The Vineyard, No Longer Home of Black Dog

Going over to the Vineyard used to be such a treat when I was a kid; taking the slow-but-steady ferry or maybe the somewhat speedy Island Queen, eating my favorite ice cream at Mad Martha’s, riding the prettiest painted horse on the Flying Horses Carousel and trying desperately to nab that brass ring, then grabbing lunch at The Black Dog Tavern of Cafe, and maybe mom will even give in and buy that overly-priced Black Dog sweatshirt you want so badly.

Well nowadays, you are sure to run into a Black Dog Store if you come to the Cape without even taking the short voyage to the Vineyard. There are now 13 Black Dog Stores altogether, including a few on the island and Nantucket, stretching to the Mainland in Falmouth, P-town, and Chatham and reaching all the way to Portland, Maine and Newport, Rhode Island.

Why did this small, celebrated, local piece of Cape Cod have to become something more? My only hope is that the Café, Tavern, and Bakery do not follow suit and take to the Mainland. We need to keep these Black Dog favorites intrinsic to the Vineyard. Driving to downtown Falmouth to shop at The Black Dog is just not the same as taking a memorable ferry boat ride there. And Portland, what are they doing with our Black Dog?

FA Gets Idea of Renewable Energy Spinning

Yesterday afternoon Falmouth Academy took a huge leap to going green. Alternate Energy Systems finished positioning a 92-foot pole adjacent to Beebe Woods, which is going to be the base for Falmouth’s first wind turbine.

The small 215-student school has already been recognized by the state as a leader in recycling ad conservation. After an Algebra II class went through the mathematical procedures with information given by WHOI and the manufacturer, the turbine is expected to provide up to 10% of the school’s electricity needs. The $70,000 project is partly being paid for by a $47,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaboration.

There are a few other turbines scattered across Cape schools, including Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School and Mass Maritime Academy. This addition to the Cape’s growing collection of wind turbines demonstrates the great push the Cape community is making to go green and reduce energy costs with renewable energy options.

Cherrystones, Devastated by Fire

A Cape favorite, Cherrystones Restaurant & Lounge, caught fire on the morning of Saturday, April 21 and most of the building burnt down and is now destroyed. Firefighters from several towns were called to the scene at around11:45 AM. Officials speculate that a faulty electrical wire sparked the blaze that crept all the way up into the ceiling and devastated most of the building on Nathan Ellis Highway in Mashpee.

The small, elegant restaurant that many from around the Cape enjoyed dining at regularly, including myself, is now out of commission for an indefinite amount of time. After 18 years in business, it can only be hoped that Cherrystones gets back on its feet soon to continue serving up excellence…especially my favorite Seafood Scampi over angel hair. I miss it already.

Angel's Hope in Harwich

Give a swab of saliva on Saturday and help save a life at the Angel’s Hope Walk in Harwich.

On May 5, Cape Codders interested in being bone marrow donors may register right here on the Cape instead of driving up to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The Caitlyn Raymond International Registry will be coming to the Harwich Community Center from 10 AM to 1 PM for people interested in entering the registry of donors.

Those interested will only have to answer a few questions and have their mouths swabbed quickly and it is free of charged.

It costs $15 to walk in the seventh annual Angel’s Hope Walk, which also begins at 10 AM from the Community Center. The four-mile walk raises money and assists families in paying for cancer treatment for children. Martha Knapp started Angel’s Hope after her son died of cancer at the age of three. She was recently highlighted in Cape Cod Life’s April issue of the “400 People Who Make A Difference.”