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 16, 2019
August Starry Nights
For many the night sky at this time of year is the best.
In Tune
The weather smiled brightly on Beach Road Weekend, but that was perhaps the only variable still in question at the start of the music festival due to the vagaries of nature.
Butterfly Days
The monarchs are back and appear to be even more plentiful this year on the Island.
Once Robust, Bluefin Tuna Fishery Is In Economic Freefall
The quiet demise of the tuna industry was in evidence last week when the 278-metric ton seasonal quota was reached early. Market prices were reported to have plummeted to a record-breaking low.
Keeping the Story Alive to Learn and Wonder
Look What a Wonder returned to the Vineyard for a one-night show on Monday at the Performing Arts Center. It first played here in 2001.
The 158th Agricultural Fair and Livestock Show Is Underway
Bleats of goats, the creak of oxen carts and a voice over the PA system declared the 158th annual Agricultural Fair officially open at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
U.S. Slave Song Project
Jim Thomas and the U.S. Slave Song Project will bring a special performance of 1854 A Folk Opera to Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs on Friday, August 23, beginning at 5 p.m.
Blast Off in Oak Bluffs
The skies above Oak Bluffs will turn all manner of bright colors and shapes on Friday, August 16 at the annual Oak Bluffs fireworks.
Music on Main Street
The Port Hunter keeps the scene rolling on Main street in Edgartown with local music and bands from off-Island.
Driving While Black
On Wednesday, August 21, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival continues its summer series with a new documentary by director Ric Burns entitled Driving While Black.
Ronald K. Brown Returns to the Island
In 2015, the Yard invited Ronald K. Brown and his company Evidence to perform on the Vineyard.
ACE Names New Director
Holly Bellebuono has been named the new executive director of ACE MV, the adult education organization announced this week.
All Aglow in the Camp Ground for 150 Years
On Wednesday evening the Grand Illumination started the same way it has for 150 years — with a community sing.
Tea Time
From the August 13, 1929 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
Where Flowers Lead, the Heart Follows
It’s a special thing being the local florist. I know when it’s your birthday, I am there before your wedding, and I even know when you are fighting with your spouse.
Living Local
We just returned from six weeks on your terrific Island.
Book Festival Critique
I applaud the authors who appeared at the Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival — you attracted a great crowd, and gave your time and voices to many on a hot summer day.
Army Corps Confirms Recovery of Long-Buried World War II Bomber
A team of munitions surveyors from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has confirmed the discovery of a World War II-vintage Helldiver buried off Chappaquiddick.
Selectmen Hear Concerns from Summer Taxpayers
The state of public bathrooms, the public beach, loitering and noise from the bowling alley were all aired at the annual summer taxpayer meeting.
OB Boogie Is a Summer Playdate to Remember
A deejay kept the dancing going at the OB Boogie and the sports were led by a special guest, Willie O’Ree, a former Boston Bruin who was the first African American to play in the NHL.
Tisbury Airs Draft Aquaculture Rules for Town Waters
Tisbury selectmen heard from both town officials and members of the public on draft regulations for a potential aquaculture industry.
Teaming Up for Artistic Conversations
Just a few days remain to see the current group show at Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs. Conversations in Art will close August 18.
Bringing Theatre Alive for Kids
For over 25 years children and their parents have gathered on summer mornings in the woods of Tisbury. For what?
Still Letting Go and Letting the Music Lead
Dave Mason was there when Jimi Hendrix heard a pre-release of Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding and decided to record All Along The Watch Tower, enlisting Mason to play 12-string on Hendrix’s iconic rendition.
Kid Critic Shares His Views
Each week the folks at Cinema Circus show a series of short films on Wednesday evening at the Chilmark Community Center.
Caroline Kingsley Meyer Marries Jorge Vilarrasa Esparza
Caroline Kingsley Meyer and Jorge Vilarrasa Esparza were married June 8 at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury.
Hello Summer
Lauren and Nate Morgan, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Summer Maryn Morgan, born on August 6.
Announcing Liam
Colleen and Patrick Hickey, of Oak Bluffs, announce the birth of a son, Liam Farris Hickey, born on August 9.
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending August 9, 2019
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $253,963 for the business week ending on Friday, July 19, 2019.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending August 9, 2019
Recent Island real estate transactions for the week ending August 9, 2019
Chilmark Town Column
There’s nothing quite like an outdoor shower.
Edgartown Town Column
The weather is still warm but the breeze has helped keep it a little bearable.
Oak Bluffs Town Column
Hammering Hank Aaron, baseball’s home run king, was invited to the Vineyard two years ago by Andrew Young, the former mayor of Atlanta.
Vineyard Haven Town Column
The reviews are coming in for Beach Road Weekend. So far, so good.
West Tisbury Town Column
With the fair in full swing, it is hard to believe our summer season is fast becoming history.
Aquinnah Town Column
Another week of beautiful weather in Aquinnah. Apparently it rained one night over the weekend but I missed the thunder and lightning. The greenery is still abundant. There is a lot happening at the Aquinnah Public Library. On August 17 at 10:30 a.m. there will be a special story time with Kate Feiffer. Kate has…
Determined Diggers
Dig in and hold on. If mole crabs had a motto, that might be it.
Lessons from Nature
This past weekend was the reason for living. The low humidity and reasonable temperatures were coupled with cool nights, making most folks pretty darned happy.
Name That Tune
My grandmother Emma Mayhew Whiting set me, at age seven, on a path which I still follow today: birding, bird watching, twitching or studying ornithology.
Illumination, Fair, Fireworks: Vineyard Hits High Notes of Summer
With Illumination Night, the Agricultural Fair and Oak Bluffs fireworks all on the docket, this week marks the high point of traditional summer events on Martha’s Vineyard. It all begins at sundown tonight, with the 150th Grand Illumination.
Giving Back to an Organization That Gives So Much
Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard is one of a handful of Hospice organizations around the country that supports people with a terminal diagnosis and their loved ones at no charge, and demand is growing.
Music Festival Earns Praise from Public Safety Officials
The inaugural Beach Road Weekend summer music festival was a safe and successful event, town and public safety officials said.
On Chappy
Lucy Leopold and Collins Heavener, year-round residents of Chappaquiddick, were married at Slip Away Farm, their home, on Saturday evening.
Dancing to the Beat of Community
Hundreds gathered at Union Chapel for the first nights of Built on Stilts, the free, all-ages performance festival that is staged on the Vineyard every August.
Beach Road Weekend Wows the Faithful
It began with an open-air screening of Jaws accompanied by the Cape Cod Symphony, and concluded with a set by Phil Lesh and Friends that proved the spirit of Jerry Garcia lived on — at least for one night in Vineyard Haven.
Deer Carcass Provides Further Proof of Coyote Presence on Martha’s Vineyard
A disemboweled deer fawn carcass was found late last week near the Edgartown Water Company station at Wintucket, further confirming the presence of a coyote on Martha’s Vineyard.
To the Old Man in the Neighborhood: So Long, See You Next Year
At 0832 last Monday morning, the entire family of Harthaven ospreys took flight.
Farm and Field: Fair Thee Well
With the Agricultural Fair beginning on Thursday, it’s another busy week ahead for Island farmers.
Waste Not
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair is coming, and along with prize-winning pies, racing pigs and the skillet throw, one of the highlights is something there will be less of this year: food waste.
Summer Air Traffic Is Up on the Vineyard
Air traffic was up and detected levels of PFAS were down in and around the Martha’s Vineyard Airport in July.
On Day Two, the Music Delivered at Beach Road Weekend
John Fogerty took the stage on Saturday to headline the festivities at Beach Road Weekend with the same Rickenbacker guitar he used at Woodstock in 1969.
Perfect Weather Conditions Shine on Chilmark Road Race
Hugh Parker, a 29-year-old runner from New York city, won the 42nd annual Chilmark Road Race with a time of 15:40:20.
Jaws Sets the Table for Beach Road Weekend
Friday’s open-air screening of Jaws with the Cape Symphony drew an excited throng of Vineyarders and visitors to Veterans Memorial Park in Vineyard Haven, which has been transformed into a concert venue for the Beach Road Weekend music festival.
Singing With and For the Fishes
Mark Lovewell’s new CD, With the Fishes, pays tribute to fishermen, their boats, their prey and the communities—social and economic—that support them.
Sounding the Alarm for a Crisis in Democracy
Cong. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, filled the pews of the Old Whaling Church as he spoke about the state of democracy in the United States and around the world.
Audience Overflows for Just Mercy Conversation
At the Performing Arts Center Thursday, all seats were filled with more standing and sitting in the aisles for a conversation about Just Mercy, with Bryan Stevenson and Michael B. Jordan.
Government Deals Setback to Vineyard Wind
A 2020 construction start date for the first phase of Vineyard Wind’s project is in jeopardy after a federal agency said it would indefinitely delay the release of an EIS.
Swamp Bats Fly Too High for Hungry Sharks
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks’ first season in the NECBL came to a close last night, with the Keene Swamp Bats defeating the boys in purple 4-2 to take home the league championship.
