Jane Kenyon
I am the stone step, the latch, and the working hinge. I am the heart contracted by joy, the longest hair, white before the rest.-Jane Kenyon
July 10, 2026
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending July 10
Rain, rain and more rain, we needed it and we got it all in two days. It did help bring the temperatures down, which was a real relief to many. The plants and trees are happy, and I am sure the puddles and ponds were a good source of water for the animals.
Chappy Town Column: Week Ending July 10
The Chappaquiddick Island Association (CIA) will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, July 11 at the Chappy Community Center. Coffee and pastry on the porch begins at 8:30 a.m., with the meeting convening at 9 a.m.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Week Ending July 10
Christmas in July is an event that was initially begun in 1933 at a summer camp in Brevard, N.C. when camp leadership sought to break the midsummer doldrums for young campers.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending July 10
Our Polar Bears had a wonderful celebration for their 80th year on July 4 at the Inkwell. The dedication of Caroline’s Garden, in memory of Caroline Hunter, was initiated. There is a GoFundMe for the soil and plants and flowers we shall need to keep it going.
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending July 3
Hall Quarry Granite Corp. purchased 10 Fowler Lane in Edgartown from Brian Purdy Trust, Thomas J. Filomeno Trust and 10 Fowler Ave Realty Trust for $3,100,000 on July 1.
Best Stargazing Time of the Year
There is no question this could be the best time of year to step outside at night and do some stargazing.
Rain Relief
Almost nothing makes me happier than a couple days of decent rain following weeks of hot and extremely dry weather. I wish I could report some progress on those long neglected indoor tasks, but, alas, I literally did nothing and enjoyed every minute.
Virginia Rose
At first blush, it seemed to be just a flower.
Shearwater Show
Early summer is the best time to see shearwaters and storm-petrels, as they have just migrated from their south Atlantic nesting grounds. Ashley Casciotti spotted two Wilson’s storm petrels and two great shearwaters from Wasque on June 30.
Fish On
From the July 11, 1995 edition of the Vineyard Gazette: In the earliest hours of morning, an unusual striped bass takes residence among the spiles that support the Island landmark known as the Big Bridge.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending July 10
“Like a lid on a boiling pot,” explained the New York Times the other day, “the heat dome traps the air beneath it, pushing toward the ground hot air that, as it sinks, compresses and becomes even hotter.”
Alpha-Gal Is Not Only a Vineyard Issue
For those of us on Martha’s Vineyard, it can sometimes feel as though alpha-gal syndrome is uniquely our problem.
On Your Left and On Your Right
Looking up through the rear-view mirror and in my best William Shatner voice, I announced to 43 unsuspecting people: “Martha’s Vineyard, the final frontier, this is the voyage of the blue bus.”
Researchers Seek to Solve Mystery of Quahaug Color Shift
The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group is undertaking a years-long project to determine why and how quahaugs develop purple on the inside of their shells — and why that purple may be disappearing from the Vineyard’s waters.
A Big Failure
My cousin almost died this year at the annual Run the Chop Challenge in West Chop, an iconic Fourth of July tradition in our family. On a 90-plus-degree day, incompetence trumped basic safety — and basic humanity. To name just a few of the failures. Organizers botched the allegedly USATF-certified course, pointing runners the wrong…
Shellfish Salute
On Tuesday June 9, the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group celebrated our 50th Clamiversary with a community party at the Grange Hall.
Proliferation of Pop-Ups Riles Downtown Business Owners
Long-simmering tensions over the future of retail shopping in downtown Edgartown boiled over this week after an Amazon subsidiary applied to host a pop-up event later this month.
Oak Bluffs Becomes First Town to Join Regional Water Protection Fund
Oak Bluffs will soon be able to tap into a new funding source to help pay for wastewater projects after voting this week to become the first Island town to opt into the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund.
Swimming the Muskeget Channel for Charity
With the help of a relay team, Doug McConnell will once again attempt a charity swim across the Muskeget Channel between Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Lace Walls
In the photograph accompanying Lynne Irons garden column on July 3 there was mention made that this wall is an example of a “lace wall.”
Island to Host Professional Pickleball Match
Airport Fitness will host the Island’s first ever professional adult pickleball camp and a pro exhibition match on July 17.
Farm and Field: Wisdom of Weeds
Exactly four years ago was the first time I ever ate a weed.
Bridge Column: Week of July 10
South is dealing, with East-West vulnerable.
Keeping Tradition Alive at Cottagers’ Tour
The Cottagers’ 39th Annual House Tour takes place Thursday, July 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.
Town Turns Out for Tisbury Street Fair
Wednesday marked the 55th anniversary of the Tisbury Street Fair, an event launched in 1971 by former town select board member Cora Medeiros.
Swim Across America Event Is a Life Saver
In a little over a week, Martha’s Vineyard will host a Swim Across America charity event to raise money for cancer treatment and research.
Embracing the Fellowship of Jazz
One of the Vineyard’s most versatile working musicians, bassist and guitarist Eric T. Johnson, stepped out as a bandleader Monday night at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center.
Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub Honored with Vineyard Icon Award
Circuit Arts held a gala this week to honor actors and longtime seasonal Vineyarders Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams, winners of this year’s Martha’s Vineyard Arts Icon Awards.
Aimee Cotton Case to Move Off Island
Dukes County Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp said Wednesday that he would allow Aimee Cotton’s case to move to the superior court in Barnstable for trial after her lawyer raised concerns about the chances of an impartial jury on Martha’s Vineyard.
Islanders to Rock Out for Seniors
The annual Island Elderly Housing concert takes place at Featherstone Center for the Arts on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. A long lineup of local musician will take part in the event, which raises money for housing for Island seniors.
Strong Rains Close Oak Bluffs and Tisbury to Shellfishing
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries made the order this week after Tuesday’s downpour, putting all shellfish harvesting in Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and several towns on the Cape on an indefinite pause pending state water quality testing.
Land Bank Revenues For Week Ending July 3
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $469,450 for the business week ending on Friday, July 3, 2026. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Minivan Crashes into Steamship Ferry
State police are investigating an incident where a minivan crashed into the doors of a Steamship Authority ferry docked at the Vineyard Haven terminal Wednesday.
Officials Respond to Emergency on Steamship Ferry
An emergency aboard the Island Home ferry involving a car crash Wednesday morning is causing disruptions at the Steamship Authority’s Vineyard Haven terminal.
Spirit of the Vineyard Award
Jean Tatelbaum is this year’s recipient of the Spirit of the Vineyard award. The award is sponsored by Vineyard Village at Home
Girls Hockey Looks to Middle Schoolers to Bolster Team
Faced with a dwindling pool of players, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls hockey team will now recruit middle schoolers to keep a team on the ice.
Mako Shark Devours Osprey to Win School Mascot Vote
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee voted 8-1 Monday to approve a request from students to make the mako shark the new school mascot.
Wrongful Death Suit Put on Pause
The civil lawsuit against Aimee Cotton for the wrongful death of a child who had been in her care is on hold while her criminal case unfolds in court.
Words of Frederick Douglass Continue to Resonate
This year’s Fourth of July celebrations included two readings of Frederick Douglass’s historic 1852 speech, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
Hot Times, High Energy for Edgartown Fourth of July Parade
The annual Edgartown Fourth of July parade brought crowds from all over the Island — and the country — showcasing everything from star-spangled banners to Paul Revere re-enactors and farm animals.
Little Parades, Big Turnout; the Fun Begins
The big Fourth of July parade kicks of in Edgartown at 5 p.m., but the festivities got started much earlier in Oak Bluffs and Aquinnah.
West Tisbury Officer Faces Discipline
West Tisbury police Sgt. Jeremie Rogers is facing a three-day unpaid suspension after the select board found him responsible for two conduct violations connected to an email he sent to the town accountant, which contained an expletive.
