A second homecoming
Veterans marched down the streets of Oak Bluffs Wednesday as Islanders joined in the fanfare to honor the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Salutes were made to the Star-Spangled Banner as it fluttered in the wind, and veterans spoke on the importance of service. Veterans were thanked by Islanders, and…
The right to choose, the power of song
CAMBRIDGE — For nearly a half century, women had the right to an abortion under national law. Then, in 2022, the landmark Supreme Court decision that allowed for that choice, Roe v. Wade, was overturned. It was one of the only times that the highest court in the country revoked a fundamental, constitutional right. The…
Paul Bailey appointed as MVYPS treasurer
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) committee voted on Friday morning to appoint Paul Bailey as treasurer for MVRHS and the Up-Island Regional School District (UIRSD) on Nov. 6. Bailey replaced Marylee Schroeder, who held the position for 29 years and is retiring, on Monday.
MVRHS graduate wins by landslide in California mayoral race
Updated Nov. 11. During the historic midterm elections last week that featured several firsts in key political positions — from the first Black woman governor to the first Native American governor — a Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) alumnus made his own splash on the other side of the country.
Regionalization, tribal relations, and tradition
Randhi Belain, chief of the Aquinnah Police Department for 22 years, soft-retired and stepped down from his role on Nov. 6. His position is now filled by Ryan Ruley, a former Edgartown Police sergeant and former Oak Bluffs Select Board member. The Times’ police reporter, Nicholas Vukota, spoke to Belain about his decades-long career in…
Lesser charges dropped in Aimee Cotton case
Aimee Cotton’s manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child charges will no longer be prosecuted by the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office. The state office is now prosecuting Cotton solely on her second-degree murder indictment, as of Nov. 6, according to Barnstable Superior Court records.
Safe Harbor Marina completes workforce housing
Roughly 10 people gathered outside of Safe Harbor Marina’s Vineyard Haven waterfront to commemorate the completion of new employee housing units on Tuesday morning. The $2.4 million project consists of two duplexes with a total of 10 bedrooms for year-round employees staffed at the marina’s locations in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. Currently, there are 25…
Coop de Ville faces closure
The Oak Bluffs harborfront comes to life every summer when businesses open their doors to serve year-round Islanders, returning seasonal residents, and flocks of tourists. But after four decades, a longtime waterfront favorite is set to shutter. The Oak Bluffs Association announced a “bittersweet goodbye” Sunday to Coop de Ville, the open-air eatery that houses…
Alarms sound over Donaroma operation
Updated Nov. 11. Town officials and residents, both in and outside meetings, have raised glaring concerns during the past few weeks about Jordan’s Nursery, an existing operation in Oak Bluffs that is currently under review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC).
Aquatic pollution concerns persist for Jordan’s Nursery
Updated Nov. 11. Ways to mitigate excessive loads of nitrogen spilling into Lagoon Pond from a new nursery in Oak Bluffs was top of mind for commissioners at a hearing last week, particularly with lingering questions of potential employee housing not yet built.
Vineyard Wind fully up and running
Vineyard Wind 1 has reached full commercial operations, a final milestone in a years-long project that’s experienced multiple setbacks along the way. “On Thursday, October 29, Vineyard Wind 1 reached full commercial operations, further strengthening New England’s energy supply,” Craig Gilvarg, a Vineyard Wind spokesperson, said in a statement.
Belain signs off one last time
“Alpha 10, Chief Belain, singing off,” Randhi Belain said to the dispatcher around 11 am Friday. Belain, now former Aquinnah police chief, officially retired after more than three decades with the department. The end of his tenure as chief was honored with a sentimental final radio sign-off surrounded by friends, family, and fellow chiefs at the…
Junior high football earns league title
The Martha’s Vineyard junior high football team, made up of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders from around the Island, known as the Mariners, defeated Mashpee 28-22 Thursday and claimed the Cape Cod Youth Football League championship. The game was tied 22-22 late in the fourth quarter when the Island’s Cruz Cancellare (No. 44) returned a…
Small housing lots proposal narrowly fails at statewide polls
Days after the historic midterm elections in which the Democratic Party seized power in both houses of Congress, Massachusetts had the results of all nine statewide ballot questions, which should keep state officials busy for a while. Islanders in all of the towns were in lockstep in choosing to vote for or against ballot questions…
Big blue wave across America, the state, and the Island
The Island woke up Wednesday to a sea change in American politics brought on by a powerful blue wave for the Democratic Party that will take firm control of Congress in both the House and the Senate. The historic midterm elections unleashed new currents of change, including in Georgia, the nation’s first Black woman elected…
Click below to browse the print edition of the paper:
SPONSORED CONTENT
GOMV’s Vineyard Haven Harbor Live Webcam:
Have a tip?
Contact the editor
Click below to check out this year’s Vineyard Property Values:
Sign up for our newsletters
Stay informed all week about Island news.
The High School View
Top senior stressor: Applying to college
For high school seniors, the college application process can be an exciting but also stressful time. Between making important decisions about their future, hearing advice from others, and figuring out…
MVRHS receives Gold Star Award for the Seal of Biliteracy
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) received a Seal of Biliteracy Gold Star Award as well as an Inclusive Access Recognition from the Department of Early and Secondary Education…
A Teenager’s Guide to a Festive Fall
The air is getting colder, and the spooky season has officially come and gone. With just a sprinkle of creativity, and a pinch of leftover Halloween spirit, you’ll be brewing…
Environment
Revolution Wind reaches commercial operation
Revolution Wind, a 65-turbine wind farm 12 miles off of Aquinnah, announced Thursday that the project reached commercial operations and is delivering electricity to Rhode Island and Connecticut up to its full capacity. When a wind farm reaches commercial operations status, the electricity is sold at a fixed price on the regional open energy market.
Health
Program gives “Food for Thought” a whole new meaning
First graders from Oak Bluffs Elementary School gathered in a circle at Island Grown Initiative’s (IGI) farm in Vineyard Haven. All bundled up in their coats, the children listened as Astrid Tilton, a gleaning manager, explained how the nonprofit collects all extra, or surplus, crops to avoid creating food waste.
Housing
Copeland character wins out
Updated Nov. 9. As Lee Jackson Van Allen peered over the railing of a second-floor balcony at her family cottage on Wayland Avenue on a recent fall afternoon, she reflected on the history of the home in Oak Bluffs and the view in front of her.
Education
School business administrator resigns
Mark Friedman, school business administrator for Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools (MVYPS), announced his resignation at a Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) committee meeting on Monday. Friedman, who has worked for MVYPS for 17 years, first as the accounts manager for MVRHS and then as school business administrator starting in 2020, will be the director…
Politics
MVC pushes back on proposed census changes
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) decided to lend its voice to the growing opposition against proposed changes to the U.S. Census that would exclude undocumented residents. “It’s a couple of years away, but it is important to make sure that after 250 years, we don’t change the rules because one person is in office and…
Cops and Courts
Former select board candidate sentenced in rape case
A Vineyard Haven resident, who was a former Tisbury Select Board candidate, was sentenced to five years of probation for two counts of felony rape at the Edgartown Courthouse in October. Macaleer B. Schilcher, 41, was sentenced at a Dukes County Superior Court hearing after he changed his plea to guilty for two of his…
Immigration
Lula wins Brazilian presidential reelection
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, often referred to as Lula, was re-elected Sunday after the electoral court announced he had 4.4 million votes (51.8 percent) over Flávio Bolsonaro.
Ferry and transportation
Vineyarders call for crackdown on excursion fare ‘abuse’
As the Steamship Authority (SSA) faces what it calls a tight budget for next year, some Vineyarders say the ferry line should crack down on passengers who are abusing the discount rates available to Islanders in order to mitigate losses. The SSA is looking at a $174.2 million budget for next year, an increase in…
Opinion
The Island’s shared future is circling the drain at Five Corners
The persistent and perilous flooding at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven is no secret. Frustration for years around the lack of visible action is also well-known in the public sphere,…
Violating human rights when DHS sends immigrants to third countries
Among the most striking cases before the Supreme Court is one that may well affect immigrants on Martha’s Vineyard. The case, Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D., asks the court…
A winning day for mah jong and our Island community
To the Editor: What a wonderful day of mah jong, friendship, and community spirit!
