Dylan Thomas
The birds of the winged trees flying my name Above the farms and the white horses I rose in rainy autumn And walked abroad in a shower of all my days. – Dylan Thomas
July 23, 2021
Oregon Fires
The stars of night and especially the Milky Way were unavailable this week. The Vineyard along with much of the country is under a high altitude cloud obscuring the faint objects of the night. Even the moon in the last few nights looks like it is locked in sunset mode. The sky is so different.…
Journalism Panel Kicks Off Book Festival Weekend
A panel of journalists from two of America’s most prominent media outlets will address a question that cuts to the heart of their profession and the health of democracy: how will journalism endure and flourish?
Undersea Cable Failure Highlights Stress on Vineyard Energy Grid
Eversource has canceled a long-awaited battery energy storage project planned for Martha’s Vineyard, complicating a plan to achieve ambitious green energy goals on the Vineyard.
Shed Podcast Goes to School
This week’s podcast episode of Shed: Conversations About Race features Amy Lilavois and Dhakir Warren.
Shuttered Mainstay Businesses in Menemsha Cause Concern
A trio of mainstay Menemsha businesses have been shuttered for close to two years with no official opening days in sight, prompting questions from selectmen this week.
West Tisbury Column: July 23
Lately I’ve been thinking about dirt road etiquette. Some of us travel dirt roads on a daily basis and usually they are a charming way to get from one place to another.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: July 23
Our own Kate Taylor was interviewed on MVYRadio this past Monday in anticipation of her new album and upcoming concert on Martha’s Vineyard!
Oak Bluffs Town Column: July 23
Union Chapel will begin its first series of celebrations recognizing the 150th year of the chapel by dedicating the rebuilt and totally refurbished 1924 Austin Organ. Minister of Music Bill Peek has selected internationally acclaimed organist Alcee Chriss 3rd to deliver the dedication recital. It will take place on August 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Edgartown Town Column: July 23
Hazy, hot and humid are the words of the month. The air conditioner is running constantly and no windows open. It is going to be interesting to see what August brings.
Chilmark Town Column: July 23
After Hans Solmssen, with a great big smile on his face, described the fantastic state of his and Sally’s household, my thoughts immediately went to a children’s story by Cynthia Rylant titled The Relatives Came.
New Gazette Exhibit Tells a 175-Year-Old Community Story
Tomorrow’s History: 175 Years of the Vineyard Gazette opens at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum this weekend. It tells the continuing story of a community newspaper that began in 1846.
Chappaquiddick Town Column: July 23
I try to be present – in the now – but I find myself preferring the lead-ins and the lead-outs rather than the main acts.
Aquinnah Town Column: July 23
Just the right beach weather this week. Not too sunny but warm and welcoming.
Esther, Fugitive Slave
Known simply as Esther / A runaway slave in 1743 / Sought to be free / By riding the “freedom train” / Where fantasy meets reality / Of a Harriet Tubman dream.
Vineyard Bookshelf: Strange Love
The narrator of Fred Waitzkin’s new novel Strange Love had an experience that’s all too familiar to many writers: he peaked early.
You Never Forget Those Childhood Walks
The pedestrian path under con struction around Sunset Lake in Oak Bluffs reminds me of my favorite walk of childhood summers.
Time to Mobilize for Climate Change
As a heat dome persists over the American West, an untamable wildfire rages over southern Oregon and record hot temperatures and water shortages make life in the West difficult, floods in much of Europe — Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, parts of England and now China — have also had a devastating effect.
Champions of the Land
People can speak for themselves but the land cannot talk. In 2020 I wrote a book, In Praise of Protected Lands And Special Places On Martha’s Vineyard, to speak for the land.
Only Viable Solution
I am writing to say a big thank you to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) for approving the synthetic turf field project for the high school athletic field.
Grow (Don’t Mow) Milkweed
Every summer without fail, milkweed plants sprout from the sand and soil, buttressed against ocean winds by a white retaining wall at the corner of Sea View Avenue and Nantucket Avenue on Waban/Alley Park in Oak Bluffs.
Rescuing Lake Tashmoo
The following letter was sent to Tisbury town officials. As landowners and residents on the west side of Lake Tashmoo we have become increasingly alarmed by the degradation of the health of the lake. Although the town has insisted over the years that visiting boaters are not the cause of this degradation, we have observed…
Fly Guy
From the July 1919 editions of the Gazette:
Possible Dreams Auction Makes for a Better Reality
When Seth Meyers steps up to host the 43rd annual Possible Dreams Auction late Sunday afternoon, he will share duties with professional auctioneer Sherry Truhlar.
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending July 13
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $277,737 for the business week ending on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Football Clinic
Vineyard football coach Don Herman will be hosting the 25th edition of his football instructional clinic on July 26 to July 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. each day.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending July 16
James Nicholas Cole and Victoria Stone Cole purchased 4 Calebs Common circle in Edgartown from Laura Cecere and Giovanni Cecere for $2,550,000 on July 13.
Chasing Ghosts Brings the Story of Artist Bill Traylor to Life
For director Jeffrey Wolf, the screening of his new documentary is the culmination of a journey that began in the 1980s when he first encountered the art of Bill Traylor.
Father/Son Comedy
Father and son funny duo, Marty and Charlie Nadler, are hitting the Vineyard stage with a routine called Happier Days.
Hello William
Grace and William Bishop, of Edgartown, announce the birth of a son, William Charles Bishop V, born on July 19.
Ian Arrives
Aline Leite and Matthew Rossi, of Edgartown, announce the birth of a son, Ian Matthew Rossi, born on July 15.
Please Adopt Us: July 23
We have kittens! And the only adoption to report this week is one of the five kittens.
Beach Road Weekend Arrives and Announces 2022 Lineup
Next summer’s Beach Road Weekend lineup will be headlined by Beck, Wilco, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, the Avett Brothers, Aoife O’Donovan, Billy Strings and Khruangbin.
Tisbury Takes First Steps to Launch School Project
The select board and school committee took a first step this week toward launching the $55 million renovation and addition project.
Dead Heading
I was once again all set to complain about the high humidity leading to miserable outdoor work conditions. Then there was an article in The New York Times on Tuesday about the Bootleg wildfire in Oregon. It is so large that it is creating its own weather.
Remove Feeders!
The Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology both recommend you take down your bird-feeders to prevent the spread of an unknown disease.
Allium Bounty
My garden doesn’t stink even if my breath will. Blame it on a healthy harvest of garlic.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending July 16
Jacob Ward purchased 6 Church street in Aquinnah from Paul A. Jones and Alice M. Souter for $1,450,000 on July 15.
Delta Variant Confirmed on the Vineyard
The highly contagious Delta variant has officially arrived on Martha’s Vineyard, hospital officials confirmed Wednesday morning, as Covid-19 cases jump upward across the Cape and Islands.
Seastreak Suspends Ferry Service Between New York and the Vineyard
Ferry service on the Seastreak has been suspended through Sept. 3, the company announced this week.
SSA General Manager Receives High Marks for Performance
Steamship Authority general manager Bob Davis received a glowing performance review during his annual evaluation Tuesday, with governing board members unanimously praising his steady handling of not one — but two — viruses that threatened nearly all facets of the ferry service’s operations.
Eversource Brings in Backup After Cable Failure
Rolling blackouts and temporary power outages experienced across the Island last weekend were caused by an undersea cable failure, according to Eversource.
Chamber Duo Brings the Love to Live Concert
For the fortunate few dozen music lovers admitted, Sunday’s Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society concert at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury was an experience to savor.
It’s All in the Family at Music in the Courtyard
Jemima James and her son Willy Mason shared the bill as the Martha’s Vineyard Museum kicked off its 2021 Music in the Courtyard series.
Nantucket to Vineyard Swim Proves Too Difficult Once Again
About three quarters of the way through his swim from Nantucket to the Vineyard, Doug McConnell had to pull out. While battling unexpected high waves he injured his shoulder.
Land Bank Buys Small Parcel Next to Tiasquam River
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank has purchased a small, one-acre parcel along the Tiasquam River in West Tisbury subject to a life estate, and will eventually open the property to the public.
Camaraderie of the Chilmark Flea Market Perseveres
For vendors and customers alike, the return of the Chilmark Flea Market this summer has helped bring back a vital component of their summer social life.
Finding Family on the Baseball Diamond
For years I have given over a guest room to a Sharks baseball player. It all started almost 10 years ago when I was working the concession stand at the Shark Tank.
Longtime Lighthouse Keeper Retires
Since the opening of the original wooden Gay Head Light in 1799, no keeper has served longer than Richard Skidmore.
Island Rallies Around Aquinnah Child After Accident
A nine-year-old Aquinnah boy is recovering at Boston Children’s Hospital after he was struck by a neighbor’s pickup truck last week. An online fundraising appeal for the family was launched.
Nantucket to Vineyard Swim Gets Underway
At 7:59 this morning, Doug McConnell set off from Nantucket to Martha’s Vineyard, looking to complete the long distance swim he just barely failed to finish in 2019. The swim is a fundraiser for ALS research.
Islanders Urged to Remove Feeders, Birdbaths
State wildlife officials and the Mass Audubon bird conservation group are advising residents to bring in their bird feeders and birdbaths until more is known about a mysterious avian ailment.
