Warren’s Island visit focuses on housing initiatives
Sen. Elizabeth Warren tackled housing on Martha’s Vineyard on Friday as local officials grow increasingly concerned about the sustainability of life on the Island for year-round residents and the median home price breaches $2.5 million. Warren was on the Island to learn more about the reality of housing for locals and present a substantial housing…
Air conditioning in parts of hospital down for weeks
As visitation on the Island — and hot weather — continue to surge during the busiest month of the year, the largest healthcare facility has lacked air conditioning (AC) in parts of the building for weeks, and the system is currently under repair. A patient at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH) said there’s been no AC…
Fair features thrills and family fun
From the colorful gondolas of the Ferris wheel turning above the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society grounds in West Tisbury, a scene unfolded below: Families drifted between rides and food booths and the sounds of the buzzing amusement rides mingled with the bustle of animals in the barns, all of which are the familiar rhythms of…
Judge rules Trustees overburdened Cape Poge
Updated August 17. The Trustees of Reservations, which manages various conservation lands on Martha’s Vineyard, was deemed by a Massachusetts Land Court judge to have overstepped its bounds on Cape Poge, bringing to question where oversand vehicles will be allowed on Chappaquiddick Island’s northern point. Land Court Judge Sarah Turano-Flores ruled on Tuesday, Aug. 11…
Restored Chappy trail: A boon for fishermen and beachgoers
An oversand vehicle (OSV) trail on Chappaquiddick Island that was inaccessible for years due to erosion has been restored, just over a month before the Vineyard’s premier fishing tournament begins. The Edgartown conservation commission unanimously voted on Wednesday, August 12 to reauthorize the Trustees of Reservation’s operation of a 450-foot trail that connects its Wasque…
Three local soccer players selected for Olympic program
Three local soccer players, who play on the nonprofit Martha’s Vineyard United (MVU) travel team, were selected for the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a youth soccer pipeline that identifies and develops talent across the country. Rafael Assis, Mateus Deassis, and Thales Fernandes, earned the spots through weekly ferry trips for extra practice and exposure and…
‘Why am I still here?’
Three years to the day after the event that changed her life, Robin Bonnist sat on a bench outside the Martha’s Vineyard Airport’s General Aviation building facing the tarmac. Engraved on the black bench are the words, “In loving memory, Randolph Martin Bonnist, gone flying into the Mystic. 7/15/2023.” The site, which honors Bonnist’s late…
SSA head: Freight through New Bedford is a ‘long-term plan’
Updated Aug. 12. As the Steamship Authority (SSA) considers its ferry schedule for next year, an annual complaint has resurfaced: the 5:30 am boat. This has been the earliest departure from Woods Hole via the Steamship for more than a decade, and carries a variety of shipments to the Island on trucks. It’s a critical…
Bat with rabies is third-ever case on the Island
Lab results for a bat killed by a pet cat came back positive for rabies. It’s the third positive rabies case on the Island since testing began in 1985, and local officials said it’s not an indicator of worsening conditions. Heather Maciel, Tisbury animal control officer, told The Times that residents notified her on July…
Housing bank fails to pass in state legislature
Updated August 12. An ambitious piece of state legislation that would have created a funding source for affordable housing initiatives quietly failed to pass last month in the State House, even as housing prices soar and Islanders find it more difficult than ever to secure stable accommodation. Facing strong opposition from the state’s powerful real…
Proposals made for Oak Bluffs’ new security camera policy
As Oak Bluffs explores a new security camera policy, calls were made to protect residents’ data. At the Oak Bluffs Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Sean DeBettencourt, a board member, proposed a series of protective measures, saying a draft policy should keep data local, restrict access to town officials and Oak Bluffs Police when needed,…
New album from Carly Simon comes out Friday
Carly Simon’s first album in more than 18 years, “Comes in Waves,” is set to be released this Friday, August 14, six decades after her solo debut. Written and recorded primarily at her Martha’s Vineyard home, the 12-track album combines a body of work that is said to feel “both personal and expansive,” according to…
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Environment
Celebrating local industry in Menemsha
Local fishermen came together in Menemsha on Thursday afternoon for the ninth annual Meet the Fleet, hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust (MVFPT). For many Islanders, the event that took place on the Menemsha docks, from 3 to 7 pm as the sun began to set, is more akin to a holiday. “In…
Health
State issues temporary kratom ban
Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday a ban on kratom products, a substance that is largely unregulated at the federal level, in an effort to protect residents, particularly young people. According to a press release from the governor’s office, state Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Robbie Goldstein issued an emergency order that temporarily designated “all…
Housing
Katama Meadows decision pushed to September
The deliberation on the 54-acre subdivision proposed in Edgartown called Katama Meadows went over time again Thursday, and further discussion was pushed until September 10. Islanders who are anxiously awaiting some certainty regarding Katama Meadows will have to wait a bit longer. It remains unclear whether the meeting in September will include a decision on…
Education
Survey seeks to identify health needs for Island children and mothers
Updated August 10. A survey is open for mothers and families on the Island that seeks to zero in on existing gaps in services, from childcare to postpartum needs, with the goal to improve year-round community services in the long run. The survey, called the “Maternal Child and Family Health Assessment,” is spearheaded by Martha…
Politics
Bus union pauses strike plan, calls for administrator’s resignation
As Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) buses continue to traverse Island roads even after the contract for unionized drivers expired, the looming threat of a strike has been put on pause as the two sides make their cases to Island officials. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1548, the union that represents local VTA drivers, announced on July…
Cops and Courts
Trauma counseling for first responders
First responders across Martha’s Vineyard — police, firefighters, and emergency medical services — regularly confront traumatic scenarios. Think about this summer alone: Lifeguards, police, and first responders rushed to a remote stretch of beach at Long Point trying to rescue a father who ultimately died saving his sons from a rip current. And police and…
Immigration
On fishing and freedom
The father and his son had always been knotted together through a shared love of fishing, a narrative throughline from their homeland in Brazil and throughout their journey as immigrants to America. When his son was just a little boy, the father provided him with a bamboo pole to go for tilapia in the pond…
Ferry and transportation
SSA announces schedule changes for fireworks, road race
The Steamship Authority (SSA) announced Monday afternoon that there will be upcoming service changes due to events in Falmouth and Oak Bluffs starting Sunday. Falmouth Road Race The first of these events is the Falmouth Road Race, scheduled to be held on Sunday, Aug. 16 that “severely affects operations on the Vineyard route,” according to…
Opinion
Housing bank will negatively impact Martha’s Vineyard
To the Editor: I just read the article on the Housing Bank bill that failed to pass in the State legislature. Sen. Julian Cyr has it wrong in creating a…
Useless stop signs at Woods Hole SSA exit lead to daily dangerous encounters
To the Editor: In Woods Hole on the morning of July 31, I drove down Luscomb Road and turned onto Railroad Avenue just as vehicles were offloading the ferry from…
Public safety without permanent surveillance
To the Editor: I am writing regarding the proposal to install a police camera on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs. I understand Chief Jonathan Searle’s desire to improve public safety,…
