Saturday night marks the official public opening of the Strand, the culmination of months of hard work and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. On Friday night, an invitation-only event was a chance to celebrate the opening of an old Vineyard institution with supporters.
Olive Tomlinson remembered the cottages and the shared car rides, the simplicity of summer life. With just a few phrases, Jessica Harris evoked memories of front porches and morning swims.
In the years when much of America was racially segregated, Oak Bluffs was a place of refuge for African Americans. The town will be included an in upcoming permanent Smithsonian exhibit in Washington, D.C. An event will be held Thursday at the Union Chapel.
Oak Bluffs is one of 10 communities included in a national exhibit planned to inaugurate the The National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The spirit of community, fellowship and Vineyard charms permeate the walls of the five houses being presented by the Cottagers for the 28th annual Cottager House Tour on July 21. The houses represent a diverse group in style and age. Some remain similar to the original houses built around the middle of the 19th century, others are the newly built or refurbished homes of today with current amenities. The owners love their houses passionately and are engaged in the community around them. The names on some houses reflect the owners’ love of the Vineyard.
Remembering Cee Jay Jones, the unofficial summer ambassador in Oak Bluffs, who died Oct. 9 at the age of 100 in Winston Salem, N.C.