This and That

A few photos - stragglers - left over from the last day of 2011:






Has anyone noticed the brand-spanking-new shutters on our Beautiful Old Church of Whaling Days?





After running a Going Out of Business Sale for at least the past two years, the Wood Shop really meant it this time, and has packed up, bag and baggage, and left us. This was all that was left in the space a couple of weeks ago. In the 1960s, this building housed the First National store, one of four grocery stores on Main Street, downtown, that provided us with our daily bread (Connors' Market, Edgartown Market, and Mercier's Market were the other three). I have it on good authority that the Courtneys are in the process of claiming this space for some type of enterprise, as yet to be determined. Stay tuned.


This lone white brick has been in the sidewalk in front of what is now Past and Presents for as long as I can remember. When the sidewalk was rebuilt, I remember that it was carefully removed from the old sidewalk and inserted into the new one. I have no idea what the history of this brick is. Do any of my gentle readers know the story behind this brick?


A few long January shadows that caught my eye.

Sam

Sadly, I learned today that my former step-father-in-law, Saverio "Sam" or "Rick" Riccio died last night (but am so glad to have had a very meaningful visit with him only eight days ago).

Coincidentally, Sam's Windemere roommate (and partner-in-mischief-and-good-times in Unit 2, from what I hear), died yesterday morning. When I read John Mayhew's obituary this morning in the Vineyard paper I thought, "Oh dear, Sam will be next." Within the hour, my sister-in-law called with the news of Sam's passing. So yes, you are reading this correctly: John died in the morning, his roommate and pal, Sam, died that night.

Life - and death - continue, at the very least, to fascinate me.






Sam was very proud of his military service and his involvement with the American Legion. This was taken in July of 2005.

Rest in peace, Sam.

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Update, January 18, 2012.

I have added the obituary that appeared in the Vineyard newspapers, which I have amended to include his Thibodeau family survivors. 

Saverio (Sam) J. Riccio, a resident of Edgartown for many years, and most recently of Oak Bluffs, died on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. He was 94.

Sam was born on June 11, 1917 in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Leonardo Riccio and Katrina Senatore Riccio. He was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy Viens (Thibodeau) Riccio, and his brothers, Leo, Thomas and Tony.

He was a WWII Army veteran, honorably discharged in 1945 after having served in the Philippines. Sam served as the weigh-master for the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby for many years, and was also employed by the Edgartown Harbormaster department as a wharfinger, tending to the many boats that tied up at the finger piers during the summer and making friends with the boaters and the steady stream of people who visited the docks - a job he loved and for which he was well suited and much appreciated.

Sam leaves behind his beloved daughters, Francine Stavola and Marie Mahoney, both of Connecticut, granddaughters Dina Stavola and Claudia Stavola Smith and her husband, Steve, of Connecticut, and great-granddaughter Sabrina Stavola of Connecticut; several nieces and nephews, as well as a step-daughter, Linda Benoit, of West Tisbury and a step-son, Edgar Thibodeau, of Connecticut; thirteen step-grandchildren: Jeffery and Craig Thibodeau and Danielle Kiro; Heather and Jessica Thibodeau and Amanda Adams; Eric and Keith Basset, Juliette Talbot, and Babette Benoit; Adam, Jonathan, and Maria Thibodeau, who, with their families, are spread out from Martha's Vineyard to Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Texas. Sam also leaves behind fourteen Thibodeau great-grandchildren and two great-greats.

He also leaves behind his dear friend, Richard Jennings and his wife, Carol Jennings, of Vineyard Haven, and many friends on the Island, all who will miss Sam very much. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Sam's name to a charity of your choice.

A memorial mass and burial followed by a celebration honoring Sam's life is being planned for early April. For more information, please e-mail Dick Jennings: dcjennings1@verizon.net, or Pat Carlet: pcarlet@comcast.net.

Edgartown Harbor, New Year's Eve Day

The challenge, for me anyway, is to try to see the stuff I've been looking at my whole life in new ways and from new angles. I'm always amazed though - the docks and waterfront are my stomping grounds, an area I am drawn to almost every day, and every time, I think, "Certainly there will be nothing new to photograph today," but every day the light is different, the configuration of boats is different and/or they are pointing in a different direction, and almost always I find somebody doing something of interest.

Happy New Year, everybody.

Tom

On Friday, while out and about doing errands, I happened upon my friend and local painter Tom Benedict who graciously allowed me to capture these portraits of him. Tom has been a dedicated bike-only traveler for many years and is a familiar figure around town, often seen with paint brushes and buckets dangling strategically from the back of his bike with classical music streaming from his portable radio. One of Tom's most recent public projects was painting all the lamp posts on Main Street, and a couple of years ago he put a shiny new coat of paint on the cannons and cannonballs in Memorial Park. Tom is also an excellent old-timey style five-string banjo player and has published a collection of banjo tablature, written by hand and illustrated with his own pen and ink drawings.