Dylan Thomas
The birds of the winged trees flying my name Above the farms and the white horses I rose in rainy autumn And walked abroad in a shower of all my days. – Dylan Thomas
August 3, 2018
Meteor Showers
The coming week offers all of us an opportune time to go hunting for shooting stars.
Summer Business Sees Mixed Reviews Across the Island
With summer at the halfway point, Island businesses have begun to tally the numbers.
Tax on Short Term Rentals Nears Reality
Legislation passed this week by Massachusetts lawmakers would extend state and local occupancy taxes to short-term rental properties.
Straight Talk, No Chaser; Trying to Keep Up With Everett Poole
At 87, Everett Poole is still working hard at his chandlery in Menemsha, where he has chosen to hold onto the old ways.
Storied Graham Estate Goes on the Market
The majority of the storied north shore estate once owned by legendary Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham is on the market.
A Town This Size: Backyard Bash Celebrates All Things Chilmark
The only fire at the Chilmark volunteer firefighters’ Backyard Bash Wednesday was on the grill, where burger patties and corn on the cob were laid out for hundreds.
Library Friends
The Library Friends of Oak Bluffs thank our neighbors of all ages who turned out for our annual summer book sale.
Saved by a Village
On July 19, the car I was driving in Chilmark heading up-Island drifted right, hit a large rock, skidded and rolled over.
Patient Advocacy
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has been in the news a lot during the past few years.
Missing Paul Leonard
They say you never miss the water until the well runs dry. Well, the Oak Bluffs post office hasn’t run dry, but Paul Leonard is missed to an aching degree.
Postal Blues
As you all said, the post office there is short staffed at the moment, and service is affected by that.
August Roars In
August has its own distinctly different rhythms.
Permanent Endowment Board Adds Member
Isabelle Lew has joined the board of directors for the The Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard, the endowment announced this week.
Tisbury Police Chief Search Narrowed to Five
The search for a new Tisbury police chief has been narrowed to five candidates from a field of 16.
Land Bank Revenues: July 27
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $128,400 for the business week ending on Friday, July 27, 2018.
Bill Clinton to Discuss His New Novel
Former President Bill Clinton will appear at the Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, August 22 to talk about his best-selling novel, The President Is Missing.
In the Grove
Another week has passed, and the readers of the Gazette will probably expect something from the Grove.
Joseph Rossi Graduates
Joseph Rossi of Chilmark graduated from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I.
Panel Discussion to Address Lack of Abortion Access On-Island
Amy Brenneman will join a panel discussing abortion access on the Island on Saturday, August 4 at 5 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown.
The Man Behind the Back Door
Back Door Donuts pastry chef Raffi Jabri doesn’t get much sleep. His typical night shift at the bakery ends at 1:30 a.m.
MVY’s Recipe for Success for Thirty Five Years? Stay True to the Music.
Thirty-five years ago, radio station WMVY went on the air from a tiny suite of studios here on Martha’s Vineyard.
Stars Align on Assignment With Dad
I grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and my father is a photographer for the Gazette who often let me tag along on assignments.
Chamber Music Gala Is Boffo!
At most Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society concerts, human voices are only heard introducing the music and cheering the performances.
At the Bridge Table: August 3
We’re moving into the late stages of my editor Paul Laliberte’s auctions that begin with 1NT and don’t end there.
Alexander Baynes Awarded Doctorate Degree
Lieut. Commander Alexander B. Baynes of the United States Navy was awarded the degree of doctor of philosophy in applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
Cecile Richards Talks Leadership, New Book
Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for more than a decade, will be the featured speaker at the next Author Series event at the Chilmark Community Center.
Rev. Wilson Speaks at Union Chapel
Union Chapel will greet August and its congregation with the Rev. Canon Dr. Sandye A. Wilson at the pulpit.
Aquinnah Town Column: August 3
It is beginning to feel like summer again in Aquinnah with temperatures in the 80s and hot and humid days. A thunderstorm did not even break the humidity. The lawns are greening as before the drought.
Pasting, Pressing, Cutting; Book Binding Leaves a Tactile Trail
On any given afternoon, one of three sounds can be heard coming from Mitzi Pratt’s Aquinnah bookbinding studio: the dull squeak of a 19th century press, sheers clipping through paper, or the piercing bang of a weighty backing hammer.
Youth Knows Best, Just Ask Brea
Each week the folks at Cinema Circus show a series of short films on Wednesday evening at the Chilmark Community center.
Angela Davis Looms Large in New Theatrical Memoir
Angela’s Mixtape, through August 11 at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, is a time-tripping, genre-blending and often very funny autobiography of its playwright, Eisa Davis, in her childhood and youth.
Sargent Gallery Show
The Sargent Gallery in Aquinnah is holding a reception for its August show called Bios Kentron. The show is up from August 5 through August 17, with an opening reception on Sunday, August 5 from to 8 p.m.
All Island Art Show Calls Creativity To the Front
Amateur and professional artists alike are invited to show and sell their work at the annual All Island Art Show held at the Oak Bluffs Tabernacle on August 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Granary Gallery Acquires Rare Benton Painting
The Granary Gallery in West Tisbury recently acquired the oil on canvas, Thomas Hart Benton’s 1926 train painting Going West.
African American Film Festival Raises the Bar for Art, Conversation
Featured speakers at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, running from August 6 to 11, are Spike Lee and Barry Jenkins, screenwriter and director of Academy Award winning film, Moonlight.
Not Just Spring Peepers, These Pinkletinks Know All the Chords
Although the band doesn’t have quite the national following of Kid Rock, they Pinkletinks have become a big hit on the Vineyard over the past few years.
When Art and Life Are Woven Together
Shelly Davis bought her loom, a four harness Nilus Leclerc, in 1975. It weighs more than she does, and it arrived in pieces with a guidebook called “Weaving: A Fantastic Hobby.”
Filmmaker Follows Her Heart and Head
A phone call from her daughter thrust filmmaker and seasonal resident Susanna Styron into her new documentary, Out of My Head.
Getting Brassy for 150 Years
The Vineyard Haven band is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a gala concert on August 9 at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs.
Let the Creative Rumpus Begin
Painter Margot Datz’s show Party Animals opens for its annual one-night reception on August 4 at the Grange Hall from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On the Beach, Bench or Porch, Summer Weather Equals Summer Reading
Elin Hilderbrand may be the queen of summer fiction year after year, but hold lists provided by Island librarians showing their top requested books this summer span a cornucopia of genres, settings and subject matter.
One Hundred Fifty Years of Keeping the Camp Meeting Faith
One hundred fifty years ago this year, by an act of the Massachusetts legislature, the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association was incorporated to manage what had become one of the largest camp meetings in New England.
Gingerbread Cottage Tour
Each year the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association holds a Gingerbread Cottage Tour, taking guests inside the privately owned cottages to get a look past the porches. This year’s tour is Wednesday, August 8 and includes six cottages. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning at the Tabernacle. The cost is $30,…
High Heat and Buckwheat
A couple of us were complaining about the hot, humid weather in Vineyard Grocers. Mark, the manager told us that Oman on the Arabian peninsula just set the all-time highest low temperature – 109!
Aquinnah Selectmen Back Police Chief
Aquinnah selectmen met briefly in executive session with their police chief Randhi Belain Wednesday morning as a personnel matter.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: August 3
This is the fastest moving summer ever. Even with some of our downpours, the plants are begging for water. And I am happily entertaining a flock of turkeys – from eight to 15 daily.
Hoops Standout Erin Hill Heads to Yale
Vineyarder and former high school basketball star Erin Hill will join the Yale women’s basketball team next year, one of only four standout first-years.
One Way Home: Chappy Ferry Through the Years
From a rowboat to the barges that have had more than one iteration through the years, the Chappaquiddick ferry is an Island institution all its own.
Chiton Curiosity
Beachcomber and paleoecologist Heinz Lowenstam needed something he could really sink his teeth into. He found it in a discovery about a small mollusk called a chiton.
Joyce’s Way Celebrates a Mother’s Love
Joyce’s Way, by Island author and storyteller Susan Klein, is the true story of the late Joyce Brigish.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: August 3
Events and programs late in July and August reminds me of the oft-used phrase attributed to brides assembling their wardrobe as they prepare for their wedding, “something olde, something new, something borrowed and something blue.”
Sharks Lead the League; Everyone Else Is Just Chum
With 12 players on the all star team and first place standing, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks are having their best season yet.
Hello Hannah
Neiva and Bruno Leoncio of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Hannah Gabryelly Gales Leoncio, born on July 28 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Shearwater Revival
Long narrow wings and a fairly robust body, running along the water’s surface to become airborne, oceanic and a tube on top of their beaks to excrete excess salt. All are characteristics of shearwaters.
Real Estate Transactions: July 24 to July 30
Carter Payne purchased 55 Fishhook Road in West Tisbury from John T. Hough and Joe W. Russell, Jr., trustees of the Fishhook Nominee Trust for $900,000 on July 25.
Louisa Gould Gallery Celebrates Fifteen Years
The Louisa Gould Gallery turns 15 on August 3, but gallery owner and Island artist Louisa Gould couldn’t wait to celebrate.
On Chappy: August 3
If you have lived on Chappy for any amount of time, you know we are an island of unique and variable mail and package delivery.
Chilmark Town Column: August 3
Come early August, the fields are usually ready for their second cut. Although less bales are produced, it is richer in nutrients and gives off a sweeter smell.
Edgartown Town Column: August 3
Rain, glorious rain! It was a great call on Saturday when we had some glorious rain showers and a little thunder and lightning. The plants and ground have been screaming for it.
West Tisbury Town Column: August 3
Activity will pick up even more in this town in advance of the fair as we have passed the peak of the summer season.
Beach Etiquette, Written and Otherwise
What do you do when you’re a 12-year old boy strolling down Lucy Vincent Beach with your buddies and you spot your orthodontist? And he’s not wearing any clothes.
Audio Postcard: Voices of Summer Workers
Before the sun rises, they wipe the dew off bike seats and trudge out to bus stops on Island roadsides. They are among the earliest commuters to summer jobs. But for these summer workers, the trip didn’t start there in the predawn hours. The journey began when they left their home countries to travel to…
Ice House Pond Reopens to Swimmers
The popular freshwater swimming hole in West Tisbury reopened Tuesday morning after being closed due to high bacteria counts.
The Hard Truth About the Rise in Hate Crimes
Richard Cohen spoke at the Hebrew Center last Thursday night about his work as president of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Local, National Heroes Shine in Wounded Warriors Documentary
A National Geographic documentary screening at Menemsha Beach placed American Heroes Saltwater Challenge at center stage.
Firefighters Respond to Picket
Call firefighters in Oak Bluffs spoke out last week following the recent informational picket by members of International Association of Fire Fighters.
Dreaming Big Pays Off for Community Services
At the 40th annual Possible Dreams auction on Sunday, dreams were sold to the highest bidder, with all the proceeds going to Community Services.
Three-Car Crash Injures Three
Three people were transported to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital following a three-car collision Saturday afternoon.
Opera With Laughs at Featherstone
Opera at Featherstone this year strips away the ponderous trappings of traditional opera to reveal the pure beauty of the music, sung by highly trained vocalists from the Metropolitan Opera and other stages.
Block Grants Provide Critical Aid for Child Care, Housing Rehab
Nearly $2 million in community development block grants will go toward housing projects and child care subsidies in five Island towns, the state announced Thursday.
Great White Shark Expert Takes Audiences on a Deep Dive
An attentive all-ages audience came to the Oak Bluffs Tabernacle Thursday night to hear Gregory Skomal give a talk called Seeing Deeper Into the World of the Great White Shark.
