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
January 14, 2022
Where is Venus?
The once dominant planet in our evening sky, Venus has disappeared and won’t reappear until late this month.
Freedom to Vote
There are many ways to honor the memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., but none more important this year than defending the freedom to vote.
Oak Bluffs Sergeant Resigns Amid Tangled Case of Missing Gun
A veteran Oak Bluffs police sergeant has resigned following a tangled internal investigation into a police department-issued rifle that went missing for more than two years and was later found beneath piles of equipment in the basement.
Sarah Shannon to Wed Jonathan Holter
Sarah K. Shannon and Jonathan M. Holter of Oak Bluffs are engaged to be married.
Winter Sports Teams Stay Strong Despite Pandemic Challenges
The winter sports season is persevering despite Covid infections decimating team ranks each week, and their fan base limited too.
An Evolutionary Drift, One Step at a Time
I make sure to feed the birds each winter as it’s a tough time for them.
Razing History
I’m dismayed at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s willingness to raze yet another historic Vineyard home that has essentially been demolished by neglect.
Red Stocking Gratitude
Once again, for the 83rd year, the Red Stocking Fund is eternally grateful to the Martha’s Vineyard community.
Wind Farms, Right Whales
Those who take an interest in the development of offshore wind farms, in particular Vineyard Wind
Sloop Shop
From the Jan. 12, 1962 edition of the Gazette:
Land Bank Revenues: Week Ending Jan. 7
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $224,920 for the business week ending on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021.
Please Adopt Us: Jan. 14
Unfortunately, we have no adoptions to report this week but we do have a number of pets awaiting new homes.
County Mulls Application Process for Rescue Act Funds
With the first half of $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding in hand, the county commission met Wednesday to talk about the distribution process.
Lambert’s Cove Inn Buyers Pledge Better Neighbor Relations
At a liquor license hearing Wednesday, the prospective buyers of the Lambert’s Cove Inn found themselves in the midst of wary neighbors with a litany of complaints over past practices at the inn.
Overnight Winter Shelters Get Okay to Move to MVCS Building
Following a vote by the regional high school committee, the Vineyard’s winter homeless shelter is moving to the former early childhood building at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Jan. 7
Sara Iantosca and Christian Iantosca purchased 31 Flanders Lane in Chilmark from John Englert and Lee Englert for $2,250,000 on Jan. 5.
West Tisbury Town Column: Jan. 14
Finally, a proper snowfall! Friday was just lovely.
Edgartown Town Column: Jan. 14
It has been quite the week. Snow, rain, cold, wind and now a little warm weather before the Artic air comes in for a couple of days.
Chilmark Town Column: Jan. 14
Do you remember when positive was a good thing and negative was, well, negative?
Chappaquiddick Town Column: Jan. 14
An article last week in this newspaper posed the following questions: What if the Chappy Ferry can’t run?
After the Storm
Last Friday’s snowfall was beyond beautiful. The trees were covered and all was quiet at first light.
Oak Bluffs Appoints Brian Smith to MVC
At a meeting Tuesday, the Oak Bluffs select board settled on Brian Smith as the town’s newest representative to the MVC.
Jacob Arrives
Anna Poblocka and Piotr Kornalski, of Oak Bluffs, announce the birth of a son, Jacob Alex Kornalski, born on Jan. 5.
Welcome Cleo
Marisa and Garrett Burt, of Oak Bluffs, , announce the birth of a daughter, Cleo Wilhelmina Burt, born on Jan. 9.
Surprise Sightings
The 62nd annual Christmas Bird Count was held on Jan. 2, and as reported last week the weather was not bad, nor was it good, for finding birds.
Wascally Wabbits
Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the trails. (Cue the Jaws soundtrack.)
Boards of Health Urge Caution; Hospital Curtails Non-Emergency Visits
With Covid-19 now racing through the Vineyard community, boards of health issued a public health message Tuesday urging Islanders to take steps to protect themselves from infection.
Remembering Lani Guinier, Fierce Advocate, Longtime Vineyarder
The pioneering law professor and voting rights activist who died Jan. 7 had long family ties to the Vineyard, where she had owned a home.
Where the Sheep and the Donkey Play
Brigitte Cornand, longtime deputy director of West Tisbury’s Dumptique, called recently from France, where she now lives, with New Year’s greetings for all her Vineyard friends.
Streaming Plays Bring Diverse Perspectives in Playhouse Series
With audiences confined by winter weather and the resurgent Covid pandemic, the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse could hardly have chosen a better time for its weeklong theatre festival.
Oyster Season Opens in Edgartown
Commercial oyster season begins in Edgartown next week with harvesting on Sengekontacket Pond starting Jan. 17 and running through March.
Covid Case Counts Soar; Round Two Set for Home Test Kit Distribution
A new distribution of rapid at-home test kits will take place on Wednesday and Thursday this week in all the Island towns.
Facing Climate Change, Chappy Tackles Preparedness
If climate change put Martha’s Vineyard under a magnifying glass, tiny Chappaquiddick is under a microscope. Work has begun on an emergency response plan.
Coast Guard Licensing Course
Sail MV will host a U.S. Coast Guard licensing course, beginning with an orientation on Jan. 20.
For Larkin Stallings, Life Is About Letting the Music Play
Larkin Stallings, owner of the Ritz Cafe in Oak Bluffs, opened his first club in 1976. It was called My Oh My, and sat at the intersection of Homer avenue and High street in Palo Alto, Calif.
Mansion House Pays Fine for Illegal Water Discharge Into Wastewater Plant
The Vineyard Haven hotel has paid fines totaling $21,400 to the town of Tisbury for illegally discharging groundwater into the aging municipal sewer system over more than half a year. The charge represents $100 a day for 214 days.
Historic Home Demolition on Indian Hill Under Review
Old farmhouses and their place in the architectural history of the Island were a topic for discussion when a hearing opened on a plan to demolish a crumbling house in West Tisbury.
MVC Approves Shearer Cottage Expansion Plan
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted unanimously Thursday night to approve an expansion project for Shearer Cottage, the historic Oak Bluffs inn that has been central to the long tradition of African Americans vacationing on the Vineyard.
Citizen Group Files Complaint Against SSA
A citizen group that has been pushing for an off-Cape port to handle Steamship Authority freight traffic is asking the Massachusetts Attorney General to intervene by placing restrictions on the boat line.
