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 19, 2024
Ice Moon
The moon will dominate our weekend sky into next week. Tonight the gibbous moon appears in the zodiacal constellation Taurus and it appears way up high in the sky at least for a few night. Sunday, the moon advances into the northern and highest zodiacal constellation Gemini. It is night you might see your shadow,…
After Years of Sizzle, Real Estate Market Begins to Fizzle
The Martha’s Vineyard real estate market in 2023 began to level off after two straight years of an unprecedented surge in sales and pricing.
Garden Club Seeks New Owner for Mill House Headquarters
After more than 80 years as owners of the Old Mill in West Tisbury, the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club is considering passing stewardship of the 175-year-old industrial building to an organization better suited to its care.
Standing Up for Historic Home Preservation
In recent years, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission strengthened its oversight of century-old buildings that lie outside designated town historic districts — oversight that has been met with increasing resistance from some homeowners.
Winter Storm Barrage Likely To Continue
Climatologists say the prevalence of strong southerly storms that have battered the Vineyard’s south shore this winter are due, in part, to the first El Niño winter in five years.
Chilmark Looks to Move Forward on Peaked Hill Project
The Peaked Hill Pastures affordable housing development has been in process for years now, with a planning board subcommittee initiating work on the concept back in 2018.
Hello Clare
Katie Nisbet and Andrew Nisbet, of Oak Bluffs, announce the birth of a daughter, Clare Alexina Nisbet, born on Jan. 17 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Sowing Seeds
The new garden seed catalogs are out, and if the intentions of the people who receive them should be carried into effect the over-production would be staggering to contemplate.
On the Road to a Dream Deferred
I’m a driver but I like the idea of driving more than the act itself.
Sailing Into the Past and Future
While eyeing the cold winter water from several stories up on an Island ferry, my thoughts wandered as I looked out on the frigid expanse of the Sound.
Playing Through at the Oak Bluffs Library
It’s January and golfers in the know are heading to the Oak Bluffs library.
Chilmark Tennis Group Seeks Autonomy
A longstanding controversy over the operations and management of the tennis program at the Chilmark Community Center came to a head this week when a citizen petition was presented to the select board.
Stone Bank Developer Plans New Main Street Restaurant; Taqueria to Open This Spring
As restaurateur Patrick Lyons prepares to open his new taqueria at the Stone Bank complex this spring, developer Sam Dunn is planning another eatery in the former bank’s historic lobby.
Welcome Cecelia
Courtney Campbell and Jarrett Campbell, of Oak Bluffs, announce the birth of a daughter, Cecelia Lyn Campbell, born on Jan. 16 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Film Festival Submissions Open
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival invites Island filmmakers to submit to Vineyard Shorts, a special showcase to be screened at the annual festival.
Steamship Authority Approves Budget for Hybrid Ferry Design
The budget allocates nearly $400,000 in 2024 for the hybrid ferry, which many residents and officials have been pushing for in recent years to reduce the ferry line’s emissions in the face of climate change.
Chilmark Voters to Decide on Preschool Expansion
A one-article special town meeting will be held Monday on whether to lease town land to the private nonprofit Chilmark Preschool for the purpose of constructing their own building.
After Storms’ Blast, Edgartown Declares a State of Emergency
Declaring a state of emergency expedites the permitting process to dredge and restore sand in the area and opens the town to additional sources of funding and reimbursement from the Massachusetts emergency management agency (MEMA).
Please Adopt Us
We currently have no residents and are undergoing a major cleaning so we will be ready when our next adoptable pets arrive.
Recent Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending Jan. 12
Sea Shed LLC purchased 111 Peases Point Way North in Edgartown from Facingwestventures LLC for $5,150,000 on Jan. 10.
Land Bank Revenues
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $158,886 for the business week ending on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.
Prickly or Not
Even if you are not a golf pro, baseball, or soccer player, you may need to keep your eye on the ball.
Wild Weather Week
Even though we should have known better, Violet and I drove through Five Corners.
Still Lingering
Where would you rather be, Florida or Massachusetts?
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Jan. 19
Wild and weird weather. I suggest any seasonal residents who have an Island home should have someone check it.
Edgartown Town Column: Jan. 19
The important news of this week is the weather and the impact it had on our Island.
Chilmark Town Column: Jan. 19
It was a big week at USCG Station Menemsha. Pins, praise and high fives were shared as almost a full handful of advancements took place at a boathouse ceremony.
Chappaquiddick Town Column: Jan. 19
At the moment, there is no flowing Katama breach. There are plenty of low spots along Norton Point where the surf easily washes over at high tide.
Musical Sunday Afternoons Launches
Martha’s Vineyard Ballroom is joining forces with the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard and PathwaysArts on a new opportunity to enjoy music and dancing in the off-season.
Edgartown Residents Arrested for Drugs and Firearm Possession
Island police arrested two Edgartown residents last week for allegedly having illegal drugs and a handgun.
Camp Jabberwocky Names New Executive Director
Camp Jabberwocky’s new executive director, Hilary Dreyer, is a homegrown Islander known for her work with the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival and, more recently, the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation.
No Spa or Pool For Controversial Edgartown Home
Last week, civil engineer Douglas Hoehn told the town’s conservation commission that his client, real estate investor David Malm, will no longer be moving forward with the exercise spa at 81 South Water street.
Seabreezes Magazine Achieves Distinction
Seabreezes, the magazine published by students at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, has been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English as a magazine of distinction.
Navigator Takes Ownership of Nursing Home Land
Officials said the land transfer is crucial because it will allow Navigator to take in about $53 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon Stresses More Work to Be Done
The Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and its 60th anniversary at the annual MLK Membership Luncheon at the P.A. Club Monday afternoon.
Schubert Song Cycle Enthralls Island Audience
Presenting Schubert’s monumental song cycle: Die Schöne Mullerin Sunday afternoon, baritone David Behnke and pianist David Rhoderick held their audience in thrall as the late-Romantic tale unfolded.
TD Garden Experience Transcends Loss to Nantucket
On Sunday, the Vineyard boys basketball team took on Nantucket at the TD Garden as part of the Andrew James Lawson Foundation, Inc. Invitational. Nantucket won the game 67-58 but the event was bigger than the final score.
Storm Floods Island Downtowns
After drying out from a storm earlier this week, another gale hit the Island Saturday, canceling ferries and causing continued flooding.
Tisbury Reappoints MVC Representative; Looks to Address Beetle Infestation
Shellfish farmer Greg Martino will represent the Tisbury select board on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission for a third one-year term, following the board’s unanimous vote Wednesday evening.
Aquinnah Eyed For Jaws Anniversary Celebration
Michael Dakin Cochrane, the great grandson of Philip Dakin Cochrane, who helped found Universal Studios in 1912 with his brother Robert, reached out to Aquinnah town hall about the potential of hosting the event between June 15 and 30, 2025.
