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 7, 2026
Gazette Chronicle: Andrea Doria
“We had thought that the radar was infallible, now we know differently,” observed Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. McAdoo, two other Island summer residents, who went through the tragic sinking of the luxury Italian liner off Nantucket.
Chicken Feed
After watching national weather news, I am so grateful for the amount of rain we have received in the last few weeks. The wildfires in the state of Washington are horrifying.
Land Bank Revenues For Week Ending July 31
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $277,950 for the business week ending on Friday, July 31, 2026. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending July 31
Ocean Heights Properties LLC. purchased 77 Sixth street North in Edgartown from Susan M. Boass for $612,500 on July 29.
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending August 5
We have had some rain, but we need more to fill the ponds and bring up the water table. We are also enjoying the sun. If there was a happy medium so we could enjoy both.
Blooming
Alan Bloom was destined for a life among flowers. With that name and his family business of market gardening, it must have been preordained.
Bridled Tern
The unexpected sighting of a bridled tern by three observers in three different locations on July 29 is only the fourth report of this species on the Vineyard. The other three sightings were all after hurricanes in the 1990s.
Chappy Town Column: Week Ending August 7
The next ice cream social at the Chappy Community Center is on Wednesday, August 12 from 3 to 4 p.m.
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending August 7
It is officially hard to focus on writing when your house undergoes an unprompted audition for The Batman.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending August 7
What can I say about August weather? It is a roller coaster of rains, winds and cancellations, in between some great sunny days.
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Week Ending August 7
Rev. Otis Moss 3rd is a spectacular preacher and spiritual leader who graces the Union Chapel pulpit every first Sunday in August.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending August 7
A lot of Island people have been sidetracked lately. Full-time and seasonal residents have been behind closed doors, getting ready, tying up loose ends.
All Roads Lead to the Fair Once Again
The 2026 Agricultural Fair runs from Thursday, August 13 through Sunday, August 16, taking place a week earlier this summer due to a late-August conflict with the carnival ride provider.
Celebrating a Pioneering Photo Editor
An exhibition at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, titled Inside the Edit: Dolores Allen Littles, Time-Life and the Island, traces her nearly 30-year career with the print-media giant at a time when it was rare for a Black woman to reach such heights in the publishing world.
Positive Progress for Lease to Locals
It is now almost exactly one year since Lease to Locals was introduced in Chilmark, a program designed and managed by a company named Placemate, to turn short-term rentals into long-term rentals.
Homegrown Teamsters Keep the Steers Happy
Training calves is a lot like training children: both have short attention spans, and both mostly want to play.
Protecting Protest
I wanted to express my appreciation for the kind and professional assistance we received from officers from the West Tisbury police department.
Scooters in Bike Lanes
The Vineyard’s wonderful multi-use bike lanes (shared with pedestrians) have become much more hazardous this summer.
In Gratitude
The bad news is that I had to spend most of my short Island vacation in the Martha’s Vineyard hospital due to a dog bite.
Great 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.
Dog Days
Hi. My name is Kutter. And yes, I’m a dog, a miniature schnauzer. My master, Tom Dresser, asked me to write his annual rant about the Oak Bluffs post office.
Recalling Last Day of the Andrea Doria
Seasonal Vineyarder Robert Boggs was onboard the Andrea Doria with his family on July 26, 1956, when the Italian luxury ocean liner sank off the Island’s coast. Mr. Boggs, who now lives in California, looked back at the event 70 years later.
Community Foundation Opens Grant Application Season
The Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation invites nonprofit organizations serving the Island to apply for program-based funding through its 2026 community and impact grants.
Music of Motown Will Fill the Pews of the Tabernacle
The songs that made Hitsville U.S.A. a worldwide sensation will be heard at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs on Monday, August 10, during a free community concert hosted by the Motown Museum.
Shooting Hoops for the Soul at the Alex Cohen Marathon
This weekend the Alex Cohen Basketball Marathon returns to the Chilmark Community Center. The fundraiser has a long history, one that is both tragic and hopeful. In 1988, standing at five feet, five inches tall, 16-year-old Alex Cohen organized a basketball marathon for charity with John Taylor, the pastor of the Chilmark Community Church. The…
Please Adopt: Week Ending August 7
Our adoption news this week is that the year-old tabby and white cat, Oreo, has found her forever home. Congratulations to Oreo and her new family.
Sharks Season Ends in Playoff Loss to Schooners
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks summer baseball season came to an end Tuesday evening after losing in the first round of the New England Collegiate Baseball League playoffs to the Mystic Schooners.
Stars Falling from the Sky
The Perseid meteor shower is in the coming week.
Father Dies Trying to Save His Sons Stuck in Rip Current
Kevin Foster braved a dangerous riptide at Long Point last week to save his sons who were stuck in the strong current, officials confirmed.
Chasing Another Middle Road Miracle
The 49th Chilmark Road Race takes place this Saturday, August 8, with a 10:30 a.m. start time. The race down Middle Road has become a summer institution.
Grace Overflows at Hospice Soiree
Monday evening’s rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the volunteers, businesses and guests who showed out to support Hospice and Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard at their annual Hospice Soiree.
Vineyard Beach Day Paintings Capture Summer’s Joy
A show of paintings at the Louisa Gould Gallery in Vineyard Haven this week celebrates summer days at the Inkwell and other Island beaches, fields and farms.
Steamship Plans New Rules for E-Bikes, Scooters
E-bicycles, e-tricycles and e-scooters are facing new Steamship Authority rules that could see some electric-vehicle riders turned away at the dock.
Steamship Council Recommends Lower Fares for Veterans
Military veterans from towns served by the Steamship Authority will be eligible to pay the same lower fare as active-duty members, if the authority’s governing board agrees with the unanimous recommendation of its advisory port council.
Bus Drivers Make Pitch to Towns Ahead of Potential Strike
Though the Amalgamated Transit Union voted in late July to authorize a strike, union president Charles Ryan said this week that the group is holding off for the moment while it appeals to the town select boards for help.
Police Request More Security Cameras in Oak Bluffs
At last week’s select board meeting, Oak Bluffs police Chief Jonathan Searle approached the board to make the case for cameras in the Circuit avenue area, arguing that it would make the area safer by both preventing crime and collecting evidence.
Salman Rushdie Picks Up the Pieces, and the Story, After the Attack
It wasn’t long after novelist Salman Rushdie survived attempted murder that he wanted to tell the story.
Cambridge Man Dies After Being Caught in Riptide at Long Point
Kevin Foster, a 55-year-old Cambridge resident, was one of several people at the West Tisbury south shore beach last week who got caught in a riptide, officials said.
Writing the Book on a Different Kind of Presidency
Maggie Haberman’s latest book is called Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, which she co-wrote with Jonathan Swan. She was in conversation on Sunday with Mark Leibovich at the Martha’s Vineyard Author Series.
Senator Raphael Warnock to Preach at the Tabernacle
The Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs will once again host the Festival of Worship in Word and Song, featuring Rev. Sen. Raphael G. Warnock and music director Mark A. Miller.
Bridge Column: Week of August 7
It’s said that if you made the right opening lead every time, you’d be a world-class player. That’s an exaggeration, but the right lead cam jeopordize a contract.
Uncle Nearest Home Sold
The Martha’s Vineyard home that had been embroiled in a legal battle between a national whiskey brand and the company’s creditors was sold late last month over the owners’ objections.
Edgartown Animal Control Seeks Pig on the Lam
Snowdrop the pig remains on the loose, with a Facebook thread on Islander’s Talk providing updates about the search.
Man Pulled from Water at Long Point
A man was brought to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Friday after he and four other people got caught in a riptide off Long Point Wildlife Refuge.
MVC Favors Cuts to the Size of Katama Meadows
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission this week approved a condition for the Katama Meadows subdivision that would replace seven of the market-rate home sites with open space. The commission will continue its review of the project on August 6.
