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 3, 2026
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending July 10
From the day they met on the sun-kissed shores of Puerto Rico to the life they now live in the rugged, open skies of Wyoming, and a whole lot of exploring in between, Adelaide Keene and Baxter Geyer have begun writing another new chapter.
Farm and Field: Local Value
Last week, I came home to my roommate making meatballs. My roommate is the exceptional Emma Kilbride, also a reporter at the Vineyard Gazette, and also an avid supporter of local farms.
Bridge Column: Week of July 3
When you’re playing in a suit contract and you’ve seen your dummy, count your probable losers before playing a card. If you see too many losers, find a way to eliminate one of them.
Read the Room SSA
In response to the Gazette article titled Woods Hole Terminal Building Opens at Last, while we understand the need for a waiting area for people who may need to wait to board a ferry or purchase tickets in-person, we don’t agree with the ticket and utility buildings that are over-designed and poorly placed.
Gibbous Moon and Fireworks
There is a pretty good chance the skies will be clear tomorrow night for the Fourth of July fireworks in Edgartown.
Thistle Me This
Thomas Nuttall had a sharp opinion of a pointy plant. Of thistle, this 19th-century English botanist opined that it is “one of the most terribly armed plants in the genus.”
Aria Arrives
Anna and Andrew Jacobs, of Vineyard Haven, announce the birth of a daughter, Aria Ann Jacobs, born on June 25 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
A Plethora of Island Parades Is a Fourth of July Tradition
Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Aquinnah will all host parades on Saturday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s declaration of independence.
Work Together
I am writing in response to the recent actions of the West Tisbury board of health having denied access to the town’s tick data to epidemiologist Lea Hamner.
Deer and Ticks
For deer control to be effective for significantly reducing tick diseases, the deer have to be even lower in density.
Slow Down
I saw a pedestrian, in a crosswalk with safety lights flashing, come close to losing her life this morning.
The Ever Adapting Story of Our Ocean
Paella season on Martha’s Vineyard begins with the first full moon of summer.
Hospital Bomb Threat Determined to be a Hoax
A bomb threat made on Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Thursday was deemed to be a hoax, police said.
Islanders Played Their Part in Fight for Freedom
On July 4, 1776, exactly 250 years ago, the 13 American colonies declared independence from British rule, and Martha’s Vineyard, being part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was making its investment in the ongoing American Revolution known.
Inspired by Summer and a Feeling of Fun
The historic Tashmoo Spring building in Tisbury becomes an art gallery this weekend, showing new and recent work by 30 artists on the theme A Beach Scene.
Seeing the Island in an Artistic Light
After nearly 30 years as summer residents, Liz and Paul Norwood are coupling their creative mediums in Away to See, a book that reflects on what it means to exist on Martha’s Vineyard.
Stillpoint Fundraiser to Feature Top Flight Improv Comedians
Laughing Matters, a star-studded night of long-form improvisational comedy from Bluebird Improv, will take place at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center on July 18, with proceeds from ticket sales supporting Stillpoint.
Summer Institute Seeks to Enlighten
The Summer Institute speaker series returns to the Hebrew Center this year with six speakers who will reflect on the state of the world, from attacks on the media to politics, the Black and Jewish alliance and the New York Times puzzle craze.
On the Water at the Vineyard Cup
Next weekend sailors eager to test their salt will head to Vineyard Haven to participate in the Vineyard Cup, the annual sailboat race that is also a fundraiser for Sail Martha’s Vineyard.
A Canine Love Affair Still Lingers
Artichoke is a small dog — a Havanese poodle mix weighing about 18 pounds — so carrying him is not an issue.
Sharks on a Roll This Summer
The Sharks terrorized the New England Collegiate Baseball League in the month of June, winning 16 of their first 20 games.
Playhouse Season Offers Treasure Trove of Live Theatre
The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse continues its summer theatre season with a production of Sick Day, which follows two women as they navigate the New York City medical system on a hot day. The show runs July 9 to 11.
Celebrating Creative Legacy of Featherstone Photo Salon
On Sunday evening, Featherstone Center for the Arts hosted its 15th anniversary photo salon to celebrate Island photographers. Over the last 15 years, the Tuesday night salon has hosted 61 artists, 30 of whom were included in the anniversary celebration.
The Dog Days of Summer Have Arrived
The humble hot dog is muscling into hamburger territory and beyond, loaded with condiments, from a zigzag of dijonnaise to caramelized onions, potato sticks and so much more. Let the chomping begin.
Cottagers Celebrate 70 Years of Service
Seven decades after the Cottagers’ founding, the Black women homeowners group continues to focus on helping out the Island community.
Acclaimed Author Elizabeth Weinstock Dies at 85
Former New Yorker staff writer and acclaimed author Elizabeth Hawes Weinstock died at her Chilmark home Monday. She was 85.
Fence Cordoning Off Town-Owned Home Draws Debate in Tisbury
The Tisbury select board heard objections last week to a split-rail fence recently built at the Tashmoo Spring building area, where the town administrator lives.
Shark vs. Fisherman? School Mascot Costume On Hold
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee members have failed to agree on a student group’s request to buy, with its own funds, a shark costume for a mascot at school sports events.
Police Investigate Unattended Death in Chilmark
An 85-year-old woman was found dead in her swimming pool in Chilmark on Monday, according to Chilmark police.
Land Bank Receives Largest Ever Donation
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank will add an extra 28 acres to the Wapatequa Woods Reservation in Oak Bluffs after receiving its largest-ever land donation this week.
Edgartown Declines Request for Later Dock Dance Start Time
A request to push the weekly summer Dock Dance concerts at Memorial Wharf to a later time received a poor reception from the town’s select board this week.
When Staying Cool Is Part of the Job
Every June, the Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena installs a fresh rink of ice to prepare for the year’s skating. The process starts not with water, but with paint.
Chilmark Handles Finances at Special Town Meeting
Chilmarkers sped through a single-article special town meeting Monday that was called to ensure the town remained out of the red at the start of the new fiscal year.
Featherstone Celebrates 30 Years as a Creative Hub
Featherstone Center for the Arts celebrated its 30th anniversary with an open house Sunday, inviting community members to participate in instructor-led creative workshops.
Filmusic Festival Keeps the Audience Rocking
The annual Filmusic Festival kicked off last Thursday at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center with live music by Island band Red Night Delight and a screening of seasonal Vineyarder Stanley Nelson’s high-energy documentary We Want the Funk.
ADU Lawsuit Dismissed
A legal fight over an accessory dwelling unit in Edgartown was settled between the owner and the town this spring before it went to trial.
Setting the Pace at Chappy Point to Point
Roughly 310 runners took part in the eighth annual Chappy Point to Point on Sunday, a five-mile road race, beginning at Wasque point and finishing at the ferry terminal.
Scientists Study Martha’s Vineyard to Get to Root of Chronic Lyme
Researchers are turning to Martha’s Vineyard and other New England areas that have been hit hard with Lyme disease in order to better understand why some people experience symptoms of the tick-borne illness long after treatment.
Woods Hole Terminal Building Opens at Last
The Steamship Authority’s new Woods Hole ticket office and waiting room finally opened to the public Thursday morning, after more than a year and a half of highly visible, and sometimes controversial, construction.
