The Vineyard Gazette and a middle school class from the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School have won a first-place award in the national Newspaper and Education Contest. In the project the Gazette helped the class, which was studying the history of slavery in the U.S., create a newspaper about the modern day slave trade.

The Vineyard Gazette’s special coverage of coastal erosion last summer has won a first-place award for best investigative or in-depth story or series from the National Newspaper Association.

The newspaper won 30 awards for excellence in in reporting, photography, graphic design and advertising — both in print and digital publishing — in the annual contest sponsored by the New England Newspaper and Press Association.

It’s difficult to imagine today, but there was a time before resorthood on Martha’s Vineyard — a time before summer houses, before restaurants and shops and sportfishing and sailing.

Mona Rosenthal, an account executive with the company for the past year, succeeds BJ Yerdon, who retired from the Gazette in December after 12 years.

1. Not Quite Reality, The Vineyard Show Debuts on ABC Family
2. President and Mrs. Obama Vacation on the Island
3. Wedding Bells Ring for Author Cynthia Riggs
4. Kennedy Family Puts Aquinnah Tract on the Market

The Vineyard Gazette will hold an informal open house on Friday, Dec. 13 from noon to 3 p.m. at its office at 34 South Summer street in Edgartown.

The Vineyard Gazette has received a Publick Occurrences award from the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) for its coverage of the Schifter house move on Chappaquiddick.

The award, presented at the NENPA fall conference Thursday, recognizes outstanding journalism for a series of stories written by Gazette reporter Sara Brown and accompanied by photographs by Ray Ewing.

The Vineyard Gazette this week announced the publication of its second annual Martha’s Vineyard Real Estate Yearbook, a free resource guide for anyone interested in buying or selling property on the Island.
Published in partnership with LINK, the primary multiple listing service for Martha’s Vineyard, the yearbook provides a comprehensive look at property transactions by town and neighborhood over a 12-month period that ended April 30, 2013. The yearbook also includes an analysis of real estate trends, and information about purchasing property on the Island.

Full access to the Vineyard Gazette’s website, mvgazette.com, will be limited to subscribers again starting Tuesday, June 4.

After that date, readers who do not have a subscription will be able to read 10 stories a month on the site before encountering a pay wall, said Gazette publisher Jane Seagrave. Obituaries, classified advertising and certain other content will remain freely accessible, she said.