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
August 4, 2017
Our Hospital
By its own bylaws, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is in fact a small cog in a huge Boston-based operation.
Obamas Return to Martha’s Vineyard for August Vacation
Former President Obama and his family were due to return this weekend for a three-week stay at two rented homes in Chilmark.
Arboretum Is Laboratory for Climate Change
A small herbarium at Polly Hill Arborteum is helping researchers monitor climate change, which has already left its mark on flowering plants in the region.
Hospital Board Stays Mostly Mum; Petition Calls for Change
Two months after the sudden firing of president and chief executive officer Joe Woodin, hospital trustees remain behind closed doors.
Shark Research Booming as Great Whites Summer Near Vineyard
White shark populations are on the rise and shark research is also growing from coast to coast as scientists learn more about the apex predators.
Science, Ratings Fuel Shark Week
The weather in South Africa almost put a damper on Shark Week this year.
Chappy Pong Table Tennis Tournament
The 10th annual All-Island Chappy Pong table tennis tournament takes place Sunday, August 6.
Featherstone Art Barn Opening
Featherstone is celebrating the grand opening of its new Art Barn on Friday, August 11.
Kayak Raffle Winner
Miles Jaffe of Chilmark was the grand winner of a new 15.5-foot motorized fishing kayak.
Please Adopt Us
Three dogs have joined us here at the shelter. One is a five-year old golden retriever named Nani, and her housemate Jimi is a two-year-old male corgi.
Calling All Artists for All-Island Art Show
The all-Island art show is Monday, August 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
At the Bridge Table: August 4
Some hands from the July 24 game at the Edgartown Bridge Club provide excellent lesson material.
East Chop Town Column: August 4
She first won the July women’s singles tournament in 1953. She has won it five additional times until last Sunday.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: August 4
Surprisingly, neither WEB DuBois nor James Baldwin spent time on Martha’s Vineyard although both had close connections.
On Chappy: August 4
Mother Nature has yet to move enough sand back to the very southeast corner of Chappaquiddick to make it possible for oversand vehicles to drive around Wasque Point.
Edgartown Town Column: August 4
We have had rain, humidity, sun, wind, the whole summer weather. This week it is going to be sun and heat.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: August 4
There is no summer on Martha’s Vineyard until the Bermans arrive.
West Tisbury Town Column: August 4
The 156th annual Agricultural Fair begins the 17th of August and runs until Sunday evening. The theme of the fair this year is See Ewe.
Sargent Gallery Hosts Environmental Art Show
The Sargent Gallery’s annual environmental show takes place from August 6 to 17, with an opening reception on August 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Chilmark Town Column: August 4
The good news of the week is that Zeb, the bearded dragon lizard belonging to the Bunker-Ponte family, has been found.
Aquinnah Town Column: August 4
Enjoying the weather a little better now that the humidity has ceased. Just a few more weeks of high summer and before we know it, autumn will arrive.
A Star Turn from My Friend Flicka to Vineyard Finance
John Washbrook played the role of a kid who got tangled up in trouble and usually got out of it with the help of his trusty horse Flicka.
Embracing the Stormy Seas of Destiny
Growing up in western Massachusetts, I didn’t have much exposure to the sea, or to seafarers. It was by freak chance that I met my first sea captain.
Camp Meeting
“Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!,” shouted the town crier after ringing a large brass bell at the end of Pier 44, Vineyard Haven.
Board Change Needed
It is encouraging to see engagement of a wide range of people in shaping the future of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Red Fox Solution
What do Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have in common? Well, among other things, we tend to have the highest Lyme disease rates in Massachusetts.
Beyond the Call of Duty
On July 25, my wife and I and her sister and brother in law were driving on an Edgartown road when my automobile suffered a tire blowout.
The Oxymorons Walk Among Us
Just because we hear music Doesn’t mean we have rhythm
John Kerry Acknowledges Hardships While Advocating Openness
Everybody here knows that the great American novelist Thomas Wolfe wrote prophetically that you can’t go home.
Christina Gallery Marks 40 Years with Show
The Christina Gallery in Edgartown celebrates its 40th year with a summer-long exhibit by the artists Duane Alt, Sandi Blanda and John C. Traynor.
Land Bank Revenues: July 28
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $199,408.04 for the business week ending on Friday, July 28, 2017.
Youth Tennis Event
World famous tennis coach Nick Bollettieri will be on Island this Sunday, August 6 serving up clinics for kids.
African American Film Festival Grows into Cultural Powerhouse
This year’s Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, August 7 to 12, is bringing heavy hitters including Kathryn Bigelow and Spike Lee to the performing arts center.
Breaking Into Art, a Shard at a Time
In her kitchen, Jenifer Strachan never breaks a dish. But down in her studio there are piles of cracked and chipped plates, cups, saucers and bowls, dating from 1790 to the 1940s.
In Vineyard Skies: August Showtime
August is meteor shower month.
Finding Herself Through Art, Guided by Intuition
Carol Brown Goldberg’s parents expected her to look presentable, play with nice friends, get married and have children. She did all of those things. She also became an artist.
An Artistic Tour at Old Sculpin Gallery
Mr. Reade, Ms. Shane, Eva Cincotta and Janis Langley share space at the Old Sculpin Gallery, with art from watercolor to oils to pastels, always with a nod to the Island.
First Album Is Hard Fought Journey of Emotional Depth
On Friday Isaac Taylor opens for Martin Sexton in a benefit concert for WMVY and Club Passim. He will perform songs from his first album, Peace in the Valley, due out in September.
Bringing the Theatre to the Big Screen
Next week there will be two benefit screenings at the Film Center in Vineyard Haven of the live stage performance of Falsettos.
Summer Art Show at Ashley Medowski Gallery
Ashley Medowski is hosting her annual summer art show on Saturday, August 5, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Moth Returns to Martha’s Vineyard
The Moth returns to the Vineyard on Saturday, August 5, at the Tabernacle. The theme of the evening is twist of fate:
Little Orphan of Hope, Annie Speaks to All Ages and Eras
The Island Theatre Workshop’s production of Annie opened last weekend and continues with performances Thursday through Sunday.
A Masterful Musical Workout for Mind, Body, and Soul
At the end of the second movement of Cesar Franck’s Violin Sonata in A Major for violin and piano, something unusual happened.
Building Community Through Song
On a recent Wednesday evening over 200 people followed the winding paths of the Camp Ground to the Trinity Park Tabernacle for the Community Sing, a tradition for more than 100 years.
Fifty Years for the Chilmark Flea
The Chilmark Flea Market began in 1967 with five card tables at the Chilmark Community Church. Fifty years later and a lot larger, its still going strong.
Blizzard of Books in West Tisbury
Crowds flocked to the 60th annual Friends of the West Tisbury Library book sale last weekend.
Fashioning an Entrepreneurial Spirit
In early May, Larisa Stinga opened Sleek MV, a boutique that sells clothing, Island-made jewelry and art.
Gogo Ferguson Is Inspired by Nature and Creativity
Gogo Ferguson’s Vineyard Haven storefront is, in a sense, a shrine to nature. Each piece on display pays tribute to nature’s beauty and functionality.
Riding the Winds of Time as 12-Metre Boats Make a Return
Visitors could be forgiven next weekend if they thought they were in 1970s Newport, not Edgartown in 2017.
Selectmen Object to Eversource Rate Hikes
Edgartown selectmen were in a letter writing mood at their Monday meeting..
Aquinnah Health Agent Resigns
Aquinnah health agent Julie Sierputowsky has resigned after several years on the job, leaving the town with another key position to fill.
Black Sea Bass Bounty
Black sea bass is a favorite fish for both its culinary qualities and interesting natural history.
Time to Think About the Fall Garden
I had my maternal grandmother, Nonnie, until I was well into my 30s with children of my own.
Songbirds and Shorebirds of August
Songbirds are on the move. Some of the movement is fairly conspicuous, as with starlings.
Justice Arrives
Charity Ludvick and Laja Timmons of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Justice Born Equality, born July 29 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Wind Farm Surveys Begin Off Martha’s Vineyard
As wind farm developers begin to jockey in earnest to build projects in waters off the Vineyard, a new round of surveys related to a turbine project south of the Island is set to begin this week.
Revisiting Shearer Summer Theatre
In the 1940s, a small group of women started the Shearer Summer Theatre. Olive Tomlinson’s mother Cutie Bowles was one of them.
Welcome, Cristian
Lucinda Perregil and Paulo Miranda of Edgartown announce the birth of a son, Cristian Perregil Miranda, born July 27 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Greg Skomal Comes to the Vineyard to Talk Sharks
Noted expert Greg Skomal will talk about great white sharks on Tuesday, August 8 at the Old Whaling Church. The event is a benefit for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
Amber Cappelli Named to Dean’s List
Amber Cappelli of Vineyard Haven has been named to the spring 2017 dean’s list at Becker College.
Chasing History Through Story of George Washington’s Runaway Slave
Erica Armstrong Dunbar was at work on her doctoral dissertation on the lives of black women in the antebellum north when she came across an advertisement that caught her attention.
Celebrating a Legacy of Activism
More than 100 people gathered to celebrate the legacy of Della Hardman on Saturday afternoon. Author Carol Anderson was the keynote speaker.
Words Matter But Meaning Can Be Such a Slippery Eel
In You’re the Only One I Can Tell: Inside the Language of Women’s Friendships, Deborah Tannen examines how female friends communicate and different conversational styles.
Busy Behind the Scenes, But With Daily Sense of Mission and Purpose
When Alyssa Mastromonaco visited the Vineyard as acting chief of staff for President Obama, the beach had to wait. Work didn’t stop for the White House team when the President was on vacation.
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction Has Become the New Political Normal
Richard North Patterson was a political novelist, but he doesn’t write novels anymore. Non-fiction is too compelling. Fever Swamp, Mr. Patterson’s latest book, is an accounting of the 2016 election.
Lost and Found Does Not Include Everyone
Julie Buntin was the kind of girl who would take out 25 library books at one time. Growing up in Petoskey, a town of 5,500 in northern Michigan, winters were bleak. Reading was the main activity.
Eating Her Way Through New England; Research Can Be Such a Delicious Read
Chefs and eaters everywhere rejoiced when Sarah Leah Chase published New England Open-House Cookbook in 2015, after a hiatus of nearly two decades.
Taking a Hard Look at Patriarchy, Guided by Faith and Medicine
In his new book Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice, Dr. Willie Parker argues against allowing sexism, racism and religion to set the standard of morals in the abortion debate.
Hearing Continues on Marijuana Cultivation Center
The West Tisbury zoning board is poised to decide whether to approve the Island’s first medical marijuana cultivation center.
Sweet Dreams, Generous Bids at Possible Dreams Auction
The 39th annual auction brought in more than $450,000 for Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.
The Wandering Road of Destiny May Be Confusing at Every Turn
How did I get here? Richard Russo’s latest short story collection, Trajectory, takes up this question again and again, looking back over the lives of its characters to trace their journeys.
Chronicling the Fight Against Racial Progress
Ms. Anderson’s book White Rage, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award winner, presents a brief but incisive look at achieving civil rights in the United States.
When the Odds Favor the House, It’s Still Important to Feel Lucky
Min Jin Lee’s novel Pachinko is a nearly 500-page book that follows one family for seven tumultuous decades. Cultures clash and fates spiral. Wars are fought and babies are born.
The Cult of Infatuation Is a Dangerous Game
Danzy Senna’s latest novel, New People, occupies the uneasy space between horror and humor. “I like that slight feeling of anxiety that those two poles create,” Ms. Senna said.
Fire Department Responds to Incident at Former Airport Mobil
The Edgartown fire department responded to the site of the former gas station Friday when a fiberglass tank turned hot.
Looking at Climate Change Through the Lens of Human Health
Nobel laureate and physician Dr. Eric Chivian knows that despite its unit of measure, temperature is not just a matter of degree. He illustrated this point with regard to the effects of global warming during a talk at Polly Hill Arboretum.
John Kerry Rebuts Isolationism, Calls the Vineyard Home
The former Secretary of State regaled a packed house in Edgartown with humor and gravitas in a speech that was a pointed call to activism.
