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
January 20, 2023
Saturn and Venus
The planets Saturn and Venus will be so close together Sunday night, you may miss it. The planets will be only a half degree apart, so close that the sight requires special attention. Both planets are low in the southwestern sky right after sunset. The two will be amid the glow of twilight. As the…
Tisbury School Demolition Is an Education from an Earlier Era
Demolition inside the Tisbury School has cleared away nearly a century’s worth of accumulated renovations, revealing the original interior of a town landmark built during the depths of the Great Depression.
Aquinnah Files Suit Over Cease and Desist Noncompliance
The Aquinnah Conservation Commission and building inspector Leonard Jason Jr. filed suit this week against an Aquinnah homeowner to stop unpermitted construction work on his shorefront property.
Remains of Ancient Forest Is a Different Kind of Beach Read
Ten thousand years ago, a fierce wind struck southern Massachusetts and an old and great white pine collapsed. Down it fell with a splash, sinking into the cold wet muck at the bottom of a pond it bordered.
Steamship Authority Looks to Shore Up Online Reservation Issues
Next Tuesday will be different. That was the pledge from the Steamship Authority this week after a series of website problems marred the opening day for online summer reservations on the Nantucket route.
Brushing Up on the Lefty’s Deceiver
It may be January but it’s never to early to bone up on your classic Lefty’s Deceiver, the cinder worm, or the surf candy epoxy minnow.
Stories of Long Ago Set Sail for a Memorable Journey
Rushing to catch a boat the other day, I failed to stop to pick up a newspaper to read on the way to Woods Hole.
On My Mind
Questions for the Steamship Authority leadership.
Gazette Chronicle: Aquinnah Schoolhouse
The little red schoolhouse and the one-room schoolhouse have not yet entirely been “progressed” out of existence.
Lapels Dry Cleaning to Close
Lapels Dry Cleaning in Vineyard Haven will be closing its doors for good next month, according to an announcement from owners Greg and Megan Carroll.
Land Bank Revenues
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $447,212.15 for the business week ending on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Jan. 20
One of my favorite Island groups is the Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Jan. 20
Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King were honored on Jan. 13 with the unveiling of the much talked-about Embrace sculpture on the Boston Common.
Edgartown Town Column: Jan. 20
Well, I finally saw my first snow fall of the year and now I am satisfied.
Chilmark Town Column: Jan. 20
Family recipes, handed down from generation to generation, are served with love.
Chappaquiddick Town Column: Jan. 20
Paul O’Donnell and a few other Chappaquiddickers have been looking into the idea of the Chappy Ferry being operated by a nonprofit organization.
Please Adopt Us
We are thrilled that we were able to reunite a missing cat with its owner.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Jan. 13
Kathryn R. Ham Trs. and LMNO Realty Trust purchased 394 Lighthouse Road in Aquinnah from Richard A. Gross and Roberta Gross for $6,150,000 on Jan. 13.
Bird Brains
In common usage, the expression “bird brain” is not very complimentary.
Sofa Time
I never left the house on Sunday or Monday except to quickly care for the chickens.
Wail for Whales
The Center for Coastal Studies recently issued a reminder and request for mariners to slow down for right whale protection efforts.
Navigator Homes Benefit Concert Brings Baroque Music to Life
On Sunday afternoon at the Federated Church in Edgartown, an entranced audience of nearly 100 Islanders heard what Bach’s music may well have sounded like when it was new, 300 years ago.
Tisbury School Insurance Costs Soar
The Tisbury select board welcomed a new police officer, hired its former building commissioner as a part-time zoning inspector and approved a nearly $900,000 insurance bill for the town school last week.
Applications Available for Education Scholarships
The Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation has announced that its 2023 scholarship applications are now available.
Outermost Inn Seeks MVC Approval for Steel Canopy
Outermost Inn owner Hugh Taylor is seeking to expand the inn’s patio by 12 feet and install an arched, corrugated-steel canopy that won’t need to be taken down on windy days.
Beach Road Weekend Announces Summer 2023 Lineup
Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver and Leon Bridges will headline Beach Road Weekend this summer. Festival organizer Adam Epstein said this year’s lineup was the culmination of all his effort since he founded the event back in 2018.
Dr. Ala Stanford Talks Covid Vaccination Equity at NAACP Event
For its annual Martin Luther King Day event, the NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard welcomed Philadelphia pediatrician Dr. Ala Stanford, recently appointed as a federal health official for her Covid-related social justice work.
Lazy Frog Hops to It
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services has announced that donations from its partner The Lazy Frog, the Oak Bluffs game store, have now exceeded $7,900.
Ingenuity on Display at High School Science Fair
At the intersection of passion and scientific rigor, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School students astounded judges and spectators alike with project presentations at the 24th annual Science and Engineering fair.
Strolling in a Bright Solitude
On a recent Saturday, determined to break free of my down-Island bubble, I decided to make the trip to Menemsha in winter — in other words, the end of the world.
Lifting Up Civil Rights Leaders’ Legacy of Hope and Solidarity
Community leaders for racial justice gathered Friday for an interfaith Shabbat service to honor the shared memory of two civil rights leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Mikado to Add Oak Bluffs to the Menu
Xi Yu, proprietor of Mikado Asian Bistro in Vineyard Haven, aired plans for a new restaurant location in Oak Bluffs at the former location of The Cardboard Box.
Meshacket Commons Receives Zoning Board Approval
Meshacket Commons cleared another bureaucratic hurdle this week after a public hearing hosted by the Edgartown zoning board of appeals yielded zero opposition to the proposed affordable housing development.
Summer Camp Registration Begins
Summer may be on the horizon but summer camps sign-ups on the Island have begun.
Airport Looks to Evict Donaroma’s from Business Park
The Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission is taking steps to evict Donaroma’s Nursery from the airport business park, a result of the company’s history of failure to comply with their lease agreement.
Tisbury Town Moderator Will Wield Her Final Gavel This Spring
Tisbury town moderator Deborah Medders recently announced she would not run again for moderator, a position she has held since 1999.
Film Festival Dates Announced
The 23rd annual Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival will be held March 22 and run through March 26.
West Tisbury Health Agent Steps Down
Omar Johnson has resigned from his position as West Tisbury health agent, the select board announced at the Jan. 11 meeting.
Vineyard Open House Real Estate Adds Team Member
Kim Crocker of Vineyard Haven has joined Vineyard Open House Real Estate as a sales associate.
