Ann Lewis’ house on the corner of East Chop Drive and Munroe Avenue is being reshingled and some new windows installed. We’ve also noticed that the old house on the corner of Brewster and Munroe (formerly owned by Jack Zietlow) is getting a face lift. The McCornack house is also undergoing extensive renovations for Margie and Rick Richardson. The Fortinbaugh’s house is still being renovated with a new addition. Workers are there even during the evening hours as we see lights on late.

Speaking of additions, we understand that Roger Wey has also done some renovating. His house is growing!

Carolyn Roedel is in residence for the summer and is driving a new “old” Volvo. Her grandson, Sam Baker, is living with her and is teaching tennis at Farm Neck again this summer.

Patsy will be living in Linda Richardson Collette’s house on Brewster for the month of July. Her phone number there is 508-693-4258.

Jeanie and Steve Hight have bought a Camp Ground house so we’ll still be seeing them around the Chop.

The regular weekly Grill Night at the Tennis Club brought out about 40 people last Wednesday. What a fun way to have an easy dinner and meet old friends! Just bring something to cook for yourself on the Club-owned grills and also bring something to share with others.

Jean and Wally Ross are collecting water samples from the public beaches of Oak Bluffs for the Senior Environmental Corps of the Cape and Islands. The state mandates that all public bathing beaches be tested weekly so the samples are analyzed at the Wampanoag Environmental Lab in Aquinnah after each collection. If there are any problems, the town infected is supposed to close the offending beach. I wonder….

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

June 3, 2006 News

Lots of news now that I’m back on the Island for the summer…much of it bad, I’m sorry to say.

First off, an apology is due. I goofed and apologize to Jan Dausman for not mentioning in a previous news report that Munroe Clark was her father as well as Scott’s.

I rode my bike around some of East Chop today (an overcast one) and noticed a large group of workers cleaning and sprucing up the Tennis Club. Jim Davin was in charge with Lynn Herrick and Steve Wilkerson as able supporters.

Stopped for a visit with Kit and Chuck Sanders and Debby Lewis. Chuck is wearing dark glasses and uses a white cane now that his eyesight is worse. He’s as cheerful as ever, however.

Bruce and Carol Patterson have purchased the Bryan cottage on Dudley Avenue.

The Kranz house on “upper” East Chop Drive (“upper” because of the numbering) has been sold.

Page and Judy Stephens are in residence and will be here most of the summer now that he’s retired. They’ll go back to N.C. frequently to check on Nancy.

Lynn and Rick Herrick, Graham Dripps, and Linda Schlageter are all in residence. The Herricks will be here full time with a winter sojourn in Colorado as usual.

Both Bob Hammett and Dave Lawton are recovering successfully from their surgeries.

Edna Graham’s old house is being renovated extensively. The “Mansion” across from the lighthouse is still under construction but no workers have been sighted since we’ve returned.

Boyd Cowper and Pete Perrine will be traveling to the Cape for most of the summer for cancer treatments.

Lee Hunsiker is just about finished with her treatment. What a tough disease! Carol Traenkle is in training for a grueling race to benefit cancer research. What a trooper she is!

Jan and Varnum Mead are now in Falmouth in their respective assisted living and rehab locations.

Rob and Deb Potter just moved into their new house on Clay Avenue and Bill O’Brien’s new house is well along in its construction.

Larry Stewart spent some time in Ireland playing golf. Apparently it’s the law there that no one over 75 can drive a car so he had to be chauffeured around. A bit inconvenient, I’d say.

Is there anyone out there who would be interested in collecting news for this website??? Let me know.

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

Jean Ross

May 30, 2006

In lieu of other reports, the Webmaster would like to share the happy news that most of our Crystal Lake Swan family has been located in the Upper Lagoon. The swan couple and four cygnets were first spotted in mid-May on Crystal Lake, and for about a week, they were a beautiful sight to behold. But then about a week ago, all of them disappeared. Naturalists say that only about half of a cygnet brood lives through their first year, but to have all six of them vanish at once was quite a shock. Clint Powers had speculated that the family could have crossed the drive and swam to the Lagoon. Then today, Beth O'Brien and Ann Knight found the parents and three of their cygnets in the Upper Lagoon with another swan family. Beth and Ann spoke to a birdwatcher there who confirmed that the second swan family had just appeared about a week ago, so it does appear that the birds are the ones from East Chop.

May 12, 2006 News

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

Jean Ross

A note from Kristi Davin:

While it might seem a little premature to be talking about this event now, I know that many of you “crafters” need a little advanced notice to increase your inventory in time for a selling event. So….

Please join us for the second annual ECBC Member Craft Fair on Sunday, August 20^th from 9-1. Truly Scrumptious catering will also be serving breakfast that morning through the snack bar.

Please let me know directly if you would like to reserve booth space at this event and what items you will have to sell. I am optimistic that we will have a larger turnout than last year, so reserve early! The cost to you is only that you donate an item worth at least $20 to the raffle table. Last year the raffle earned over $650 for the American Cancer Society! This year my goal is to earn $1,000 or more for another worthy cause.

Again, thanks for all your support! I’ll see you on the beach.

Kristi Davin

kdavin@comcast.net

www.twistedpaints.com

May 1, 2006 News

Another sad note: Monroe Clark died at age 87. He’s the father of Scott. Our condolences to him and the family.

Kristi Davin is considering offering music at some of the Friday night dinners at the Beach Club and is polling members for their reactions to this idea. Kristi is right on the ball and is a great asset to the social life of the Chop. As you may know, the Beach Club has a new caterer this year.

The Yacht Club has almost reached its financial goal on the repairs to the bulkhead. Many Beach Club members (even those without boats) have joined the Yacht Club and have assisted by contributing funds to this all-important project. The bulkhead benefits everyone by keeping the property contained and neat and allowing the availability of more waterfront activities.

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

Jean Ross

An esoteric case that has implications for the future of small parks in Oak Bluffs and throughout the commonwealth was argued at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Monday.

On its surface the case is about three small wooded lots behind Crystal Lake on East Chop, and whether the current owners can build there, though the lots have been labeled as parks since they were set out in an original 1872 subdivision.

The lots are by most accounts unremarkable; each one is smaller than an acre. But the legal battle is symbolic of larger conservation efforts, and the outcome of the case could decide the fate of more than a hundred small parks in Oak Bluffs that are privately owned but used by the public.

The question that the state's highest court must now decide is what developers intended when they set out small pieces of land as parks more than 100 years ago.

Attorney Daniel Perry of New Bedford, who represents a group of neighbors that are trying to block construction, argued in a brief to the court that if the neighbors do not prevail, it will mark the first time that any park in Oak Bluffs is opened to development. He said it would also be the first decision in Massachusetts that failed to protect a parcel designated as park on a subdivision plan.

"[It would be] a deeply troubling precedent that may be unsettling to the status of numerous parcels historically dedicated to open space throughout the commonwealth, especially in seaside communities," wrote Mr. Perry, who also serves as Gosnold town counsel.

Attorney Kenneth Kimmell of Boston, who represents the owners of the lots, argued that if two lower court decisions are not upheld, it will mark the first time that a court has imposed restrictions on a property based solely on a century-old subdivision plan.

Since the case first began more than five years ago, the Massachusetts Land Court and the Massachusetts Court of Appeals have both ruled in favor of the landowners - finding that the neighbors did not meet the burden of proof establishing rights to use the lots as parklands.

A wider public interest, with implications that reach beyond the three small lots in question, was underscored when the supreme court agreed to hear the case this winter.

And in fact this week was not the first time that the state's highest court heard arguments about an Oak Bluffs park.

The landmark 1891 Abbott case - decided by a state Supreme Judicial Court that included future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. - saved Ocean Park from development. Many at the time thought it saved the rest of the Oak Bluffs parks as well, none of which have since been developed.

Parks played an integral role in the creation of Oak Bluffs - dating back to the founding of the Methodist Camp Meeting Association in the mid-19th century.

In 1866 a group of investors formed a company and bought roughly 75 acres near the Camp Ground to develop a residential neighborhood for summer visitors. The company hired Boston landscape designer Robert Morris Copeland - today memorialized in the town's Copeland District - to design the community.

Mr. Copeland's plan - titled Oak Bluffs and covering what is today known as the Ocean Park neighborhood - laid out small residential lots, curved avenues and larger parcels spread throughout the community and labeled as parks. In his brief to the court, Mr. Perry noted that the inclusion of parks, which later became a common feature in planned subdivisions, was unprecedented at the time.

Mr. Copeland's design proved popular, and was repeated in eight other subdivisions created nearby between 1866 and 1880 and marketed for sale. Together these nine subdivisions defined what was then known as Cottage City.

The properties that are now the subject of the court case were labeled as parks in what was then called the Bellevue Heights subdivision, behind Crystal Lake on East Chop, which was laid out in 1872. Between the nine subdivisions, more than 100 such parks were created.

The boom of the real estate development soon went bust, however, and many of the original investors went bankrupt.

The company that hired Mr. Copeland auctioned off its remaining parcels and sold the park lots to a group represented by George C. Abbott, who then attempted to resell the parks at a substantial gain to the town. The town in 1885 took a portion of the Ocean Park property by eminent domain, and Mr. Abbott sued for damages.

A judgment in his favor by Dukes County Superior Court was overturned by the state supreme court, and the Massachusetts Attorney General brought a separate lawsuit against Mr. Abbott to establish that the parks were parks, and not intended for private property.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the attorney general and found that the parks within the subdivision were intended for public use. The justice in the case wrote that if the developers intended to sell the designated parks as buildable lots, it would have been "inconsistent with common honesty."

Mr. Perry and his clients relied heavily on the Abbott decision in their arguments for the pending case, noting how close the Ocean Park subdivision was to Bellevue Heights in both location and time. But both lower courts found his reading of Abbott was too broad and not applicable to the present case.

With the original Bellevue Heights developer no longer alive to speak about his plans, the court now only has the original subdivision map and other remaining records to interpret his intentions.

Records entered into the court proceedings are compelling. The original 1872 subdivision plan set off hundreds of numbered residential lots - all rectangular, with 50-by-100-foot dimensions - but named three unnumbered parcels as parks that were larger, of irregular size, and bounded by a road named Park street. The lots were continuously designated as parks on recorded plans and assessors maps for more than a century.

The three small lots remained off the town's tax rolls until 1994, when for unknown reasons town assessors sent out tax bills. It appears that they may have been trying to clear title to the land, as the tax collector in 1996 began tax taking proceedings.

The current owners of the property did not know they had an interest in the property until they received a letter from the town's tax attorney in 2001 notifying them of foreclosure proceedings. The current owners live in California and Nebraska and inherited the lots through two generations from an ancestor, who purchased the parks and roads in the Bellevue Heights subdivision for a nominal fee when the developer went bankrupt only a few years after designing the community.

Once the owners learned about the properties they put them on the open market as residential lots and signed a purchase and sales agreement for one of the disputed parcels with a buyer who intended to build a home. The current owners have never paid property taxes on the lots.

The original plaintiffs in the case, John and Lisa Reagan, who own a home abutting one of the parks and tried to buy the disputed parcel when it was put on the market, filed a complaint in land court once they learned someone else intended to build there. The Reagans were later joined in their lawsuit by other landowners in the area - including Renee and Bruce Balter, Anne Gallagher, and the East Chop Association.

The earlier court decisions found that the properties in question were not used by the public in the general sense - defendants noted that the properties were densely overgrown, and did not include picnic benches or playground equipment.

But in the Abbott decision the court expressly noted that open space alone was a public asset.

"The chief element of a public park . . . is to have the land kept open," the decision found. "If in a seaside summer resort, no improvements at all are made, there will be still some benefit from having space left over for air, and for an open, unobstructed prospect."

The town is listed as a defendant because it is a partial owner of the properties through the tax foreclosure process, but selectmen decided last year to assist the neighbors in their effort to keep the parks open. Town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport argued in favor of the plaintiffs at the supreme court this week.

The case comes at a time when the town is trying to clear title to some of the other parks throughout town. Town meeting voters last year accepted title to both Linden Park and Winne Park in Lagoon Heights; the fate of many other parks with unclear ownership hangs in the balance.

Court documents in the case cite a history of Oak Bluffs included in a book authored by the late Gazette editor Henry Beetle Hough. Mr. Perry noted in his brief to the supreme court that Mr. Hough's reflections on the Abbott decision had "ironic prescience."

Looking back on the Abbott case in 1935, Mr. Hough wrote: "The parks have been won these many years, and time has discounted the victory.

"Generations enjoying liberties won for them in the past are slow to understand how easily the balance might have been turned in the other direction. In this instance, the public right to the parks hung by a hair for years, with able lawyers and the lower courts adding to the weight of opposition. At the end the issue turned upon that slender and intangible quality of the human mind, liberal construction, the will and the ability to look beyond small logic and adherence to technicality."

Originally published in The Vineyard Gazette
edition of Friday, February 10, 2006

Let’s hope that you’re all having a really “good” winter wherever you are. As I’m in Florida, I have absolutely nothing to complain about, and am looking forward to our return to the dear old Vineyard in May.

You’ve all received the letter from the East Chop Association and the survey from the Town of Oak Bluffs on the subject of making East Chop into an “historical district.” I, for one, think it’s a good idea and returned the survey promptly. However, I’ve heard from some East Choppers that they are against the whole idea. Some of their reasons are:

As I recall, at the annual meeting of the East Chop Association last August, the topic was under discussion and a vote was taken to pursue the subject to control future building plans on the Chop. This is one suggestion.

You may send me an email by clicking on my name below, and we will post any comments you like on this Web Site.

Mike Davin sent the Webmaster a list of recent East Chop real estate transactions that he thought may be of interest. The note, entitled "New East Chop Families" follows:

Here are 7 transfers:

Metcalf (Doll House) to:
Kevin Cohane And Jennifer Lyons
93 G St.
Boston, MA 02127

Michael Soares, 65 Winemack Ave to:
Alfred P. and Gerry Triangolo and Paul W. and Robin Triangolo
266 Stillwater Road
Smithfield, RI 02017

Elizabeth Poole, 43 East Chop Dr. to:
Mr and Mrs. Thomas Welch
43 East chop Drive
Oak Bluffs, Ma 02557
This is their primary home, and they own BASICS on Circuit AVE.

Estate of Edna Graham, 132 Monroe Ave to:
JMH interiors
8 Moss Ledge Rd.
Westport, CT
I think these are the Havlicheks from Moss Ave,

Ted and Melva Max, 19 Harrison Ave. to:
David Rouse
26 Prentice Rd.
Newton Center, MA 02459

Beverly Harden, et al, on East Chop Drive to:
Patti Elliott
155 Wildwood Ave.
Upper Montclair, NJ 07047
This the former Knight House two lots up from the Beach Club

Judy Naftulin, 275 East Chop Drive to:
Anne Brownell
P.O. Box 3315
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

June 20, 2007 News Update

June 20, 2007 News

July 10, 2007

June 3, 2006 News

For questions or comments about this website, please email the East Chop Association Webmaster. Last modified: 05/14/07

For questions or comments about this website, please email the East Chop Association Webmaster.
Last modified: 05/14/07