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
July 5, 2024
McGhee, Cook, Scott; All Together Now
A family of artists will display their work at the Chilmark Library from July 19 to August 8.
Fine Lines: A Family of Artists features eight artists from three generations of the extended Scott and Cook family.
Bringing History to Life in the Classroom
Through Phyllis Vechiia’s Women in History program, she uses song and theatrical presentations to introduce Vineyard students each year to important women in history.
Mostly Moonless Nights
Enjoy these mostly moonless nights in the week ahead. The stars and even the Milky Way are within reach, as long as the skies are clear. Without a moon in the sky, nights do get dark. You can see the Milky Way, that ribbon of billions of stars rising in the east. The waving ribbon…
Making Music With a Meaning
Longtime Vineyard seasonal resident and frontman of the Boston-based band Dispatch, Chadwick Stokes will lead a rock opera next week at Union Chapel and the Old Whaling Church.
Nurses Vote to Unionize at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
A group of ambulatory nurses at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital voted this week to unionize. They say they want to create a better environment for themselves and their patients.
New Legislative Push Against Speed Rules Comes From Down South
A call from lawmakers thousands of miles from the Vineyard’s shores could spare the Island from new marine speed restrictions that would result in ferry service cuts.
Open and Affirming
The Federated Church of Martha’s Vineyard voted unanimously on June 23 to become an Open and Affirming Church, embracing a welcoming covenant.
La Salle University President to Preach at Union Chapel
La Salle University president Daniel J. Allen, PhD, will be delivering his message to the Union Chapel congregation on Sunday, July 7.
The Vineyard Bookshelf: The Lost Letters From Martha’s Vineyard
The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard by Michael Callahan, Mariner Books 2024, 304 pages, $30. Michael Callahan’s new novel The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard opens in 2018 and introduces Kit O’Neill, a junior producer on a failing Manhattan TV show, who’s trying to put a brave face on the enormous tragedy that’s struck her…
An Unhappy Anniversary
July 6, 2023 was marked as the hottest day recorded in the Earth’s history. Unfortunately, as we approach this unhappy anniversary, there is little to celebrate.
Taste of the Town
The Taste of Juneteenth, hosted by the NAACP, was a fitting conclusion to the week-long Juneteenth events and a culinary delight.
Housing Bank Hope
As you may know, the transfer fee did not get included in the Affordable Homes Act. We are disappointed, maybe as disappointed as our state senator Julian Cyr, who has tirelessly worked for its passage.
An Apology
My name is Molly Glasgow. I own and run The Grey Barn in Chilmark. I lost my composure last night at the Chilmark selectboard meeting.
Wrestling and Writing With the Ghosts of Howes House
A few years ago, I was chatting with my mother, who is now 97, at her house on Menemsha Pond in Chilmark. At that point, the egrets on the Pond and her dog Lizzie were her principal interests.
Celebrating Fourth of July Around the Island
The Edgartown Fourth of July parade may look a lot different than when it started out in 1844, but 180 years later the sentiment remains the same.
Records of Cases Heard in Edgartown District Court
The following cases were heard in Edgartown district court.
Recent Island Real Estate Transactions: Week Ending June 28
Noa Meyer and Edward Minoff purchased 0 Old Field Road in Aquinnah from Kathryn R. Ham Trust, Cold Fusion Realty Trust, Susan E. Jenson Trust and Mandrake Realty Trust for $1,800,000 on June 25.
Elopement Planner Ties Her Own Knot
Jacalyn Kane, who has organized and officiated more than 300 elopements on the Vineyard, married her husband Gary Brown in May at their new home in Santa Fe, N.M.
Farm and Field: Trade-Offs
I was headed down Quenames Road in Chilmark, where neon pastures peak through a forest of scraggly oak and pine for a visit to Milkweed Farm, the little sandy fiefdom where Mallory Watts has recently begun to reap a yearly harvest.
Where Authors Step Off the Page
Variety is the core theme of the Martha’s Vineyard Author Series this year. The series kicks off on July 11, with Frank Bruni talking about his book, The Age of Grievance.
From Tigress to Dolphin, Catboat is Common Denominator
For many years, the famous American flag sail was carried by the catboat Tigress, captained and chartered by Kurt Peterson. This summer, the sail is still blowing across the harbor — this time atop his catboat Dolphin.
Please Adopt Us: July 5
We’re delighted to report that Baby Cakes, the two-year-old, medium-hair, female tabby cat has an adoption pending.
Haiti Film Has Lasting Relevance
Victoria Campbell crossed the Dominican-Republic border into Haiti disguised as a nun five days after a devastating earthquake hit in January 2010.
As Island Grows, So Does Reach of YMCA
The Martha’s Vineyard YMCA’s $30 million field-house expansion, set to add classroom space and an indoor basketball court and track to the Oak Bluffs facility, has cleared its final permitting hurdles and is preparing to break ground next spring.
Peases Point Improvement Plan Approved by Select Board
The Edgartown Select Board Monday approved a plan to renovate a section of Peases Point Way and Church street in an attempt to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
Buzzards Bay Man Indicted in Alleged West Tisbury Stabbing
A Dukes County grand jury last week indicted Joseph Feliciano after he was arrested for stabbing a man in the eye in May.
Sea Level Rise Forces Trustees Into Retreat
The nonprofit, which oversees miles of oversand vehicle trails on Chappaquiddick, is proposing to retire about 1,300 feet of trail along the bayside of Cape Pogue because it now regularly becomes inundated by Cape Pogue Bay.
Gus Ben David, Beloved and Respected Island Naturalist, Dies at 81
Augustus (Gus) D. Ben David 2nd, the Vineyard’s famed wildlife specialist and former director of Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, died on July 4 at his home in Edgartown after an extended illness.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: July 5
First Friday is this week.
West Tisbury Town Column: July 5
Soo Whiting revived her July 4 celebrations with pyrotechnical thunder and lightning at her property on Tisbury Great Pond.
Chappy town Column: July 5
Chappy Ferry service will be interrupted by Fourth of July festivities.
Edgartown Town Column: July 5
I wished for rain and we got it. We needed it but at times it seemed that the sky really did open. We have been lucky that the humidity has spared us so far.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: July 5
Governor Maura Healey recently announced the appointment of Oak Bluffs resident Pamela Everhart to the board of directors of the Massachusetts Port Authority.
Chilmark Town Column: July 5
July is Sea Bass quotas and Fluke for Luke, friends and fireworks, after work ocean dips and late night ice cream treats.
Chilmark Inches Towards New Preschool
The select board Tuesday voted to proceed with a new building plan in an attempt to solve the nonprofit school’s space crunch.
Dock Dance Returns to Rock Memorial Wharf
Some wore high heels, some wore cutoffs and others arrived in their bathing suits for the first Dock Dance of the season Tuesday night.
Seeing the Vineyard Through the Lens of Alfred Eisenstaedt
Famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt’s lingering presence on Martha’s Vineyard is sometimes easily apparent to the eye, other times lurking behind the scenes. A new exhibit at the museum places him front and center.
Menemsha Bakery Stirs Debate About Chain Stores
A plan to open an Iggy’s Bread location at the former Bite location in Chilmark raised concerns about changes in the fishing village Tuesday.
Financial Snag Prompts Chilmark Special Town Meeting
The town has called a one-article town meeting for Monday, July 15 to transfer more than $400,000 from the town’s general stabilization fund to various projects.
Sharks Look to Right the Ship
On Sunday the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks defeated the North Shore Navigators 7-2 and on Monday took down the Ocean State Waves 10-5. The recent victories continued to fuel the team, after a disastrous start to the season.
SSA Approves Third Freight Boat Conversion Contract
The ferry line board of governors Thursday approved a $17 million retrofit of a former offshore oil vessel. The ferry, which will be called the M/V Monomoy, will eventually join two other newly converted freight vessels that are set to join the Steamship fleet later this year.
Vineyard Falls to Barnstable in Little League World Series
Little League World Series competition came to a close for the Vineyard on Monday after the under-twelves team lost 10–0 to Barnstable at home at Penn Field.
Connecticut Issues Arrest Warrant for Ravizza
Jared Ravizza, 26, was in Plymouth District Court Monday to see if he was competent to stand trial for the stabbings in Massachusetts. No determination was made, but during the hearing court officials said that an arrest warrant had been issued out of Connecticut for a murder charge.
At the Bridge Table: July 5
Here are some hands that can be bid two different ways: Sitting South and dealing, with no one vulnerable, you hold: ♠️ K Q 10 4 ♥️ K Q 3 ♦️ Q 6 4 ♣️ 9 6 2 What do you bid: A.—A lot of people would open any 12-point hand. Others would follow the…
Boaters Asked to Slow Down After Whales Seen South of the Vineyard
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Friday enacted a slow zone through July 12 to protect the critically endangered species.
Colaneri Honored With Spirit of the Vineyard Award
Michael Colaneri received the Spirit of the Vineyard Award Thursday to a standing ovation from friends, family and colleagues at the Portuguese-American Club.
With Closing Date Looming, Vineyard Haven Project Makes Donor Push
In a meeting Thursday, Vineyard Lands for Our Community president Steve Bernier said the nonprofit is scrambling to raise the closing costs for a massive redevelopement project on the Vineyard Haven waterfront before the August 1 deadline.
Vineyard Basketball Player Comes Home With a Gold Medal
Last week, Geo Meikle helped carry a U.S. national team to victory in the United World Games, an Austrian tournament featuring elite student basketball teams from more than 30 countries.
