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
September 4, 2026
Recycling Now
We all know that our Island is very fragile, so I wonder why there aren’t recycling bins all over the Island.
A Mecca for Creating a Beloved Community
As I reflect on the experiences I have had on Martha’s Vineyard this summer, I am reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King’s statement that we need to create a “Beloved Community.”
Summer Reading
This summer, 464 children signed up for the Edgartown Public Library’s summer reading program, collectively reading thousands of books and spending countless hours immersed in stories.
SSA Burdens
Like most Island residents, we are deeply concerned by the recent proposal to increase fares.
Bridge Column: Week of Sept. 4
Sitting South, with one vulnerable, you hold:
International Film Festival Returns
The Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival opens on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and continues through Sept. 13, offering six days of programming from around the world.
Moon, Mars and Jupiter
If you are up really early in the morning, you’ve got a chance to see two bright planets in the eastern sky.
September Shift
September 1 took a pleasant turn. It was cold and rainy and I got to spend the day doing whatever I wanted. It was back-to-school weather, like I remember.
Azures in the Air
Spring Azure Complex is not a physiological condition listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Still Singing
How late in the year will birds continue to sing?
Recent Real Estate Transactions for Week Ending August 28
Kristen C. Castree and Timothy P. Castree purchased 300 North Road and 18 Belhaven Way in Chilmark from 300 Shanthi Road Trust and Jeffrey S. Cooper Trust for $2,800,000 on August 27.
School Bell
From the September 3, 1929 edition of the Vineyard Gazette: The opening of schools, now at hand, is quite different from the opening of schools on the Vineyard half a century ago.
Land Bank Revenues For Week Ending August 28
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $915,111.32 for the business week ending on Friday, August 28, 2026.
Chappy Town Column: Week Ending September 4
Trip Barnes died on Tuesday. He was called Trip because he was the third Clarence Alfred Barnes. There will be plenty of details about his life elsewhere in this newspaper and on social media.
Oscar Arrives
Valentina Globa and Keith Reynolds, of West Tisbury, announce the birth of a son, Oscar Keith Reynolds, born on August 26 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Oscar weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces at birth.
Edgartown Town Column: Week Ending September 4
It is September and already the long sleeves came out, the flip flops were changed to sneakers and the fans were turned off along with the AC. I know it won’t last, but it is the time of year to keep that sweater nearby.
Chilmark Town Column: Week Ending September 4
The flip of the calendar page to September brings a shift toward autumn routines, yet the universe still leaves the door cracked for stolen summer moments.
Vineyard Haven Town Column: Week Ending September 4
The big Labor Day weekend is upon us. Will they come or will they go?
Oak Bluffs Town Column: Week Ending September 4
The seemingly unending crowds and lines at C’est La Vie, Union Chapel, Biscuits and other restaurants in Oak Bluffs have abated and given way to a number of manageable Island visitors and cool brisk days and nights.
West Tisbury Town Column: Week Ending September 4
If you have been here a while, you may remember Marty Nadler, who died in Florida on August 26 at age 80.
Marty Nadler Lived a Life of Humor and Kindness
Martin Nadler, acclaimed comedy writer, producer and actor who made the Vineyard laugh for decades, died at his home in Florida on August 26 of myasthenia gravis. He was 80 years old.
New School Year, New Faces
Across the Island, the five elementary schools, regional high school and public charter school will all welcome back students on Tuesday. When they arrive, they will be greeted by new staff, new infrastructure and new strategies for keeping students educated.
A Ghostly Presence Gives Gift of Creativity
This is a different kind of Martha’s Vineyard ghost story, with a traveling spirit and a supernatural creative partnership.
The Loud Echo of the Empty Nest
While making dinner, I reach for the salad bowl, the one we’ve been using for 22 years. It sits on the kitchen table where it always does.
Short-Term Rental Bylaw Heads to Oak Bluffs Town Meeting
The draft bylaw names short-term rentals as a permitted property use, requires registration of the rentals with both the state and the town, and allows the town to implement a registration fee if it chooses.
High School Building Timeline Takes Shape
The $333.5 million Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School renovation and addition will begin next June and finish in the spring of 2030, according to a timeline presented by project management firm W.T. Rich at a meeting of the high school building committee Tuesday night.
Snowdrop the Pig Is Found
On Wednesday morning, after a month on the lam, Snowdrop the pig returned safely home.
Seastreak, Barge Company Seek Additional Island Service
General manager Alex Kryska said the Seastreak ferry line has asked to resume year-round passenger trips between New Bedford and Vineyard Haven, while New Bedford-based Offshore Tug & Transportation wants to add a Vineyard route to its existing Nantucket service.
Boneyard Surf Shop to Close Down
After 25 years as one of Martha’s Vineyard’s only dedicated surf shops, Boneyard Surf Co., located on Main street in Edgartown, is scheduled to close in the coming weeks.
Trip Barnes, Who Moved Hearts, Minds and Islanders, Dies at 83
Clarence A. (Trip) Barnes 3rd, the Vineyard’s famed raconteur whose life resembled a tall tale that stretched from growing up on Park Avenue in New York City to decades running Clarence A. Barnes Moving and Storage, died on Sept. 1.
Galibois Wins District Attorney Race
Sitting Cape and Islands district attorney Robert Galibois won Tuesday’s Democratic primary with widespread support from Vineyard voters.
Father Detained by ICE off Menemsha Heads Back to Brazil
Rogerio da Silva Lima flew back to Brazil this past weekend, according to his attorney. Mr. da Silva Lima’s immigration case spurred protests after he and his teenage son were taken into custody while they were fishing off Menemsha.
Public Safety Drill to Close Part of Land Bank Property
Law enforcement officials will close part of Waskosim’s Rock Reservation in Chilmark on Sept. 10 to conduct emergency response drills. The Dukes County Sheriff’s Office received the sign off on Monday from the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, which owns the conservation property, to hold the drill from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. “On the staff…
Woman Possibly Bitten by Shark in Edgartown
Swimming at South Beach was halted for several hours Monday after a woman suffered injuries that may have been from a shark bite, according to officials.
Indigo Girls Delight Tabernacle Audience
Grammy-winning folk rock duo Indigo Girls closed out the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series on Saturday for a crowd of about 2,000 at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs.
Phil Hale Wins Walter Cronkite Award
For Phil Hale, winning the Walter Cronkite Award from SailMV this summer was an honor that came with extra meaning. The longtime owner of Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard, Mr. Hale was personally acquainted with the late broadcast journalist, a devoted sailor who summered in Edgartown for decades.
Oak Bluffs Calls for Embarkation Fee Hike
Oak Bluffs is urging the state to quadruple the Steamship Authority’s embarkation fee and let the town retain fees from diverted ferries to help fund town infrastructure and services.
Chilmark Preschool Opens Its Doors
The Chilmark community got its first glimpse of the new Chilmark Preschool this week ahead of the start of the school year.
Sengekontacket Reopens to Shellfishing
Sengekontacket Pond is back open to shellfishing nearly two months after the state closed it due to a heavy rainstorm and flooding.
Dead Whale Towed Out of Edgartown
The Edgartown shellfish department towed a decomposing whale out to sea Thursday after it had washed ashore in Katama Bay.
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.
