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 28, 2026
Wood Lilies
Mary Gibson Henry would not have been deterred. She would have stomped right through the field of ticks and poison ivy to look at the wood lilies. I was less inclined.
Japanese Knotweed
What a difference the humidity drop made this week. My overall mood has changed significantly. I spent Tuesday puttering in my own garden. It’s been a while since I have had the pleasure.
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending August 21
Edgartown
Dea P. Auray and Thomas S. Auray purchased 31 North street in Edgartown from Donald L. Hendricks 2022 Family Trust and Tina M. Lodovico 2022 Family Trust for $4,300,000 on August 17.
Please Adopt: Week Ending August 28
We have no adoptions to report this week but our pet of the week is a eight-week-old kitten named Emerald. Emerald is a female with tabby coloring.
Chappy Town Column: Week Ending August 28
The Pied Piper, the Falmouth to Edgartown ferry, will make its last run of the season on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. On that day, it will run on the Sunday schedule. Last trip out of Edgartown will be at 6:15 p.m.
Island Stock
From the August 29, 1975 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
“I’m never cross, but I’m very abrupt. Anyone who’s been in military service is hard to get along with, and I am,“ Muriel Toomey said matter-of-factly one afternoon, in her big white South Road house that long ago was Chilmark’s first schoolhouse.
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending August 28
The humidity is going down; the windows can be open now for a while to change the air in the house. We have had some rain, all is good.
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending August 28
Returning to Menemsha harbor is the ultimate “old home week” for Clifford Moniz, a joyful homecoming rooted in years of cherished childhood memories.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending August 28
If you thought this was the start of Labor Day weekend, you are not the only one. But calendar watchers figured it out, and so did election monitors, aware that the primary is always on a Tuesday, and the Massachusetts election date is Sept. 1.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending August 28
It was disappointing that our fireworks were canceled last weekend because of rain. Next date for fireworks is August 2027! The only beings who were happy were the dogs.
Saturn and Crescent Moon
Late Sunday night, if you are outside after 9 p.m. you'll be able to see a waning gibbous moon rise in the east, appear near the bright planet Saturn. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Pisces. The best time to look is after midnight when both are a good deal higher in the sky…
From the Bridge Table: August 28
By JIM KAPLAN South dealing — none vulnerable NORTH ♠A Q J 9 5 3 ♥A 8 4 ♦K 6 ♣K 7 WEST EAST ♠8 6 4 2 ♠K 10 7 ♥Q 3 2 ♥K 10 9 ♦Q 8 ♦J 5 3 ♣J 9 3 2 ♣A 10 8 5 SOUTH ♠…
Sailing Courageous With Cronkite
The only thing better than watching an America’s Cup race is sailing on an America’s Cup championship yacht.
Not a Good View
We are writing to share our concerns regarding the proposed construction of the Ocean View hotel.
Remembering Oswalt
When Oswalt died in late May, the heartbreak was unimaginable. But the severe sorrow swiftly merged with gratitude on multiple levels.
Coming Full-Circle in Chilmark
On Memorial Day weekend 1972, when I was 10 years old, I got lost in the Chilmark woods.
Ocean View Issues
East Chop has already been burdened with a number of issues that are before the town.
Select Board Details Reasons for Fireworks Cancellation
On Wednesday, the Oak Bluffs firework committee released a statement explaining that unfavorable seas and weather forced the town to cancel the longstanding August tradition.
Riding Wind and Waves for a Good Cause
In the coming weeks, Nevin Sayre will attempt to circumnavigate Martha’s Vineyard on a wing foil to raise money for Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.
Something New Is in Store for Menemsha
This September, the Menemsha Market is returning to the historic fishing village, this time with a new name and a mission to benefit the fishing identity of Menemsha.
Preserving Culture Through Farming
The Aquinnah Cultural Center is beginning a new chapter of growth — one that starts in the soil.
Seafood Collaborative Hires New Director
A third generation fisherman from Rhode Island, Corey Forrest started this spring as the new director of the Seafood Collaborative, the main program of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.
Oak Bluffs Reminds Businesses of Plastic Bottle Ban
The Oak Bluffs select board is making a new effort to remind businesses of a town bylaw banning the sale of most single-use plastic bottles smaller than 34 ounces.
New Aquinnah Nonprofit to Unveil Plans for Land Back Efforts
The Aquinnah Land Initiative is holding a public meeting next week to talk about the efforts to save the Aquinnah Shop restaurant property and the broader goal of returning ancestral lands to Wampanoag hands.
Farm & Field: The Mystery of Mushrooms
One does not simply “grow” mushrooms. You nourish, aid and raise them. You provide a home for them to grow themselves, helped along with some water, banging on the ground, and slug-prevention techniques.
Feeling the Burn of Hell Week
For one week every summer, student athletes from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School return to the fields and track, eager to prepare for the upcoming fall season. Hell Week, as it is commonly known, consists of early morning workout routines that are often followed by tryouts and practice. The week provides coaches and players a…
Hospital Embarks on First-of-Its-Kind Alpha-Gal Study
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital plans to follow hundreds of people who have been bitten by lone star ticks to get a better understanding of the tick-borne allergy that has swept across the Island.
Shorebird Season
August is the time for shorebirds. The intensity of the beach nesting bird breeding season is winding down and the last fledglings are taking flight from our beaches.
Here There Are Blueberries Captures the Truth Behind Auschwitz
Here There Are Blueberries had three sold-out readings at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse over the weekend. The play’s title originates from a hand-written German caption from a photo album found at the infamous concentration camp Auschwitz in 1945.
Showcasing the Oyster Shell
Sarah Nelson’s new painting exhibition at the Miner Family Gallery explores the nuances of the Vineyard’s oysters.
Luxury Home Sales Push Island Real Estate Market to New Peaks
Properties sold for over $3 million made up nearly a quarter of all sales so far this year and more than half off the total cash spent on homes.
Singer-Songwriter John Craigie to Play Old Whaling Church
Circuit Arts will host singer-songwriter John Craigie at a show at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown on Thursday.
Arthur Creator Sells Longtime Island Home
Longtime Vineyarder Marc Brown, the creator of the award-winning children’s book and television series Arthur, sold his Vineyard Haven property earlier this month.
New Gallery Collaboration Mixes Textiles With Glass
Jennifer Brown is a longtime textile artist who has displayed work at the Field Gallery for six years. But this summer she began a residency at Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks, translating her 2-D art into 3-D glass pieces.
Michelle Obama Talks Fashion to Sold-Out Island Crowds
Discussing her new book The Look, former First Lady Michelle Obama recalled the fierce media spotlight that was aimed at her clothing choices, and her body itself, during her husband Barack Obama’s campaigns and presidency.
Island Theatre at the Center of New Lawsuit
The owners of the Island Theatre are suing an Island businessman for allegedly backing out of an agreement to purchase the historic Circuit avenue building three years ago.
New Report Rings Alarm on the Vineyard’s Fragile Supply Chain
A new study from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission is highlighting some of the weak links in the supply chain that brings the Island food, medicine and other essentials.
New Exhibition Highlights the Coast of New England
New paintings by Kib Bramhall, Tamalin Baumgarten and Heather Neill hung alongside retrospectives from Milton Avery and Thomas Hart Benton at the latest exhibition at the Granary Gallery.
Ferry, Bus Lines Team Up on Medical Connection to Boston
Starting in September, a new pilot program will offer VTA bus rides from Woods Hole to Sagamore, where a reservation-only CCRTA bus travels to Boston hospitals four days a week.
Steamship Approves Veterans’ Half-Price Fares
Military veterans from towns served by the Steamship Authority are newly eligible for half-price passenger fares, following a unanimous vote of the boat line’s governing board on Tuesday morning.
Chronicling Small Town Life, One Book at a Time
Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo joined book critic Ron Charles for a discussion about the release of his latest novel, Under the Falls, on Thursday evening during a Martha’s Vineyard Author Series event at the Chilmark Community Center.
After Death, Trustees Review Long Point Operations
The Trustees of Reservations, which manages Long Point in West Tisbury, is undertaking an internal review of safety protocols after a man died trying to save his children who had been pulled out in a riptide last month.
For Black Women Journalists, Freedom of the Press Is Waning
Renowned Black women journalists participated in a discussion of targeted attacks on the press, the deterioration of First Amendment freedoms and their personal responsibilities to ask questions on behalf of the American people.
Sharks Coach Wins Coach of the Year
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks head coach Peyton “Skip” Fuller was named the 2026 Manager of the Year by the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) last week.
Oak Bluffs Fireworks Cancelled
The Oak Bluffs fireworks, scheduled for Friday evening, have been cancelled due to inclement weather.
