Housing bank fails to pass in state legislature
Updated August 7. As housing prices soar and more Islanders find it difficult to secure stable accommodation than ever, the legislation to create a funding source for initiatives like rent assistance and adapting existing housing into affordable units has failed to pass at the state level. Legislation for the local option to institute a real-estate transfer fee was in three separate bills in front of the Massachusetts House and Senate this session, but according to State Sen. Julian Cyr, who proposed the bills with State Rep. Thomas Moakley, it didn’t make the cut. None of the legislation was included in…
A strain on public safety
Updated August 7. A series of serious emergencies have strained the Martha’s Vineyard community this summer, and understaffed departments of first responders across the Island are raising concerns about public safety. Many local chiefs are saying the severity and complexity of the calls have increased, even though the total volume of calls, according to data…
Shelter for indigenous women unanimously approved by MVC
Updated August 7. A proposed shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, called Aquinnah Headwaters, was unanimously approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) on Thursday night with minimal conditions. According to data from Kinship Heals, the organization proposing the shelter, 85 percent of indigenous women have experienced violence; 56 percent have experienced…
Father dies trying to save two sons in Long Point’s rip current
Updated August 5, 12:49 pm. A 55-year-old Cambridge man died after getting caught in a strong rip current 100 yards off the beach at Long Point Wildlife Refuge Friday, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office told The Times Monday. A sunny day on the beach with his wife and two teenage sons turned to…
A bittersweet close to the season for the Sharks
The Shark Tank was filled Tuesday night at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School baseball field with a packed home crowd hoping to see the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks add another chapter in their postseason run. Instead, after a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final outs, the Sharks’ season ended one run short with…
That’s just the way Bruce Hornsby is
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers brought a full crowd to their feet at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs with a range of classic hit songs, like “That’s Just The Way It Is” and new, experimental tracks off of their new album, “Indigo Park,” which was released this June. The concert, on Tuesday, August 4, was…
Edgartown zoning board dismisses Cape Poge appeal
At least one chapter of the Cape Poge discourse was closed after Edgartown officials decided to toss out a case. The Edgartown Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously dismissed an appeal that questioned whether the Trustees of Reservations, which owns and manages conservation lands on the Island, had the proper permitting to allow recreational activities of…
Debate heats up on Katama Meadows
Updated August 5. It remains unclear whether a final decision may be made on August 6 on the controversial and evolving Katama Meadows project, but if last week’s meeting is any guide to where this is going, the Island community and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission can expect more debate. There’s a lot at stake, and…
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…
Prodigal groundfish permit comes back to the Island
More than a decade ago, Greg Mayhew was set to retire as a commercial fisherman and decommission his 75-foot dragger Unicorn, a staple on Dutcher Dock in Chilmark. But the loss of him and his vessel from the Menemsha docks would mean the loss of the Island’s last federal groundfish permit, and there was no…
Click below to browse the print edition of the paper:
GOMV’s Vineyard Haven Harbor Live Webcam:
Have a tip?
Contact the editor
Sign up for our newsletters
Stay informed all week about Island news.
Environment
Celebrating local industry in Menemsha
Local fishermen came together in Menemsha on Thursday afternoon for the ninth annual Meet the Fleet, hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust. For many Islanders, the event that took place on the Menemsha docks 3 to 7 pm as the sun began to set, is more akin to a holiday. “In my family,…
Health
Survey seeks to identify health needs for Island children and mothers
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 O’Donnell, a University…
Housing
Katama Meadows decision pushed to September
The deliberation on the 54-acre subdivision proposed in Edgartown called Katama Meadows went over time again Thursday, and further discussion was pushed until September 10. Islanders who are anxiously awaiting some certainty regarding Katama Meadows will have to wait a bit longer. It remains unclear whether the meeting in September will include a decision on…
Education
Charity swim raises more than $300,000 for Vineyard cancer center
As the sun rose on Meneshama beach on Saturday, hundreds of Islanders and visitors made their way into the cold Island water, riding the tide against cancer at the inaugural Martha’s Vineyard Swim Across America open-water swim. The event, led by two 17-year-old Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) students, Leah Thomson and Zoe Treitman,…
Politics
Healey appeals Trump’s federal aid denial
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is urging President Donald Trump to reverse his denial of the state’s major disaster declaration request, a move that blocked federal aid to communities hit by the February snowstorm, in an appeal filed last week. In a letter dated July 31, Healey highlighted the severity of the impact from the storm…
Cops and Courts
Tisbury sued for workplace retaliation allegations
A former Tisbury employee is suing the town over allegations of workforce retaliation with a complaint that is resurfacing conflict-of-interest questions over properties connected to an offshore wind developer. The complaint, filed in Dukes County Superior Court on Friday, seeks compensation for Amy Upton, former administrator of Tisbury planning board, over alleged retaliation, wrongful termination,…
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
Port Council backs bus connection for Islanders’ medical appointments
Older Islanders might soon receive help from the Steamship Authority (SSA) to get to their medical appointments in Boston. On Tuesday, the Port Council unanimously approved providing a bus connection from Woods Hole to Sagamore for Vineyard seniors who need to get to Boston-area hospitals for medical appointments. The request came from the Vineyard Transit…
Opinion
Learning to swim is critical
To the Editor: The incident at Long Point on Friday is a heartbreaking reminder that the ocean is incredibly dangerous. The beach that runs along the entire south coast of…
Thank you to Edgartown’s first responders
To the Editor: July 25, 2026. I have recently completed the trifecta of Edgartown’s emergency services. I have had the misfortune to have fallen and broken my back, been viciously…
Chabad on the Vineyard should apologize
To the Editor: As Chabad on the Vineyard’s fourth annual Jewish Cultural Festival has now concluded, I want to respond to the events that occurred, which were covered in The…
