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
September 3, 2021
Venus and Spica
The brightest planet in the western sky, Venus has a companion this weekend.
Covid Cases Hit August High; Third Vaccinations Begin
As Labor Day weekend arrives, a second summer of Covid-19 continues to loom over the Island with case counts staying high, including many clusters among businesses.
Back to School Beckons With a Bit of Normalcy
When Vineyard students go back to school Wednesday amid the continuing pandemic, administrators say the school day will look more like it did prior to March 2020.
Summer Reflections
The Island got a power wash this week from the remnants of Hurricane Ida as the calendar turned from August to September.
Island Businesses Report Strong Summer, Admit Total Exhaustion
The 2021 season was supposed to be the summer of recovery. And it mostly was. But business owners said it came at its own cost.
Shed Offers an International Perspective
In this week’s podcast episode of Shed: Conversations About Race, host Eric Adams talks to Awet Woldegebriel.
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending August 27
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $237,340 for the business week ending on Friday, August 27, 2021.
Grants Aid Climate Change Planning, Food Insecurity
Two major state and federal grants announced this week will help launch phase two of a Martha’s Vineyard climate change planning initiative and stem Island food insecurity during the ongoing pandemic.
An Island Legacy, One Story at a Time
When my dad and I take our daily walk on the Tiasquam Valley trail in Chilmark, he complains about his ankle.
SSA Falls Short
As a regular passenger on the Steamship Authority for over 30 years I continue to be confounded and disappointed.
Calm Under Pressure
We have been vacationing on the Vineyard each summer for most of the last 35 years.
Absurdity
I read with disbelief the incident at Chilmark camp.
For Chad
Traffic stopped for Chad today.
Back to School
From the Sept. 7, 1973 edition of the Gazette:
Methodist Camp Ground Confronts Its Past to Grow Into Its Future
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder last summer, the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association decided to look into its history, forming a social justice, diversity and inclusion task force.
Hello Louise
Lydia E. Sylvia and Leigh D. Sylvia, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Louise Aurora Sylvia, born on August 30.
Welcome Josephine
Jesse Liotta and Jonah Kaplan-Woolner, of West Tisbury, announce the birth of a daughter, Josephine Isla Lydia Liotta, born on August 27.
Endor Arrives
Seniel and Andrew Hannagan, of West Tisbury, announce the birth of a son, Endor Lee Hannagan, born on August 26.
Dunmere by the Sea
Dunmere by the Sea will join the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard as site number 34.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending August 27
John E. McDermott 3rd purchased 74 Mattakesett Way in Edgartown from Jonathan Chatinover and Elizabeth O’Connor for $2,300,000 on August 23.
Please Adopt Us: Sept. 3
It turns out that August was an excellent month for adoptions.
Selectmen React to Community Center Report
At a special meeting Wednesday Chilmark selectmen reacted to a report detailing an incident that occurred at the town Community Center summer camp, with critical comments and questions.
West Tisbury Requires Vaccinated Workers in All Town Buildings
Only fully vaccinated workers will be allowed to staff town buildings in West Tisbury, following a vote by the select board Wednesday. The mandate applies to all employees, interns and volunteers at town hall, the library, Howes House, fire and police stations, public safety building and highway barn.
Summer Transitions
Hurricane Ida hitting the coast of Louisiana with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour is something I hope to never experience in this lifetime. On the anniversary of Katrina, no less. I have to mention these weather events so I can remember to never complain.
At Long Last
Most bird feeders have been taken down to maintain social distancing between birds because a disease of unknown cause has killed birds in the mid-Atlantic states this year.
Botanic Powerhouse
Sneezy was a purveyor of misinformation.
West Tisbury Town Column: Sept. 3
How is it that Labor Day weekend is already upon us? There is a strange acceleration of time after the Ag Fair.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Sept. 3
I had the most wonderful surprise in the mail from my dear friend Frances Down and her daughter, Angel Naphtalie Aiguier.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Sept. 3
Bob and Liz Posen hosted more than 75 friends and family on their sprawling lawn in Vineyard Haven last Monday night to celebrate their 75th birthdays.
Edgartown Town Column: Sept. 3
We had one day of relief from the humidity, and I think we all enjoyed the cool breeze.
Chilmark Town Column: Sept. 3
I write these words as I sit in my perch overlooking Menemsha Harbor, listening to sweet little 8-year old Frankie Gude sing on Squid Row.
Chappaquiddick Town Column: Sept. 3
On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 21, the U.S. Coast Guard will be inspecting both of the Chappy Ferry vessels. It usually takes about an hour per boat.
Aquinnah Town Column: Sept. 3
At last, Labor Day weekend has arrived. A reduction in traffic, cyclists, joggers and mopeds.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending August 27
John E. McDermott 3rd purchased 74 Mattakesett Way in Edgartown from Jonathan Chatinover and Elizabeth O’Connor for $2,300,000 on August 23.
International Film Festival Is a Passport to Movie Magic
The Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival is more than an armchair trip around the world this year — it also travels back in time.
Canada Goose Season Opens
Canada Goose hunting season begins in Massachusetts a half hour before dawn on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Driver in Head-On Crash Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Prison
Zachary Dupon, 26, of Vineyard Haven, has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide charges connected to the death of a 22-year-old woman in a head-on motor vehicle collision last winter. A judge rejected the conditions of a plea deal.
Covid Case Clusters Among Businesses Are Widespread
Covid-19 cases and case clusters continue to loom over the Island’s summer season, with August officially registering the most positive Covid-19 tests in a month since the pandemic began.
MVC Reviews Historic House Demolition
A plan to raze and rebuild a historic house on East Chop Drive will be decided soon by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, after a public hearing closed Thursday night on the demolition project.
A Community of Poets Finds the Right Rhythm
The Cleaveland House poetry group was founded in 1963 by Dionis Coffin Riggs in the parlor of her West Tisbury home. The group just published an anthology, its first since 2013.
Finding Gold in the Quiet Walk
Every cloud, it is said, has a silver lining. Finding it in this era of Covid is hardly easy. But every now and then there are glimmers of it.
Bridge Column: Sept. 3
Is there any way to rescue yourself after making a terrible bid?
Police Release More Details After Fatal Moped Crash
Chilmark police are continuing to investigate a fatal moped accident on South Road that claimed the life of a 20-year-old woman and left a 20-year-old man with serious injuries.
Sun, Sea and Jeanna Shepard
To capture the rippling interplay of light and waves in the waters around Martha’s Vineyard, photographer Jeanna Shepard shoots when the setting or rising sun casts a honeyed light across the sea.
Vineyard Wind Proposes Plan to Redevelop Tisbury Marine Terminal
The MVC is reviewing a large, complicated project to redevelop the Tisbury Marine Terminal into a vessel staging facility for Vineyard Wind.
Act One: When James Lapine Met Stephen Sondheim
Theatre writer and stage and film director James Lapine can now add book author to his resume with Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George.
Report Details Incident at Community Center
A newly released report details the circumstances at the Chilmark Community Center summer camp last month, when a young black camper was the brunt of an incident involving two white boys.
