MARGARET KNIGHT
508-627-8894
Last week I arrived home to a message on my machine from Tim Leland who has a house at Wasque — something about a bomb. Naturally, my interest was piqued, so I called him right back.
He told me he’d come down to his house on Thursday, done some yard work, eaten dinner and gone to bed about 9 p.m. Soon after, he said, there was an enormous explosion that shook the whole house, seemingly just outside his bedroom door.
He thought it sounded like a bomb, and he had three thoughts: one, his propane tank had exploded; two, a bolt of lightning had hit the house; or three, there was a nuclear attack on New York or Boston. He ran downstairs and checked his kitchen and then his utility room, and everything looked fine – the house was still standing.
He figured if it were lightning, there would be some kind of smell outside, like sulfur, so he opened the front door. But the air smelled fresh, and the sky was mostly clear — no thunderheads.
Forced to examine the third option, Tim climbed to his cupola, up at a height from which the horizon extends far in all directions. There was no unusual light anywhere in the distance, so, having run out of options, he went back to bed.
The next day, after looking to see if there was any mention of an explosion on the news, he called Dave Belcher, who told him it actually had been a bomb exploding, out at Wasque Point — which relieved Tim that he wasn’t imagining things.
The 60-pound bomb had washed up on the beach below Schifter’s house and, from the distance, looked very much like a log. Closer examination revealed fins. It was about three and a half feet long and 12 inches around: a typical World War II bomb, dated also by the rust and shells encrusting it.
After Trustees staff found it at about 4 p.m., they called the Edgartown police, who looked at it and called the state police bomb squad; no one knew if the bomb was alive or not.
The bomb squad arrived about 7:30 and set up some plastic explosives, went about 300 yards away and hid behind the Trustees truck, and detonated the bomb by radio.
The bomb was quite live! Evidently other people besides Tim heard the explosion and went to check their propane tanks, and people even heard it down at the ferry.
Although there is no way of knowing where the bomb came from, Dave points to the great erosion and ocean activity off Wasque as possibly having unburied the bomb. He speculates it could have been from a practice run or it could have been targeting a German sub, as there were reports of them off the coast during the war.
Since February, Dot and John Dropick have volunteered to help with tax preparations through the AARP tax assistance program, which has a special emphasis on helping the elderly. The AARP tax session in Edgartown, scheduled for March 25 and 26, has been relocated to the Whaling Church because of the library being closed for the cleanup. Appointments may be scheduled by calling the Anchors at 508-627-4368.
Joan and Siamak Adibi are excited to become grandparents to Axelrein Camron Teoste, who was born on March 14 to Jennifer Adibi and David Teoste. The baby’s middle name is for his uncle — the Persian spelling of it. His first name is a combination name: the Axel part is Nordic and means “bringer of peace” or “sturdy oak.” The Rein part is from his grandfather on David’s side of the family.
Roger Becker will be running for reelection for a five-year term on the planning board in one of the few contested races in town this year. He has been serving on the board since 2003 and is now the chairman.
Last Saturday, Roger attended the annual statewide Citizen Planner Training Collaborative conference at Holy Cross College in Worcester, and he also has met with the other Island towns’ planners concerning a possible Islandwide energy district of critical planning concern.
Bob Fynbo sent me an update on his campaign for selectman. He has been attending town board and commission meetings, and talking with lots of residents and town employees. Bob says, “Every trip out now requires lots of extra time as everyone I run across wants to talk.”
Bob has continued to expand his Web site, bobfynbo.com, adding informational sections including a 30-year history of the selectman’s office, as well as the most popular topic this week: campaign signs. His signs have been suffering from theft and damage. With more than $400 in damage, the police have become involved, and because there’s lots of evidence, they should be solving the problem soon.
Both Roger and Bob will be at the League of Women Voters candidates’ forum on Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Baylies Room downstairs in the Whaling Church.
Chappy’s Easter egg hunt will take place on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the community center thanks to Liz Villard, who provides the eggs and the enthusiasm. The hunt is open to any children on Chappy.
I received an e-mail from Varian Cassat, who has spent her first winter in the faraway town of Vineyard Haven. She saw Claire Thacher at a Saint Andrew’s potluck and learned that “her” rock in Brine’s Pond shows less than 4 inches above the water line, after being totally exposed last fall when the pond level was so low. That made Varian very happy but, she says, she continues “to miss Chappy like crazy!”
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