Here's a look at the 10 most-read stories of the year on vineyardgazette.com.
1. President Obama Visits Martha's Vineyard, August. For the sixth year during his presidency, President Obama and the first family came to the Vineyard for a summer vacation. This year's trip included a family bike ride and trips to the beach, and the President played a round of golf at Farm Neck Golf Club with former President Clinton.
2. Norton Point Breach Closes, April 2. Nearly eight years after a northeaster cut a breach in the barrier beach connecting Chappaquddick and Edgartown, the closely-watched Norton Point breach closed. An October storm briefly reopened the breach, but the year ended with the two Islands joined once again.
3. Hall Family Grapples With Financial Troubles, April 16 and Nov. 19. The Hall family, which owns dozens of real estate holdings around the Island, has had a turbulent year. Benjamin Hall Jr. filed for banktruptcy in March. In November, his father Ben Hall Sr. was led out of the Edgartown courthouse in handcuffs after a superior court judge found him in contempt of court for failing to pay $80,392 in attorney fees and court costs related to a bitter 13-year court dispute with the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association. A few hours later Mr. Hall was released from jail after a check was delivered to settle the issue.
4. January Blizzard Strikes the Island, Jan. 27. Driving snow and lashing winds hit the Vineyard during a late January blizzard. With more than a foot of snow and wind gusts up to 77 miles per hour, Islanders stayed safe inside to wait out the storm.
5. Oyster Watcha Home Sells for Almost $25 million, July 16. The $24.75 million home sale was just shy of the record selling price for a single family home on the Vineyard, which was set nine years ago at $25.1 million. The 15-acre property fronts secluded Oyster Pond.
6. Man Killed in Edgartown Home Fire, March 19. David Cleary, 32, was found dead inside the home he owned on Boylston Drive in Edgartown after a house fire police said was started by smoking materials. Three other occupants evacuated from the home.
7. Gay Head Light Moved Back from Eroding Cliff, May. The iconic brick lighthouse, placed in danger by a rapidly eroding cliff, was moved 129 feet inward in a much-watched preservation effort.
8. Stop & Shop Plans Expansion of Edgartown Store, Oct. 22. About a year and a half after abandoning plans to expand their Vineyard Haven store, Stop & Shop unveiled preliminary plans for a huge expansion of its Upper Main street grocery store.
9. Trudy Taylor, Family Matriarch, Dies at 92, Oct. 11. The widely-admired matriarch of the musical Taylor family lived on the Vineyard year-round since the 1970s. She had many passions and traveled the world, but she always called the Island home.
10. Businessman Revives Two Historic Island Theatres, Feb. 12. Edgartown businessman Mark Snider launched a successful effort to raise $1 million to restore the historic Strand and Capawock theatres, which had fallen into disrepair. Thanks to the efforts of the Martha's Vineyard Theater Foundation, the theatres were back in business this summer.
And a few others that merit another look:
Court Denies Tribe Rights to Pursue Gambling on Martha's Vineyard. The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) took steps to convert its community center into a gaming hall in 2015, but suffered a setback with the loss of a major federal court case as the year ended.
Airport Manager's Tenure Marked by Controversy from the Start, Dec. 3. Sean Flynn's turbulent 10-year career as manager of the Martha's Vineyard ended in 2015.
Perfect Season in the Record Books, Girls' Tennis Team Takes State Championship. It was a Cinderella season for girls tennis.
Always a Moving Experience, Trip Knows How to Deliver the Goods, Jan. 8. A profile of Clarence A. (Trip) Barnes.
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