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
August 1, 2025
Nights of Shooting Stars
The nights ahead will be decorated by an occasional shooting star.
Dershowitz Takes Issue With Farmers’ Market After Pierogi Denial
Alan Dershowitz, a seasonal Chilmark resident and prominent attorney known for his controversial clients, is threatening litigation after he was denied a half dozen pierogi at the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market this week.
When the ’70s Meant Fast Pitch Softball
This past June, the Ritz Café hosted a wonderful reunion party. However, for a select few in the crowd, the Ritz was never just a bar or a lounge. It was the “Office.”
Protect the Insects
On Friday, the Gazette published a very well thought-out opinion entitled Tick Sprays Kill More Than Ticks written by Jeremy Houser of the Vineyard Conservation Society.
Book Sale Thanks
On July 17, 18 and 19, the Library Friends of Oak Bluffs welcomed our neighbors of all ages to the library and town hall for our annual summer book sale.
Housing Crisis Hits Middle Income Earners
The possibility of low-income families to make a life here has all but vanished, and, in recent years, even Islanders who make six figures have few options.
From Chickens to Goats to Sheep; a Novel Approach
T. Elizabeth Bell, author of the new Martha’s Vineyard novel Sheepish, never intended to write a novel. Now she has three on the shelves: Goats in the Time of Love, Counting Chickens and Sheepish.
4-H Club Creates an Artful Cow Fundraiser
It’s summer and Island cows are getting fat on tall grass while their calves enjoy their mother’s milk.
Charting Climate Change With Whaling Logs
In centuries past, whalers kept meticulous records, including their location, daily weather occurrences and whale sightings. Now, researchers are using those logs to develop a better understanding of climate change over time.
Artistic Journey Takes Shape at a Young Age
Ella Blodgett’s life as a glass artist began during his sophomore year of high school while wearing a reindeer onesie.
Menemsha Bike Ferry Is a Sweet Scenic Shortcut
Since 1990, the Menemsha bike ferry has shepherded people back and forth across Menemsha harbor. It’s a lifeline for many a bicyclist who otherwise would have to cycle an extra seven miles or so around Menemsha Pond.
Morning Glory Farm Turns Fifty
When Jim and Debbie Athearn started Morning Glory Farm in 1975, they had only one cow, sold milk to neighbors and grew a half-acre of sweet corn.
On the Ice, From Aquinnah Summers to Wisconsin Winters
Vineyard resident Casey O’Brien was drafted third overall last month in the Professional Women’s Hockey League Entry Draft.
Please Adopt Us
We have no adoptions to report this week, but we do have two adoptions pending for Cleo (a young, tabby and white male) and Peaches (a white and black girl).
Jewish Cultural Festival Returns
The Jewish Culture Festival is returning to the Island on Tuesday, August 5.
A Gallery Returns as an Edgartown Pop-Up
A new contemporary art gallery, featuring Island artists, has popped up on the busiest block of Edgartown’s Main street, directly across from Edgartown Books.
Lost Nation to Screen at Film Center
A new film by Jay Craven entitled Lost Nation will screen at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center on Wednesday, August 6.
Built on Stilts Specializes in Dance Freedom
The Built on Stilts dance festival thrives on variety.
Chamber Music Society Is More Than Concerts
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society summer season is in full swing, hosting world-renowned musicians and premiering new musical pieces through the end of August.
Readers Ready to Embrace Black Book Festival
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson headlines the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival, which returns on August 9 for its second year on the Island.
Art Show and Climate Talk
A.F. Cook will host an art reception at the West Tisbury Library on August 7, and a climate talk at the Chilmark Library on August 8.
African American Film Festival Arrives
week’s worth of features, documentaries and short films are coming to the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center as part of the 23rd African American Film festival.
Heading Up-Island for Literary Inspiration
Martha’s Vineyard is all over E. Lockhart’s novels. It’s in the fudge and bookstores of her 2014 bestselling young adult novel We Were Liars and the lobster socks and touristy T-shirts of the prequel, Family of Liars.
Giving Voice to the Plight and Fight of Librarians
When Oscar-nominated director Kim A. Snyder was reading news articles about lists of books that state representatives in Texas were insisting be removed from public school libraries, she realized an important voice was being left out of the discussion.
IGI Intern Program Helps Plant Human Roots
The IGI internship program began in 2011 and has been an important part of the organization’s educational outreach.
Nothing Lazy About These Purveyors of Fun
For 20 years, Lazy Frog has been an Island staple and one-stop shop for board games, jigsaw puzzles, kites, yard games, beach gear and toys.
New Play Lifts Up Pivotal Era in Chilmark
A high-caliber cast of deaf and hearing actors at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse is bringing to life the seldom-told story of Chilmark in the 19th century.
Riding the Wind for Charity, Nevin Sayre Finds Special Way to Give Back
Island windsurfer Nevin Sayre is heading back out to sea to battle the winds and currents around the Vineyard for a good cause.
Trustees CEO Makes Plans for the Future
During a visit to the Vineyard this summer, Trustees of Reservations head Katie Theoharides said the nonprofit plans to accelerate the pace of conservation in the face of federal funding cuts.
Uncovering Timeless Treasure at the Chilmark Flea
On a recent morning at the Chilmark Flea Market, Dana Nunes sat in the back of her car trunk reading a book, surrounded by vintage knick-knacks from a life well-lived.
West Tisbury Police Chief Gets Ready to Say Goodbye
West Tisbury police Chief Matt Mincone couldn’t have predicted he would eventually call the Island his home when he first became a summer officer in the early 1990s. After two summers in Aquinnah and a stint in Chilmark, a full-time officer position opened in West Tisbury in 1995. Throughout the years, he rose through the…
An Artistic Vision of Intimate Whimsy
Artist and illustrator Margot Datz holds her 16th annual one-woman show at Grange Hall in West Tisbury this Saturday. And an exhibit at the Carnegie Heritage Center is spotlighting her long career.
Edgartown Select Board Opposes SSA Term Limits
A proposal to enact term limits for Steamship Authority board members was unanimously opposed by the Edgartown select board on Monday.
Date With Destiny
Some couples are just not meant to be.
Chappy Town Column: Week Ending August 1
The Chappaquiddick Island Association annual meeting is Saturday, August 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Chappy Community Center.
Post-Breeding Dispersal
Telling when the southbound migration starts can be problematic.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending August 1
If it seems that I write about many artists, writers and musicians in this column it’s because that is who we are surrounded by on Martha’s Vineyard.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Week Ending August 1
On Saturday morning signs near the Eastville Beach at the Bridge encouraged all to “stand up” against gender bias wherever it exists.
Chilmark Enlists New Tech to Help Save Pond
Chilmark Pond has a new helper to monitor and preserve the approximately 200-acre waterbody that has been plagued by toxic bacteria blooms for the last several years.
Finding Comedy in the Manners of Life
When author Elinor Lipman sits down to write, she rarely has the concept of the whole book in mind.
A Vineyard Love Affair, Fueled by Food
Martha’s Vineyard is known for many things, from its beautiful beaches to its rich history. Chef and author Julia Blanter aimed to encapsulate everything about the Island through food in her new cookbook titled The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook.
Giving Voice to Women’s Rights
Rebecca Grant has spent her career lifting up the voices of those advocating for women to be able to live their lives with dignity and freedom, which she says is not possible without access to safe abortions.
Walking in the Footsteps of James Baldwin
Nicholas Boggs still remembers seeing a poster of James Baldwin on the wall of his eight grade classroom. For a time, he thought that was his first interaction with the acclaimed writer and civil rights advocate.
Writing Her World Into Existence
Colored Television, the seventh book by Danzy Senna, was published in September of 2024 and won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction, which focuses on books that make a contribution to the subjects of race and social justice. It was also nominated for a Pen/Faulkner Award.
Recalling the Glory Days of Magazine Publishing
You can learn a lot about an editor from reading the publication they edit. Consider Graydon Carter, former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, whose new memoir is titled When the Going was Good: An Editor’s Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines.
Book Festival Takes Readers Beyond the Page
The Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival returns to the Island on August 1 for three days of author conversations and readings, in-depth panels and an opening night discussion with editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, and staff writer, Ashley Parker.
Taking on the Political Past, Present and Future
We the People. The famous first words to the Preamble of the United States Constitution were the core of Michael Steele’s message to his audience Thursday night, during the third week of the Summer Institute’s speaker series.
Island Cartoonist Wins Inkpot Award
West Tisbury resident Paul Karasik was awarded the Inkpot Award on Friday at the San Diego Comic Con.
Legacy of Della Hardman Inspires Next Generation
Natalie Wambui, a recent graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, was the featured speaker at this year’s Della Hardman Day event, which took place at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Back To My Roots
I’m a creature of habit. I always start this column with a comment about the week’s weather.
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending July 27
Jacqueline Zins and Gerson Zweifach purchased 0 Beach Lot Black Point in Chilmark from Melissa Keeler for $435,000 on July 23
Hello Nash
Tara Reynolds and Owen Willis, of Chilmark, announce the birth of a son, Nash Fuller Willis, born on July 25 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Land Bank Revenues as of July 25
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $62,310 for the business week ending on Friday, July 25, 2025.
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending August 1
August. The month that intensifies our senses has arrived. It is a month filled with early morning swims, beach picnics, boat rides, agricultural fair preparations and setting aside just the right blanket and chairs for the Oak Bluffs fireworks.
Good Returns
From the August 3, 1934 edition of the Vineyard Gazette: Peter J. Taeger, Oak Bluffs contractor and builder, sounds another cheering note with reference to the business come-back that the Vineyard is staging.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending August 1
I used to think the term ‘dog days’ applied only to August, but surely this whole summer has been suitably scorching.
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending August 1
Warm days and cool nights, what a great combination. The wind has been a little strong here and there, but it is a great cooling factor during the day.
Land Bank Welcomes New Cow Herd
The grazing program at Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank properties has returned after the organization recently brought 10 Randall cattle to the Island.
Bridge Column: Week of August 1
Here’s the first bidding quiz of the season: Q.1—Sitting South, with North dealing and East-West vulnerable, you hold:
As Regular Season Winds Down, Sharks Eye Playoff Run
After stomping the NECBL’s best team 11-2 Saturday night, the playoffs are firmly in the sights of this year’s Martha’s Vineyard Sharks team.
Edgartown Gardens Files Complaint Against Town Board
The developer behind the controversial condominium complex proposal in Edgartown is claiming his project should get a de facto approval because of an alleged permitting snag by the town.
Vineyard Wind Eyes End of Year Completion Date
During a quarterly investor call this week, executives with the project’s parent company said that 23 turbines have been fully built at the farm about 14 miles out to sea, and 17 are sending energy to the grid.
Ravizza’s Island Case Dropped Due to Lack of Witness Cooperation
Jared Ravizza, who is facing a murder charge in Connecticut, had his Vineyard assault case from 2024 dismissed in court Thursday.
