Mary Oliver
The wind wags its many tails. And in the evening the piled firewood shifts a little, longing to be on its way. —Mary Oliver
October 29, 2021
Crescent Moon and Mercury
The best astronomical next week is in the early morning skies. On Monday morning look for a thin crescent moon high in the eastern sky before sunrise. In the next three mornings, the moon will appear to descend towards the horizon. Take your pick for a pretty scene. On Wednesday morning, an hour before sunrise,…
Tribe Eyes Expansion in New Bedford
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is eyeing a building in New Bedford to expand its services and provide jobs to tribal members on the mainland, according to its monthly newsletter.
Oak Bluffs Moves Ahead on Land Swap
A long-anticipated plan for affordable housing near the YMCA in Oak Bluffs is taking another step forward, with the top two developers bidding for the project’s initial phase.
Housing Bank Bills Get Hearings on Beacon Hill
Speakers from Somerville, Hadley and Martha’s Vineyard were united in their call for legislation to address a statewide problem: lack of affordable housing.
Island Cup Fever Is Contagious for Generations
The Island Cup game has been rescheduled to Sunday at 2 p.m. on Nantucket. The fan boat leaves the Vineyard on Oct. 31 at 7 a.m. Field hockey and boys and girls soccer also play at Nantucket that day.
Welcome Phoebe
Kristen and Jake Geogan, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Phoebe Fern Geogan, born on Oct. 25.
Hello Marguerite
Sylvie Dole and Colin Britt, of West Tisbury, announce the birth of a daughter, Marguerite Mariella Fox Louisa Britt-Dole, born on Oct. 4.
Brayon Arrives
Hellen Pereira and Vinicios Dias, of Edgartown, announce the birth of a son, Brayon Pereira Dias, born on Oct. 25.
Twins
Rafaela and Thiago deSouza, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of twin boys, born on Oct. 24 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Halloween Treats and Scary Delights
Halloween 2021 will see the return of some beloved Island traditions.
Concert of Belonging
The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury will host a concert called Belonging, Journeying and Loving on Sunday, Oct. 31.
Lily Oksanen to Wed Kevin McCabe
Kevin James McCabe proposed to Lily Angela Oksanen in Aquinnah.
Harthaven Memories Evoke Ancestral Spirits
The memories come flood ing back during the imposed isolation of the pandemic.
Lighthouse at Cape Pogue
Hard seats bump, the truck slews skids on the sand of the thin-armed cape. The tower, isolated at the cape’s elbow,| was lifted by helicopter and set again away from the surf. Visitors can climb spiral stairs, then a steep ladder to the lens where they can wonder how a flame, small as an eye,…
Spirited
Spirited From the Oct. 25, 1968 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
Vineyard in Trouble
The real estate developer Xerxes Agassi has proposed a plan for the Edu Comp property in downtown Vineyard Haven.
Mystery Outburst
The individual who burst, ranting and raging, into the barnyard of the Grey Barn Farm while a cow was in the process of delivering a calf, owes Grey Barn employees and customers letters of apology.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Oct. 22
Brandon Dana Edward Labonte and Sheri Lavon Labonte purchased 40 Knoll drive in Edgartown from Charles F. Holzwarth and Stephen J. Bloomer for $3,006,000 on Oct. 18.
West Tisbury Town Column: Oct. 29
I’m writing this during a lovely, cozy, stormy afternoon, which looks as though it will get even stormier.
Chilmark Town Column: Oct. 29
The winter stakes have been put on moorings, the swim line has been hauled, and the harbor shack has been buttoned up for the season.
Edgartown Town Column: Oct. 29
I am sitting here listening to the weather and wondering what the next few days are going to bring. It is already raining and the wind is blowing, not badly, but it is starting.
Chappaquiddick Town Column: Oct. 29
If you use the Chappy Ferry regularly, you are aware that various vehicles don’t wait in the vehicle waiting line but rather get to “cut the line.”
Aquinnah Town Column: Oct. 29
As we head into November, the temperatures have remained in the high 60s and, on occasion, the 70s.
Storm Warning
As I write on Tuesday afternoon, I wait unhappily for the impending northeaster.
Pinesap
No matter how bright the future, this plant never needs to wear shades.
Birds and Caterpillars
Is there a connection between invasive plants and declining songbird populations?
Oak Bluffs Eyes Return of Fireworks
If the Oak Bluffs fireworks display is ever to return, it will be the town’s responsibility to make it happen, the select board determined Tuesday. The popular late-August event has been on hold for the past two summers.
Northeaster Batters Island, Leaving Widespread Damage
Crews were working around the clock on cleanup efforts after a ferocious northeaster swept across the Island early in the week, packing hurricane-force winds.
Lawsuit Over Chilmark Summer Camp Incident Is Quickly Settled
A lawsuit by the parents of an eight-year-old black child who was tied up by two white boys at the Chilmark Community Center’s summer camp in July was settled for $45,000 Tuesday, one day after it was filed.
Live Music Returns at the Regional High School
POSTPONED: The scheduled performance of the high school bands and the Minnesingers has been postponed until Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
State Extends Mask Mandate in Schools
State school officials announced Tuesday they are extending the mask mandate for all Massachusetts public schools through at least Jan. 15. State education commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley said the decision came after consultation with medical experts.
Edgartown Joins Support for Housing Bank Coalition
Edgartown joined four other Island towns on Monday, issuing a letter of support for the Coalition to Create a Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank.
With Substitutes in Short Supply, Up-Island Schools Raise the Pay Rate
Substitute teachers are in such short supply on Martha’s Vineyard that Vineyard schools superintendent Matthew D’Andrea is recommending a one-third pay increase, effective immediately.
Covid Cases See Decline
The number of new Covid-19 cases on Martha’s Vineyard for the week ending Saturday, Oct. 23 showed a decline after three weeks of gradually increasing numbers.
Gay Head Lighthouse Keeper Assumes a New Watch
Standing at the top of the Gay Head Light you can see for miles, a 360-degree view of the Atlantic Ocean, Noman’s Land, the Elizabeth islands, fishing boats trawling the waters, tourists below looking out at the same view.
Free Well Testing in West Tisbury
Health agents in West Tisbury are encouraging private property owners to take advantage of a free well water testing program to check for the chemicals known as PFAS.
Right Whales Teeter on Brink of Extinction
The critically endangered North Atlantic right whale registered another grim milestone this week, with a new estimate showing further declines in its population. A report Monday said a census found just 336 whales left.
Tisbury Police Department Achieves State Certification
Ths Tisbury police department this week announced it has been certified by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.
Silence Is Complicity
I recently attended a dedication ceremony at The Dodd Center for Human Rights at the University of Connecticut.
Tight on Space, Island Anti-Hunger Network Eyes Solutions
When the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Trust began its seafood donation program earlier this year, the nonprofit ran into an obstacle that regularly confronts other Island anti-hunger groups: a shortage of places to store the food.
West Tisbury Sets Town Meeting Date
A new expense and revenue formula for Tri Town Ambulance, an additional $322,000 for the school roof and an inter-municipal agreement for HVAC at Chilmark School are the chief warrant items.
MVC Approves Massive Tisbury Marine Terminal Development
The commission voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a project to redevelop the Tisbury Marine Terminal as a maintenance staging area for the Vineyard Wind project.
