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 31, 2026
The True (Sort of) Test of Your Vineyard Roots
Snow is gone. Ospreys are building nests. Gardens are being dug. Summer is here. Let your brain percolate. The following requires reader participation.
Luxurious Day
The sun high / in the blue / beamed all / its radiant might.
Tick Problem Diminishes Our Connection to Nature
I live on Martha’s Vineyard, the epicenter of many recent news stories about the influx of tick-borne illnesses.
In Gratitude
On behalf of the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club, our board of directors, staff, families and the hundreds of Island children we serve, we extend our deepest gratitude to the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation for its extraordinary $1 million gift to our new clubhouse.
Taking Care
I would like to take the opportunity to thank and commend the staff of Martha’s Vineyard hospital for the care they provided to me last week.
Remembering the Essential Virginia Durr
I was a graduate student researching the struggle for voting-rights during the New Deal/World War II era when I first met Virginia Durr.
Unexpected
We can always expect the unexpected, which is why many of us enjoy birding so much.
Mercury and Saturn
The most elusive visible planet Mercury is viewable early in the morning, before sunrise.
Cool Runnings
It’s been a very nice week in terms of weather. Cool at night and perfect for sleeping, the days have been sunny but not hot and miserable. Getting rain last week helped the gardens and my overall mood.
Fantastic Fungi
It took a couple of botanical Billies to describe and document a giant of the fungal world.
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending July 24
Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission purchased Off State Road in Aquinnah from Hope E. Morgan for $9174.00 on July 20.
Potato Paradise
From the July 31, 1913 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
And what would you say if in time the South Beach should become the potato paradise of the Vineyard — one long fifteen mile stretch of fine growing “spuds.”
Land Bank Revenues For Week Ending July 31
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $272,374.94 for the business week ending on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending July 31
I am sitting in Woods Hole pondering the new terminal while missing the view of the sunset. We are in line for a boat and trying to figure out the line up. One thing is certain, if you are a people watcher, you can be fully entertained.
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending July 31
There is a distinct rhythm to Chilmark summers, measured by the chaotic joy of Sunday morning softball. For years, the anchor of that ritual was Bill Edison.
Chappy Town Column: Week Ending July 31
Tom Tilghman will be giving another Chappy history talk on Tuesday, August 4 at 7 p.m. at the Chappy Community Center. He remembers lots of history that some have never heard before and he loves to talk about it.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending July 31
Tristan Israel and his band had a great time and received great reviews for his concert at our newly opened library last Tuesday night.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Week Ending July 31
Grove street and Kennebec converge at Union Chapel and their paths connect three historical markers — the Flying Horses, Ocean Park and Union Chapel.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending July 31
I don’t know how many people on the Island are more than 100 years old. We chatted with someone the other day who celebrated her 101st birthday earlier this month, and who is still celebrating.
African American Film Festival Continues to Grow
In the summer of 2002, a small film festival started on the Island screening 10 films on VHS. This year, the African American Film Festival will screen over 60 films at the Performing Arts Center during an event-packed week in early August.
Built on Stilts Turns Thirty Years Old
This summer marks the 30th anniversary of Built on Stilts, a celebration of dance, creativity and inclusivity started by Abby Bender and Anna Luckey in 1997.
A Career Spent Housing Islanders
Two decades ago, Philippe Jordi founded Island Housing Trust with a concern: What would happen to Martha’s Vineyard if the community that made it special couldn’t afford to stay?
Food Waste Pioneers Honored
Most James Beard Awards are given out for food. This one was given out for food waste.
New Leader for Vision Fellowship
When Rebekah Thomson moved to the Island 16 years ago, she was looking for a place where her kids could grow up in tune to their natural environment. The next 16 years became about maintaining that environment, for her kids and for every Islander.
Sowing the Seeds for Life On the Farm
Growing around the property that is now Milkweed Farm in Chilmark, the trees are spread wide, massive and elbowing the air.
Scarves Get a New Life as Shoes
Respoke started in 2016, and for the last 10 years has been repurposing designer scarves into espadrilles, scarves, bags, jackets and other accessories
Community Letters Opposing Katama Meadows
Island Community Pushes Back on Proposed Katama Meadows Project
Most Island Towns Forgo Short-Term Rental Inspections
Though the new state building code calls on towns to conduct inspections on short-term rentals, town officials say the wording of the rules and logistical hurdles for understaffed building departments mean few inspections actually take place.
The Warm Embrace of the Polar Bears
Formed in 1946 by a group of African American seasonal residents who wanted to exercise together in the water, the Polar Bears have provided 80 years of physical fitness and fellowship in Oak Bluffs.
Looking Back at Life on Tea Lane
I keep getting pulled back to the Island. This time it was an article about Tea Lane written in 1953 by Joseph Chase Allen, reprinted a few weeks ago in the Gazette.
Tough Times in the Big Easy
Elisa Speranza divides her time between New Orleans and the Vineyard, and in her latest novel, Triage, it is the Big Easy that takes center stage.
Flying Horses Turns 150 Years Young
The Flying Horses turned 150 years old this year and held a birthday party last weekend. But every day has been a celebration for the carousel and its 20 hand-carved wooden horses.
Rocking to Photographic Greatest Hits
Photographer Matt Cosby’s first solo show is titled Greatest Hits and will include a collection of images he shot for the New York Times, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and other publications.
Keeping the Conversation About the Torah Going
Rabbi Caryn Broitman’s new book encourages readers to read the Torah — the scroll that contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — in a radically interpretive way, a practice deeply ingrained in the Jewish tradition.
Preaching the Gospel of Social Justice
On Sunday, Union Chapel welcomed minister and social activist Rev. William Barber for a sermon and discussion exploring the interplay between power, politics and faith.
BioBlitz is a Competitive Creature Feature
A two-week showdown between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket is underway as the two Islands launched their first annual Inter-Island BioBlitz.
A Tuneful Booster Shot for Baby Oysters
Across the Vineyard Sound at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), scientists are playing a lullaby for baby oysters.
Sharks Clinch Division Championship
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks continued to chew up and spit out opponents in July, and on Monday night clinched the Southern Division league title.
Keeping a Scheffer Family Tradition Going
Martha Scheffer was working on her family’s Katama Bay oyster farm two weeks ago when she discovered a trove of paternal heirlooms: her father Roy Scheffer’s pet oysters.
Drawbridge Malfunction Snarls Down-Island Traffic
The Lagoon Pond drawbridge was closed for several hours Tuesday afternoon due to a mechanical issue with the bridge gates.
Natural World Continues to Be a Creative Muse
A Persian cat in stately regalia, a hummingbird poised amid honeysuckle and a beret-wearing beaver are among 12 new paintings in Island artist Margot Datz’s annual show at Grange Hall in West Tisbury.
Art and Faith at Jewish Culture Festival
Chabad on the Vineyard hosted the fourth annual Jewish Culture Festival Monday night in West Tisbury.
Music and Poetry to Fill the Old Whaling Church
A concert on July 31 at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown offers a rare chance to hear new songs by composer, pianist and organist Mark Miller, sung by baritone Julian Wamble based on poems by Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar and other writers.
Hobbit Delights Before it Heads to the Fringe
The Katharine Cornell Theatre was buzzing with energy last Friday evening, just one hour before Theatre on the Blue’s penultimate performance of The Hobbit.
Land Bank Looks to the Future After Forty Years
In 1986, Islanders received approval from the state legislature to form the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. Forty years later, the nonprofit has conserved 4,200 acres of land, but also raised questions about if there is a right balance between preservation and development.
As Cyanobacteria Blooms Spread, Edgartown Great Pond Stays Clear
Cyanobacteria blooms have sprouted up in ponds around Martha’s Vineyard this summer, closing areas to recreation. But Edgartown Great Pond has shown resilience, an encouraging sign for the pond’s health.
Author Series to Welcome Michelle Obama
The Martha’s Vineyard Author Series will feature former First Lady Michelle Obama at its August 23 event at the Performing Arts Center in Oak Bluffs.
Swimming Through the Shark Tank, from Batboy to Ballplayer
In a full-circle summer moment for Bryan Sornas of Chilmark, the former Martha’s Vineyard Sharks batboy is now spending the season as the team’s third baseman.
Vineyard Haven Library Celebrates Reopening
All the books are back on their shelves at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, which reopened to the public last week after more than a year of renovations.
Edgartown Ponders Residential Tax Exemption
Edgartown is weighing a tax exemption that would give year-round homeowners a break on their property tax bills by shifting some of the burden onto seasonal property owners.
MVC Closes Aquinnah Hearing, Continues Dairy Queen Housing
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission continues to consider plans for the state’s first Native-run shelter in Aquinnah and a housing proposal behind the Dairy Queen in Edgartown.
Nantucket to Vineyard Swim Sees Another Successful Team Effort
Doug McConnell and his team of nine swimmers, three boats and two kayaks were met with cheers at Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown Friday afternoon after successfully completing their charity swim from Nantucket.
VTA Bus Drivers Vote in Favor of a Strike
The Vineyard Transit Authority bus driver union said it voted Thursday to begin a strike as early as next week after rejecting management’s latest contract offer.
Man Charged in Connection with Oak Bluffs Fight
Kevin Agatep was arraigned in Edgartown District Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to assault and battery, causing serious bodily injury, connected to an alleged fight outside of the Ritz on July 17.
