The woman beyond the look
For nearly two decades, the world has watched Michelle Obama, both adoringly or critically. And the reverence didn’t waver on Sunday, August 23 when hundreds gathered at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center for the closing event of this year’s Martha’s Vineyard Author Series. The former First Lady joined journalist Michele Norris…
Increasingly fragile supply chain keeps Island afloat
The supply chain for Martha’s Vineyard is a casual system based on informal coordination and institutional knowledge, almost totally dependent on marine transportation. That casual network is not a shock to those who live here, but the vulnerabilities are anything but casual. In fact, parts of the Island are considered “highly vulnerable,” according to a…
Housing solutions: From an abandoned building to a home
Sweeping strokes of graffiti covered white plaster walls inside an abandoned parsonage in Aquinnah in 2023. Three years later, the property is now a renovated affordable duplex where a family from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and another tribal member live year-round. The project, completed by affordable housing developer Island Housing Trust (IHT),…
SSA launches discounts for veterans
In a salute to the men and women who served in the country’s armed forces, the Steamship Authority (SSA) is moving ahead with reduced fares for veterans. The decision, approved by the SSA board last Tuesday, will lower fares for veterans from port communities by nearly half. For the SSA, port communities include Martha’s Vineyard,…
Oak Bluffs fireworks canceled
The Oak Bluffs Fireworks, scheduled to take place Friday, are canceled due to choppy waters and inclement weather conditions expected Friday and Saturday. The fireworks have officially been pushed off until the summer of 2027. “Due to rough seas, unfavorable weather conditions, and concerns regarding the safe loading and operation of the fireworks barge, both…
‘Still Here’
The vibration of drums and the sound of indigenous chants echoed into Fenway Park during the Boston Red Sox’s annual Native American and American Indian Celebration, a night that showcases the proud, resilient heritage of indigenous communities from across the country. Tobias Vanderhoop, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and a…
Vineyard airport clamps down on Turo
Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission issued a cease and desist letter to Turo operators, a move that clamps down on what the transportation officials essentially called unlicensed car rental businesses on airport property. David Mackey, a Boston attorney representing the airport commission, issued a letter to eight businesses on July 29 calling for the end to…
When telling the truth comes at a cost
The room went quiet as the screen filled with a compilation of President Donald Trump’s public attacks against Black women. Clip after clip played inside Oak Bluffs’ historic Union Chapel, and audible cries of frustration or disgust came from the audience. That energy shifted when veteran journalist Rehema Ellis welcomed four influential Black women working…
Potential Head Start deregulation raises uncertainty for Island program
The Trump administration’s proposed elimination of federal regulations for the Head Start program leaves state and Island childcare officials unsure about the impact to a Vineyard nonprofit that offers child care services. The program, which is operated by Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS), includes home-based care that serves roughly 36 children, the majority of whom…
Grand jury indicts Aimee Cotton for murder
Updated August 20. Aimee Cotton of Oak Bluffs, who pleaded not guilty in October 2025 after being indicted by a Dukes County grand jury of manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child in September, was indicted for murder Wednesday in the Dukes County Superior Court, according to court documents. Courtney L. Scalice was added as…
Illumination Night, a very fine affair
Thousands of people traversed the streets around the Tabernacle and the quieter roads within the rest of the campgrounds as bright and colorful lanterns hung from almost every cottage. Grand Illumination Night, an almost-end-of-summer favorite, started Wednesday night at 7 pm with a prayer, community sing and music by the Vineyard Haven Band, and ceremonial…
The Times sits down with Sen. Elizabeth Warren
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) came to Martha’s Vineyard last week to discuss a bill she co-sponsored, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate earlier this summer. It became law last month without President Donald Trump’s signature, largely due to overwhelming bipartisan support. The…
Rare bacterial infection in Edgartown prompts warnings
The Edgartown Board of Health is urging residents to exercise caution when swimming after a Vineyard resident over the age of 65 contracted a bacterial infection called Vibrio vulnificus, a type of flesh-eating bacteria, after swimming in multiple bodies of water in the town with an open cut on their foot. The individual’s identity and…
Vineyard enters primary season
Updated August 21. As voters consider various issues Massachusetts is presenting for the state gubernatorial election, Islanders will also decide whom they want to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in November. The Massachusetts primary is set for Sept. 1 from 7 am to 8 pm statewide, where voters will elect candidates to run in…
Softball: A favorite local summer pastime
The Highlanders captured their second straight men’s softball league championship last Thursday night, taking down the Brewhas 16–9 in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals. The Highlanders also took Game 1 on Monday last week in the seven-inning game and closed out the series in a comeback Thursday, tacking on a number of runs in…
ISland Life
VOICES bySharisse: From the porch to the lawn
The caterpillar crawl
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Environment
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…
Health
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…
Housing
Warren’s Island visit focuses on housing initiatives
Updated Aug. 19. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, came to the Island last week to focus on affordable housing at a roundtable discussion as local officials look for federal and state assistance amid growing concerns about the sustainability of life on the Island for year-round residents. Arriving Friday, August 14, for the day, Warren said she…
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
Cape Poge trail uncertainty raised in Land Court
Uncertainty was raised by a state judge on which trails on Cape Poge correspond to 19th century easements in an ongoing lawsuit over where drivers can publicly access Chappaquiddick Island’s northernmost territory. That question over the easements, which is the permission granted to use a part of another owner’s property, remains unresolved after a virtual…
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 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…
Opinion
Finishing the job of connecting Martha’s Vineyard to high-speed internet
To the Editor: Martha’s Vineyard is a community that values connection, whether it’s connecting neighbors, supporting local businesses, or ensuring residents and visitors can access opportunities online, including healthcare, education,…
An endorsement for Rob Galibois
To the Editor: I am proud to endorse District Attorney (DA) Rob Galibois for re-election as district attorney for the Cape and Islands, and urge my fellow Vineyarders to join…
Galibois has earned our support as DA
To the Editor: Promises made, promises kept. In 2022, then-candidate for Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois made more than a dozen trips to the Vineyard to connect with…
