MVRHS graduation launches seniors into the world
About 600 people converged onto the Tabernacle for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) 67th Commencement Ceremony on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Donning white regalia and an array of stoles ranging from the school’s traditional purple to U.S. and Brazilian flags, the graduating seniors took in speeches by their classmates and school officials and…
New beginnings and farewells at the charter school
There are a lot of changes at Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School. Summer’s finally arrived, top leadership is changing at the school, and a longtime teacher is retiring. And in West Tisbury on Saturday, the charter school’s class of 2026 turned the page to the next chapter in their lives. The charter school community gathered…
Class Night honors students’ achievements and Islanders’ memories
Graduating seniors from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) received nearly $1.3 million in scholarships from Island organizations during Friday evening’s Class Night at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. Many of the awards honored the legacies of deceased community members. $1.52 million in post-grad scholarships were also awarded, totaling $2.8 million in scholarships awarded to…
Oak Bluffs Police quell fire before it spreads
What could have been a devastating fire was quickly quelled by Oak Bluffs first responders early Friday morning. Oak Bluffs Police officers discovered a fire under the front porch of 43 Circuit Ave., a three-story, multi-family home, at around 3 am. Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan Searle said two of his officers, Andrew Nicholson and…
Breaking down the Island’s food waste
With the press of a few commands displayed on a touch-screen monitor, Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School’s new composter whirred to life as the internal blades rotated inside the metal container and paddled leftover food inside. An earthy, vinegary-sweet odor quickly filled the air next to the machine. The composter is managed by charter school…
A new school for the next generation
Updated June 3. After years of administrative meetings and an historic Island-wide vote, the long-awaited Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School building project, with an addition and renovation price tag of $333.5 million, passed in a landslide with the promise to transform the campus for future generations and address much-needed issues. All six towns showed their…
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Environment
Shelley Edmundson to chair state fisheries advisory group
The Island’s own Shelley Edmundson, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, was elected May 29 as the new chair of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFAC). Edmundson, who holds a Ph.D. in zoology and marine biology from the University of New Hampshire, has been a member of the MFAC since 2020, and…
Health
Federal department announces millions of dollars in tick initiatives
Just before last weekend, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a series of initiatives to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne conditions, including alpha-gal syndrome. The Island is no stranger to issues caused by ticks; there is a higher incidence of illness in Dukes County than in the rest…
Housing
MVC fights to keep power over Chapter 40B reviews
With its authority to review housing developments in flux, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) is attempting to reverse the ruling that reduced its power in court. In Dukes County Superior Court, the MVC and the Edgartown zoning board of appeals jointly filed a challenge against the Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee (HAC) and Edgartown Gardens LLC,…
Education
Chilmark School adjusts curriculum to meet high enrollment
Updated June 3. The principal of Chilmark School announced a shift in class structure as a response to a near doubling of enrollment in the past decade, but the town’s select board and community members are concerned that the change is contrary to tradition. In an April letter, Principal Kate Squire said the Chilmark School,…
Politics
Chilmark plans special town meeting to cover costs
Chilmark is asking voters to return for another round of voting, just weeks after their five-hour-long annual town meeting, in order to cover certain costs in the town budget. The town scheduled a special town meeting for June 29 at 7 pm at the Chilmark Community Center to cover various pieces of funding. The decision…
Cops and Courts
Engine fire engulfs truck in West Tisbury
Nobody was injured after a truck caught fire in West Tisbury on Tuesday night. According to a West Tisbury Police report, first responders received a call at 8:54 pm of a vehicle engulfed in flames, a Ford F-150 parked in front of the Field Gallery on State Road. Police closed off the State Road intersections…
Immigration
UPDATED: Father detained by ICE released
Updated May 27. The father and teenage son who were out fishing together before they were taken into ICE custody were ordered by federal judges to be released from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the past week. The son, 15-year-old Nycolas de Al Varenga Lima, has already returned to the…
Ferry and transportation
Oak Bluffs welcomes first ferry of the summer
In another sign of the upcoming summer season, the Steamship Authority (SSA) brought a little more fanfare to the annual opening of the Oak Bluffs terminal this year. The SSA hosted its inaugural “First Ferry” event on Thursday, with organizers celebrating as the crew of the ferry Martha’s Vineyard brought Oak Bluffs’ first batch of…
