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
May 8, 2020
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending May 08
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $90,930 for the business week ending on Friday, May 8, 2020.
Moon and Three Planets
The gibbous moon passes three visible planets in the early morning sky next week.
Anja May
Anja May is the director of the Chilmark Preschool.
Charlotte Potter
Charlotte Potter graduated from Stonehill College in 2019 and soon after won a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Greece.
Eons of Time Add to Changing Face of Lucy Vincent Beach
The iconic landmark provided a microscopic glimpse into the vast geological process that once formed the cliffs and is now washing them away.
Edgartown Town Column: May 8
The sun has been shining. The flip flops are out and we are getting comfortable in this warm weather.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: May 8
The social distancing constraints have confined most of us to our homes.
Chilmark Town Column: May 8
May 8 marks day 56, if my count is correct, of crisis schooling.
Chappy Town Column: May 8
Chappaquiddick seniors, please accept my apology for not being able to continue with my offer to operate a 6 a.m. trip to you at no extra fee so that you can shop early at Stop & Shop.
Aquinnah Town Column: May 8
Thank goodness for five incredibly warm and sunny days in a row with temperatures in the 60s.
Wanting Warblers
It is already May and warblers are still few and far between.
Springing to Action
Covid has made me a complainer. First, I whine when it’s cold and wet.
Form and Function
Moving up in the world is an aspiration and for some, all absorbing.
Grist Mills
From the May 9, 1958 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
Sit Down, Slow Down
The Cardinals came to breakfast On the morning I was born
Full Speed Ahead at Morning Glory Farm
Things are looking up. Proof that summer actually will come: Morning Glory farm stand opened on Tuesday. My meals are more delicious already.
One New Coronavirus Case Reported Thursday
The Martha’s Vineyard boards of health reported one new coronavirus case in their daily demographic update Thursday, bringing the Islandwide total to 24 positive cases since the outbreak began.
If You
If you come from far away or someplace closer by
For Hospital, Pandemic Forges New Community Partnerships Across Language Barriers
The hospital has partnered with community organizations throughout the Island to make sure that crucial information and guidelines regarding the coronavirus outbreak are communicated to the Vineyard’s most at-risk populations.
Please Adopt Us: May 8
The animal shelter remains open for official business and by appointment only.
Oak Bluffs Restaurant Owner Plans for Summer of Uncertainty
This summer Nancy’s Restaurant in Oak Bluffs will mark its 60th year in business. For co-owner Doug Abdelnour it will be an uncertain anniversary.
Hospice Donations Matched in May
Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard has announced a dollar-for-dollar matching campaign for donations to the nonprofit during the month of May.
Island Innkeepers Join Forces in Appeal to the Governor
Reeling from the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic, innkeepers from Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have joined forces to write a letter Gov. Charlie Baker seeking guidance.
Free Meals for Anyone Hungry
Town Bar & Grill in Edgartown is offering 25 free meals a day for Islanders in need, no questions asked, four days a week.
Oak Bluffs Relocates Its Town Meeting
The Oak Bluffs annual town meeting will move outdoors, but the place has not been determined yet.
Farmers’ Market Moves
The West Tisbury Farmers’ Market will move to the Agricultural Society fairgrounds this summer.
Signature August Events Canceled in Oak Bluffs
The Oak Bluffs fireworks will be cancelled this year due to the pandemic, the town firemen’s civic association said late Wednesday.
No New Coronavirus Cases on Island Wednesday
Confirmed cases of coronavirus stayed at 23 Wednesday on the Vineyard, and a lone patient who had been hospitalized with Covid-19 was discharged and home in stable condition.
Mirroring National Trend, Routine Hospital Business Plummets
Emergency room and other non-Covid related visits to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital have plummeted over the past month and a half, mirroring a nationwide trend.
Pandemic Disrupts Chilmark Road Race
Adding to a long list of summer cancellations due to the pandemic, road race organizers announced Wednesday that the race will not be held as usual this year.
Tisbury Allows More Aquaculture
Tisbury selectmen granted a second aquaculture license for town waters Tuesday, conditionally approving a license for Jeffrey Canha to raise oysters in Lagoon Pond.
Chilmark Selectmen Back Emergency Repairs for Dutcher Dock
Chilmark selectmen agreed this week to make emergency repairs to the Dutcher Dock in Menemsha, despite severe budget constraints this year.
Lambert’s Cove Beach Stays Open, Parking Reduced
Lambert’s Cove Beach will open to sticker holders this summer, but parking capacity will be cut in half, the West Tisbury parks and recreation committee decided Tuesday.
Catch and Release Canceled
The Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club has announced the cancellation of its 29th Fly Rod Striped Bass Catch and Release Tournament, scheduled for the evening of May 30.
MVC Surveys Island Businesses
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission invites all Island businesses and non-profits to participate in the MVC’s Covid-19 business survey.
Felix Neck Concert Benefits Bird-a-thon
Island musicians will play an all-ages Zoom concert Saturday to benefit the Mass Audubon Bird-a-thon and Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.
Little House Café Is Changing Hands
The popular Vineyard Haven restaurant Little House Cafe will come under new ownership in July. The buyer is Chilmark resident Brook Katzen.
SSA Traffic Sputters Back to Life, Oak Bluffs Pier Repairs Snag
After a historically bad April for both ridership and revenue, the Steamship Authority continued to take steps to buoy its operation Tuesday.
Gazette Launches Community Survey on Coming Summer
The Gazette is conducting an online survey to gain insight about how residents and visitors are thinking about summer in light of the pandemic.
Welcome Aboard
Welcome aboard we said when the mainlanders came offering big bucks for our family land, old houses, barns.
Protecting Our Ponds Is a Continual Process
In response to the global pandemic, we have all been asked to slow down and take a break from life as we know it.
Time to Start Focusing on Rental Relief
There is one vital area that has been neglected by both public and private programs: rental relief.
Think Before You Vent
The specter of Covid-19 hovers over Martha’s Vineyard like a swarm of gulls at a Menemsha clambake.
Island Towns Loosen Reins Slightly on Construction Rules
Selectmen and boards of health in six towns have agreed to further loosen restrictions on construction and other trades effective May 11.
High School Mulls Graduation Alternatives
Alternative plans for graduation ceremonies and budget matters occupied the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School district committee Monday.
Gonna Zoom, Zoom, Zoom When I’m 94
Birthday parties have always been important in our family.
Sovereignty Under Threat, Mashpee Tribe Says
More than 100 people signed on for an internet videoconference with the chairman and vice chairwoman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, Cedric Cromwell and Jessie Little Doe Baird, Monday afternoon.
Dreaming of Better Dreams
Even my dreams have gone down the drain.
One New Case Confirmed, Plus One Hospitalized
One person was hospitalized and one new confirmed case of coronavirus was reported on the Vineyard Tuesday, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases on Island to 23.
Edgartown Town Meeting Moves to a Saturday in June
The Edgartown annual town meeting has been moved to Saturday, June 13.
Edgartown Ponders New Look for Downtown
Selectmen are exploring a European model for Main street this summer, with an eye on shutting down portions of the town’s narrow sidewalks, roads and parking lots.
No New Coronavirus Cases Monday on the Vineyard, As Testing Expands
After a three-case jump over the weekend, the number of Covid-19 patients on the Island who have tested positive held steady at 22 for the second day in a row on Monday, despite an expansion of testing at both the local and state level.
Masking the Nighttime Fears
For weeks now life has seemed strange, surreal, not grounded. This must be what suspended animation feels like.
Parking Ticket Revenues Up
Parking ticket revenues were up in March over last year, the county treasurer told the Dukes County Commission last week.
Solar Array on Track in Oak Bluffs
The large-scale solar array is planned for the capped landfill behind the transfer station.
VTA Will Reduce Schedule for Summer
The Vineyard Transit Authority will maintain reduced service through the summer, VTA administrator Angie told the advisory board late last week.
Sharks Cancel Summer League Baseball for 2020
The boys of summer will be missing this year, as the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks confirmed Sunday that they will cancel the 2020 collegiate baseball league season.
Heart and Soul Still Strong at Spectrum Film Festival
The Vineyard’s annual LGBTQ+ film festival is taking place online this weekend instead of at its home, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center in Vineyard Haven.
These Things I Pray
Dear God, please let today be a good day, that is, a day in which I do not do anything too stupid.
Fuel Assistance Deadline Extended
The South Shore Community Action Council has extended to May 29 the deadline for households to apply for its fuel assistance program.
Confirmed Cases of Covid-19 Remain at 22 Sunday
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported no new cases of Covid-19 Sunday, after reporting three new positive tests the day before.
Iconic Martha’s Vineyard Landmark, Cliff at Lucy Vincent Beach Collapses
The last finger of the iconic cliffs at Lucy Vincent Beach tumbled into the ocean Friday night, culminating a long erosion process.
With Hunger on the Rise, Food Distribution Expands
Martha’s Vineyard is getting hungrier, say organizers and volunteers with agencies providing food to those in need.
Pandemic Puts Question Marks Around Summer Rental Market
As summer rental deposits come due, the 2020 season is a landscape of question marks for Vineyard vacationers and homeowners alike.
