The three sisters
Through vibrant green leaves and upright stems reaching for the sun, indigenous varieties of beans, corn, and squash are growing in the Island Grown Initiative (IGI) community garden in Oak Bluffs this summer. The plot and produce are an initiative by NaDaizja Bolling, in partnership with the Aquinnah Cultural Center (ACC), where Bolling works as…
Chilmark attempts regulation of tick sprays; state says no
As tick sprays become more commonplace on the Island and the ecological effects of them remain understudied, health officials in the town of Chilmark drafted regulations to put guardrails on all-natural blends of the product. But the state won’t let them make it official. Chilmark Board of Health agent Anna McCaffrey sent the draft regulation…
A cloud of uncertainty
Updated August 28. Three operators of an all-natural tick spray company donned khaki insect-shield pants and tucked the bottom hems into their socks. They wore shirts with their company name, ohDEER, like they do five or more days a week, readied their equipment, and pulled into a winding driveway in Oak Bluffs to the home…
Ribbon cut at Chilmark Preschool just in time for school year
Chilmark Preschool officials commemorated the completion of the preschool’s new building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday evening. As children played on the playground in the background, around 50 people listened to speeches by community leaders and officials from South Mountain Company, the West Tisbury-based construction firm behind the building. The building, for which construction was…
Marty Nadler, screenwriter and stand-up comic, dies at 80
Updated August 28. Martin (“Marty”) Nadler, who brought laughter to audiences through screenwriting and stand-up comedy, died on Wednesday, August 26, at HCA Florida Northwest Hospital due to complications related to myasthenia gravis. He was 80 years old. Nadler was a longtime Oak Bluffs resident who spent years as a screenwriter, actor, and stand-up comic.…
Nonprofit receives state funds for indigenous environmental education
Island nonprofit Sassafras Earth Education Inc. has received a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), which will be reinvested in the local community through the expansion of educational programs that promote sustainable living using indigenous practices and connection with the land. Sassafras has operated in Aquinnah for over two decades as a…
D.A. candidates head to primary Tuesday
There’s still time to make a decision in what may be Islanders’ most consequential vote in the primary elections. The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office is headed to a showdown in the Democratic primary between incumbent Rob Galibois, elected in 2022, and challenger Michael Giardino. Without any Republicans running for the seat, whoever wins…
Oak Bluffs Fireworks cancellation caused by safety concerns
Updated August 29. Oak Bluffs officials stated the cancellation of the more-than-150-year-tradition of summertime fireworks was caused by rough seas, safety concerns, and state restrictions. The Oak Bluffs Fireworks that were scheduled to take place last Friday were canceled due to choppy waters and inclement weather conditions forecast for the weekend, pushing off the event…
New Derby boundaries help up-Island fishermen
Updated August 27. Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby officials have set new boat boundaries for the annual fishing Derby, which encompasses the waters around Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and now all of Buzzards Bay. This will mark the first time in history that anglers competing in the Derby will be allowed to fish the…
The woman beyond the look
For nearly two decades, the world has watched Michelle Obama, both adoringly and 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…
West Tisbury resident sued over Island Theatre
Updated August 26. Owners of the controversial Island Theatre have called on the courts to make a local resident compensate them with millions of dollars for allegedly backing out of a deal to buy the Oak Bluffs property. Lucky 7 Realty Trust, represented by trustee Brian Hall, sued Jefrey DuBard, West Tisbury resident and founding…
Hospital enrolls first participant in pioneering alpha-gal study
A trailblazing study for both the Island hospital and the country just enrolled its first participant last Friday in an effort to better understand alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne condition that causes an allergy to mammalian products like meat and dairy. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH), a member of Mass General Brigham, plans to recruit and follow…
Bouncing back against opioid addiction
The ball bounced from player to player towards the basket in a blur of colorful jerseys, and quick turns shattered any silence with high-pitched squeaks of rubber soles against the polished wooden floors of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) gym as teams from across the East Coast came together on the court for…
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…
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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
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 childcare 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 speak…
Housing
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 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), is…
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
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 to the stage four influential…
Cops and Courts
Murder added to indictments for Aimee Cotton
Updated August 26. Aimee Cotton of Oak Bluffs, who previously was indicted for manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child last September and pleaded not guilty, was indicted for murder last Wednesday in the Dukes County Superior Court, according to court documents. The incident related to the charge occurred in March 2025, when Cotton allegedly…
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 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,…
Opinion
New boundaries worsen the Derby
To the Editor: The latest change to the MV Derby has not been well received by many, and the voices of a few have changed the derby for the worse.…
Are you kidding me?
To the Editor: “A strain on public safety” (August 6)? What did you expect? Defunding the police, getting rid of ICE, judges letting criminals off. Every day I watch children…
A response to a ‘so-called peaceful protest’
To the Editor: I am writing in response to some of the feedback to the coverage of this year’s Jewish Cultural Festival sponsored by Chabad. After one too many times…
