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
April 5, 2019
Two-Way Race for Selectman in Edgartown
Longtime incumbent Michael Donaroma will face off against John (Jack) Krowski, a political outsider, in the race for Edgartown selectman this year.
Crescent Moon and Mars
On Monday night, the thin crescent moon appears close to the red planet Mars in the western sky. The two are in the winter zodiacal constellation Taurus, the bull. The two appear above the head of the bull, The Hyades. The Hyades is the largest visible star clusters in our Milky Way and is certainly…
In Oak Bluffs School, Spending Is on the Rise
When they gather next week for annual and special town meetings, Oak Bluffs voters will decide on a range of issues, including the fiercely-debated housing bank and money to study possible predators for a toxic jellyfish.
West Tisbury Takes Up Rooms Tax Question
A first-time rooms tax and increased protection for the Mill Brook watershed are set to come before West Tisbury voters at their annual town meeting next week.
Tisbury Starts Over on Elementary School Project
For the third year in a row, Tisbury voters will consider the future of their school at the annual town meeting. This year, the school committee and selectmen will ask the town to borrow $400,000 for plans and design work.
With New Moderator at the Helm, Edgartown Tackles Hefty Warrant
When the Island’s oldest town convenes its annual town meeting next week, a new moderator, town administrator and town clerk will take the stage at the Old Whaling Church alongside other, more familiar faces.
Housing Bank Campaign Heats Up on All Sides
As voters in four towns prepare to weigh in next week on a wide range of issues at annual town meetings, one issue has dominated Island discourse: the proposal to create a housing bank.
Life of Nancy Luce Inspires Community Chorus Cantata
Composer Thomas LaVoy, born 100 years after Nancy Luce’s death in 1890, had never been to Martha’s Vineyard or heard of its chicken lady when he spotted one of Dan Waters’s prints.
On Land and Sea, Heart of an Islander
When she was retired in 2007, I (like many) deeply mourned the loss of the Islander.
Housing Bank: Key to Island’s Future
In 2004, recognizing the need for the creation of year-round housing across the Island, the majority of voters in all Island towns voted to petition the state legislature to create an Islandwide housing bank and fund it with a steady, dependable source of new revenue.
Housing Bank: Too Rushed, Full of Flaws
The Edgartown board of selectmen have joined the Tisbury and Oak Bluffs selectmen in opposing the proposed plan by the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank Campaign to allocate fifty per cent of the town’s preexisting and future revenue derived from the Local Option Room Occupancy Tax, to a new regionally created bureaucracy.
On the Rental Hunt, Feeling Like Chum in the Water
We got lucky. After posting on the Facebook group MV Long-Term Housing Rentals last fall, my roommate and I received an offer to rent a summer home for the winter.
County Fees Add Up to Backdoor Budgeting
Dukes County government is Martha’s Vineyard’s Northwest Passage.
Annual Town Meetings 2019
On the cusp of a new decade, along with lengthening days, a greening landscape and the return of the osprey, the annual political season has arrived again on the Island.
Herbicide Home Rule
I am writing in support of the herbicide home rule article that will be on the warrant for several upcoming town meetings in April; it has already been approved by Aquinnah, Tisbury and West Tisbury.
Intentional Stewardship
Passed in 1642 to regulate rights in the waters of the Massachusetts Colony, the Public Trust Doctrine is one of the oldest statutes in the country, with roots as ancient as western civilization itself.
Watershed Moment
For a few years now, the Vineyard Conservation Society has been working to reduce the waste and pollution associated with bottled water through our Take Back the Tap initiative.
Plastic Free
Our children have given us a great gift. They have given us the gift of opportunity — an opportunity to right a wrong, to do the right thing.
Remove the Plaques
I am disappointed to learn that the Oak Bluffs selectmen lost their moral compass and did not immediately come out in favor of removing the Confederate plaques.
Morning Hour
From the April 11, 1873 edition of the Gazette:
Recent Real Estate Transactions: March 25 to 31
Christopher V. Bergen and Heather Coe Kieny purchased 12 Broadway in Gosnold from Peter J. and Cindy J. Spengler Trs for $600,000 on March 26.
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending March 29
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $56,370 for the business week ending on Friday, March 29, 2019.
Cedar Arrives
Dani deRuyter and Daniel Whiting, of Oak Bluffs, announce the birth of a daughter, Cedar Rosemary Whiting, born on March 26 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Cedar weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces at birth.
Welcome Wyld
Nettie Kent Ruel and Colin Ruel, of Chilmark, announce the birth of a son, Wyld James Ever Ruel.
Life of Humphrey’s
Humphrey’s Bakery and Slice of Life Café have joined together to form Life of Humphrey’s.
Announcing Adelaide
Meghan and Adam Smith, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Adelaide Lorraine Smith, born on March 28 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Adelaide weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces at birth.
Hello Ivy
Jaime Conroy and William Codding, of West Tisbury, announce the birth of a daughter, Ivy Carole Codding.
Aquinnah Town Column
Spring has sprung in Aquinnah with the chorus of pinkletinks arriving on March 28 along Lighthouse Road. Daffodils are in full bloom, and the temperatures have been in the high 50s.
Chilmark Town Column
It may not be on the calendar until May 18, but prom-posals are already sweeping across the Island among high school juniors.
West Tisbury Town Column
Well some folks have already started planting peas in their gardens and cleaning up the garage to locate the lawn mower that will be delivered to Jim’s Power Equipment in Vineyard Haven for a spring tune up. The grill also needs to be cleaned for cookouts. People are also cleaning up the yard after the…
Edgartown Town Column
Spring is really trying. The temperatures are there but the wind is not cooperating.
Vineyard Haven Town Column
A famiglia! The nicest family had the nicest party for the nicest lady.
Exploring the Dance of Double Meaning
Stefanie Batten Bland brings her dance troupe to the Performing Arts Center on Saturday for the last of the Yard’s winter series.
Teen Perspectives
Alex’s Place in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society’s Spectrum Film Festival is holding a writing and art contest for all Island teenagers.
Hoedown for Flat Point Farm
Almost immediately after the fire on March 19 that consumed the barn and killed numerous animals at Flat Point Farm, the Island community rose up to help.
Chappy Town Column
Two sailboats stayed in the water in Edgartown Harbor this winter.
Gannet Gauntlet
Northern gannets are amazing birds. Adults are pure white except for their black wingtips.
Agricultural Society Agrees to Sell Land to Film Festival
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society is set to sell approximately 10 acres of its land in West Tisbury to the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, both organizations announced this week.
Early April Freeze Out
I was a bit blindsided on Tuesday morning. I did not expect such a hard freeze.
Dolphin Strandings
No one likes to be stranded.
Please Adopt Us
The new pop-up rabies clinic will be held on Saturday, April 6 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
VTA Drivers Vote to Authorize Strike
Vineyard Transit Authority bus drivers voted on Monday evening to authorize a strike, if they cannot reach agreement on a new contract. The drivers have been locked in bargaining talks with for months.
Amid Legal Wrangles Over Bingo Hall, Town Hires Boston Attorney
The Aquinnah selectmen have retained a Boston attorney to represent the town in potential litigation against the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) over the planned bingo hall.
Warning Signs and Success Stories for Island Ponds and Estuaries
A three-year study by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission revealed both continued high levels of nitrogen in some ponds, while others showed improvement.
Old Knees, Young Hearts, Can’t Lose
When Gene Townes slid a nifty pass to land the puck right on the stick of Vicky Thurber and she flipped it into the net, the combined age of the goal scoring duo was 134 years.
Singing Songs to Wake the Heart and Mind
Close to 100 Islanders of all ages, including entire families with children in pajamas, turned out for Willy Mason’s concert at the West Tisbury Public Library.
Edgartown Man Sentenced to State Prison in Fentanyl Case
Alexander W. Carlson was sentenced to four to five years in state prison Monday in a drug trafficking case involving fentanyl. Mr. Carlson pleaded guilty in Dukes County superior court to a second offense of possession with intent to distribute a class B drug.
Edgartown Extends Bay Scallop Season
Following the discovery of small patches of bay scallops in Katama Bay and the outer harbor, Edgartown selectmen voted on Monday to extend the scallop season until April 19. “I apologize for the last minute of it all, but we did find a patch of scallops in Katama and another patch outside starting last week,”…
Selectmen Sound Off Over Early-File Bill on Housing Bank
Edgartown selectmen reacted sharply after learning that state Sen. Julian Cyr and Rep. Dylan Fernandes had filed legislation to establish a housing bank three months ago.
SSA Demonstrates Marine Evacuation System
In a dramatic scene at Fairhaven Monday morning, Steamship Authority crew and Menemsha Coast Guard performed a full evacuation of the ferry Nantucket. It was only a drill.
Over Time, Statue’s Symbolic Stigma Only Deepens
The debate over the Martha’s Vineyard NAACP’s proposal regarding the Union soldier statue has made me more aware of the statue and its reason for being.
Digging Into the Details of Woods Hole Terminal Designs
Longevity is just one of an extensive list of objectives the new building must meet, boat line officials said at a recent presentation in Falmouth.
With Events Increasing, Selectmen Grapple With Ag Hall Mission
After some discussion, West Tisbury selectmen approved a list of 2019 events for the Agricultural Hall.
IHT Breaks Ground on New Affordable Housing Units
Community housing and town leaders dug into the dirt with green-tipped ceremonial shovels, some engraved with the names of completed housing developments.
Federal Government to Raise Cap on H2B Visas
The newly-available 30,000 visas will be earmarked specifically for returning workers, meaning those who have previously used the visas to work in the United States.
When Art Helps Start the Conversation
A painter, sculptor and actor—as well as an amateur musician—Sean Roach quickly became involved in the local art scene. His work is currently featured at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse.
Spring Sports Teams Embrace New Conference
A wave of new opponents awaits the regional high school spring sports teams as the program transitions into the eight-team Cape and Islands league.
