Oak Bluffs Fireworks cancellation caused by safety concerns
Oak Bluffs officials stated the cancellation of the more-than-150-year-tradition of summertime fireworks was circumvented 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 until the summer…
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…
New Derby boundaries help up-Island fishermen
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 entirety of Buzzards…
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…
Snaps take the title for women’s summer softball
Every summer, for the past 20 years, locals have taken to Veterans Field in Vineyard Haven to compete in the much beloved softball league. For players, it’s not just about competition but also finding ways to come together regardless of where they are in life, or how busy the summer months are; and for many…
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 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…
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,…
‘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…
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…
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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
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…
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
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…
