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Article: Oak Bluffs' ebb and flow First lady of Oak Bluffs is a no-nonsense woman of cool
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- August 18, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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OAK BLUFFS -- Barbara Houtman glares over the rim of her glasses
at two women chattering conspiratorially during the Oak Bluffs
selectmen's meeting. She does not speak, but she leans forward and
rises out of her seat, no more than an inch or so, and focuses a
pinpoint gaze on the loquacious duo. An almost visible and
potentially withering beam of light shoots from her eyes to their
throats.
"I. Will. Have. Silence." The two women redden and rumble a
bit under their breaths. But only a bit. The meeting is in session,
and there's no doubt about who's in charge.
People are often surprised to learn that the brusque,
silver-haired Houtman is Oak Bluffs' first black to head the Board of ...