Nobody hurt after Chappaquiddick home lost in fire
Updated June 11 A fire on Chappaquiddick Island burned a house to the ground early Thursday morning. The Edgartown Fire Department wrote in a social media post Thursday that it received a 2 am call for a house fire on Chappaquiddick. Before first responders arrived, the resident and her dog were able to safely exit…
Feds cut global ocean-observing network
The federal government’s new plans to dismantle a deep sea system worth hundreds of millions of dollars means weather forecasts, which any New Englander knows are already unpredictable, may become even more so. As the scientific world reels from the loss of years of future data on the goings-ons of the ocean, two Menemsha fishermen…
What $49 million can buy you
A coastal compound in Edgartown with sweeping views and a cluster of parcels for possible multigenerational living is making waves in the real estate industry this week, and if it goes for asking price, another real estate record for the state would be set by the Vineyard. The property is named Great Point and located…
A lot to celebrate
Bars and restaurants across the Island are gearing up for big summer crowds that may be made even bigger by the World Cup and America’s 250th birthday party. This Friday, Team USA will play its opener in the World Cup against Paraguay at Boston’s Gillette Stadium, and Brazil will face off against Morocco on Saturday,…
Unstoppable girls’ tennis is headed to the finals
Updated June 10. Heavy winds and a hot sun were the backdrop of the semifinals match between the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls’ varsity tennis team and Weston High School on Tuesday. The game gathered a large assemblage of Vineyard families and fans, on the boat, across the Vineyard Sound, and to Falmouth High…
Ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates reconstruction of Owen Park Pier
Officials from the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) and town of Tisbury commemorated the reconstruction of Owen Park Pier with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning after a decade of planning. About 50 people clustered together by the park’s shore to take in speeches by community leaders before the ribbon was cut. The planning…
A rising tide and the fate of two boats
Updated June 9. They say a rising tide lifts all boats. But on Vineyard Haven Harbor on Monday, there was one historic wooden sailboat rising triumphantly after being restored, and there was another modern fiberglass powerboat that was taking on water amid lashing Northeast winds near the jetty at Owen Park. At midday, the beloved…
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…
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Environment
M.V. Shellfish celebrates 50
Shellfish constables and the public gather for the 50th anniversary of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group featuring a short documentary “50 Years at the Shellfish Group” about all the work it takes to keep the Island shellfish thriving. The celebration took place at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury on Tuesday, June 9, and included…
Health
Breaking down the Island’s food waste
With the press of a few commands displayed on a touchscreen monitor, the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School’s new composter whirs to life as the internal blades rotate inside the metal container and paddle leftover food inside. An earthy, vinegary-sweet odor quickly fills the air next to the machine. The composter is managed by Charter…
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
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…
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
State deems hunter shooting to be accidental
The Massachusetts Environmental Police deemed the shooting of a hunter on the Island over the winter as an accident. State officials say the victim is still recovering at home. In December, a man was shot in the abdomen while hunting in Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, a day before shotgun season ended. According to a…
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…
