If you ever watched Twilight Zone, a 1960s half-hour series generally about mysterious events, you may remember an episode that begins like this: A nice old man is sitting on the dock, happily fishing. A nice young couple strolls by, holding hands, smiling. They have a friendly chat with the old man, then shove him into the water where he drowns.
The series ran long ago. The writers were looking into the future and that future has arrived. Not the part about killing old people. Not yet. But the storyline is that the population is aging, the economy and the community are suffering because of it, and, well, something must be done.
A Martha’s Vineyard Commission spokesman mentioned that in West Tisbury, our median age, when last counted by the US Census Bureau, is 54.8, and climbing. In Massachusetts overall, the median age is 40. Country-wide, that median age is 39. In every community, planners and leaders are deeply concerned. What it all means is much greater health-care spending, labor shortages and demands for long-term care. And the Vineyard doesn’t even have an assisted-living facility.
The average house in the U.S. sells for half a million dollars. Here, as we know, a house will cost you a million more than that. It means that many people who own homes in West Tisbury bought them when the price tag and the mortgage payments were manageable. Or when they were retired. You can’t buy a house here now until your portfolio is comfortably stable.
The least we can do is provide more housing or there simply won’t be anybody around to dispose of our trash, teach our grandchildren, cook our oatmeal or wipe our chins. And the cost of living will go up accordingly.
Town meeting takes place on Tuesday, April 14, at 6 p.m. Go if you can.
Our daughter Chloe and her long-time caregiver and companion, Stephanie Brothers, will be in the Boston area this week as guests of the Commonwealth. Stephanie is being honored and awarded for her remarkable record as a caregiver. For one thing, she has been with Chloe for 26 years. She has also been able to maintain a life of her own, with friends and fun and boyfriends, while not relinquishing the full-time responsibilities of her non-stop, and often thankless, work. The adult foster care program, part of Mass Health, will also pay for a night in the hotel, plus the girls’ ferry ride. Congratulations, Stephanie. You make Chloe’s parents proud as well.
Happy birthday on Friday, April 10, to Caroline Mayhew and Heidi Estrella. It is birthday celebration day on April 11 for Brenda Codding. And here is a wish for a wonderful year ahead for Kathy Ham on Monday, April 13, and on Thursday, April 16, for Linda Vadasz.
Congratulations and happy wedding anniversary to Ralph Friedman and Debbie Milne on Friday, April 10; to Mark and Becky Cournoyer on Saturday, April 11; and to Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist on Tuesday, April 14.
This article appears in April 10, 2026.