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 16, 2026
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending Jan. 9
Daniel J. Sussman purchased 146 Quansoo Road in Chilmark from John R. Zeisel Trust, Jacqueline C. Vischer Trust and VZ Realty Trust of 2020 for $4,350,000 on Jan. 7.
Land Bank Revenues as of Jan. 9
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $417,830 for the business week ending on Friday, Jan. 9, 2025.
Welcome Olivia
Daniele Franca and Carlos Raider, of Edgartown, announce the birth of a daughter, Olivia Franca Rouder, born on Jan. 14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Bright Star Capella
It is easy to pick out Jupiter rising in the east after sunset, but take note of a brilliant star higher in the East, it is Capella.
Winter Musings
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
The Gall
Even if ants were a passion of his, William Harris Ashmead was not exclusive.
Story Time
From the January 17, 1930 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending Jan. 16
We are definitely enjoying the January thaw. It has really helped with cleaning up the rest of the leaves and it makes it easier to take down the Christmas decorations. So let’s hope the January thaw last a little longer.
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending Jan. 16
Our fire chief, Jeremy Bradshaw, is retiring after many years of dedicated service. The appointment of a new fire chief is a pivotal moment for any community, marking a new chapter in our commitment to public safety and emergency preparedness.
Chappy Town Columns: Week Ending Jan. 16
The Chappy Community Center potluck supper is on Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. Bring your favorite dish enough to share with eight of your neighbors.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending Jan. 16
Congratulations to Susan Wasserman, whose book Stepping Off the Boat, has just been awarded the 2026 Michigan Notable Book award by the Michigan Library Foundation.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending Jan. 16
Bob Weir was a co-founder of the Grateful Dead. He died on Saturday. The lights on the top of the Empire State Building were lit in tie-dye colors. All Deadheads and Boomers must feel bereft.
Chilmark Picks New Fire Chief
In a unanimous vote Thursday, the select board voted to appoint Manuel Rose to replace the retiring Jeremy Bradshaw.
Vineyard Wind Fights Construction Ban in Court
Vineyard Wind has now joined the legal battle against the Trump administration with a lawsuit that calls the stop work order placed on offshore wind construction unlawful.
SSA Complexities
As a long-time Vineyarder and as someone with a career in marine operations, naval architecture and design, I have followed the SSA and its evolution through different boards, managers and staff.
Vineyard Bookshelf: The Washashore
At the beginning of Bird Jones and Marshall Highet’s new novel The Washashore, 16-year-old Emily Cartwright is arriving on the shores of 1929 Martha’s Vineyard.
From Forest Lake to Chilmark Pond
It was one of those late Indian summer days in early November and I was in my canoe, the one that cannot sink, on Forest Lake near the Canadian border waiting for some ducks to come in.
Teague Arrives
On Jan. 8, Maj(s) Evan Patrick McCarthy, USSF, and his wife, Elizabeth Clare McCarthy (née Leader), welcomed their son Teague Daniel Patrick McCarthy into their family.
A Good Start
The Edgartown historic district commission (HDC) last week wisely resisted a proposal from the new owner of 81 South Water street.
Town and Tribe Look to Future of Open Dialogue
Tribal members and townsfolk joined hands inside the Aquinnah town hall last week during a celebration for the inauguration of the new Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) chairman.
On the Menu: Keeping Hungry Students Healthy and Happy
At 6 a.m. on a Monday morning in January, while the doors of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School are still locked and the sun still snoozing, one area of the school is already buzzing with energy: the cafeteria.
State Forest Cutting Work Goes Out to Bid
The planned cutting of about 52 acres of pine trees in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest could begin next month. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, which owns the forest located in the middle of the Island, put the controversial project out to bid on Monday and expects to award a contract in…
Procedural Logjam Results in Green Villa Denial
The Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals Wednesday declined to grant Green Villa a permit for its 116-unit apartment project because the developer had not previously gotten approval from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. The developer claims the MVC doesn’t have jurisdiction over the project.
Chilmark Considers Two Candidates for Fire Chief
The select board Tuesday interviewed Marques Rivers, a Tisbury deputy fire chief, and Manuel Rose, a Chilmark deputy chief, for the chief’s role.
Vineyard’s First Baby of the New Year Arrives
Gael Palhares Oliveira was born at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on Jan. 13 at 5:15 a.m., making him the first baby born on the Island in 2026. His parents are Taciana Silva and Eigon Oliveira of Vineyard Haven.
State Gives $2.5 Million in Grants for Housing, Childcare
Governor Maura Healey’s office announced last month all six Vineyard towns as beneficiaries of the Community Development Block Grant program.
Trust Begins Community in Conversation Series
This week, the Vineyard Preservation Trust begins its Community in Conversation series at the Carnegie, an early-evening speaker series centered around local topics.
Plans Emerge For Phillips Hardware Building
The owners of Reliable Market are proposing to demolish the former Phillips Hardware store on Circuit avenue in order to build a new Victorian-style mixed use building that would have retail space and housing.
South Water Street House Proposal Causes a Stir
A proposal to expand a historic property in Edgartown drew public scrutiny last week from neighbors who fear the additions could block one of the area’s last remaining views of the harbor.
Celebrated Musician and Chilmark Resident John Forté Dies at 50
A Grammy-nominated recording artist and producer, John Forté died suddenly Monday at his home in Chilmark.
Judge Allows Revolution Wind to Restart Construction
In U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, Judge Royce Lamberth granted Revolution Wind a preliminary injunction against the stop work order issued by the Department of the Interior in December.
Edgartown Gardens Appeals MVC Rejection
The powers of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission are again being called into question by a developer of two highly controversial housing proposals.
Driver Given Probation For Third World Crash
Theodore Bennett pleaded guilty last month to several charges connected to the crash into the Oak Bluffs gift store.
Steamship Summer Reservations Open
Head start reservations opened Tuesday and the general public will be able to book summer vehicle passage starting Feb. 3.
Dukes County Appoints Health and Human Services Director
Diane Conroy-LaCivita has been appointed to serve as the new Dukes County Health and Human Services director.
Debut Book Garners Library Honor
The Michigan Library Foundation has named the debut book from a Vineyard author one of Michigan’s 20 Notable Books of 2026.
Travel Is Creative Inspiration for Father and Son Artists
There are familial traits that highlight Vineyard artists Jaime Benavente and Diego Benavente as father and son: their light blue eyes, their reflexive humility. Their paintings, on the other hand, could not be more different.
Meshacket Commons Lottery Picks Townhouse Owners
Four people left an Edgartown select board meeting last week with the opportunity to buy a home within the new Meshacket Commons affordable housing complex.
Summer Airline Traffic Continues to Climb
The allure of Martha’s Vineyard in the summer is attracting more and more travelers by air, with 2025 continuing the trends of ballooning passengers counts over the last five years at the Island’s airport.
Community Forums Set for School Superintendent Search
Island school officials are hosting a series of open forums for Martha’s Vineyard residents weigh in on the search for the next superintendent of public education.
Breach Cuts Chappaquiddick Off at Norton Point
Surging swells severed Chappaquiddick from the Vineyard during a breach at Norton Point that has been growing since it formed New Year’s Day.
Chilmark Board Interested in Potential of Large Cell Tower
The Chilmark select board is asking the town’s planning board to consider options that would allow the installation of a large cell tower as the community struggles with poor cell service.
Newest Steamship Ferry Heads North to Join the Fleet
The M/V Monomoy, last of three offshore energy service vessels the Steamship Authority has converted to freight and passenger ferries, left Alabama Wednesday for its new home in New England.
