MVY hit by nationwide flight grounding
Updated 9:45 pm. In a rare instance that halted flights nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a national grounding of airplanes on Friday afternoon.
‘Give me a break’: Negotiations for apartments behind Dairy Queen heat up
Frustration boiled over in a discussion about apartments proposed behind Dairy Queen after an Edgartown official accused the developers of not providing information needed to finalize an agreement that could mean the project’s approval. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) continued its review of a project called Housing Behind the Dairy Queen, which is proposed to…
West Tisbury man charged for alleged lawn mower thefts
West Tisbury Police Department logo. A West Tisbury resident was arraigned at the Edgartown District Court in late October after police conducted an investigation and recovered multiple automated lawn mowers during a search of his property. Justin C. Dodge, 44, pleaded not guilty Oct. 23 to the felony charges of larceny over $1,200, receiving stolen…
Workforce housing for Christian summer camp approved
The conversion of a residential house in West Tisbury to workforce housing for a seasonal Christian camp was approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) last week. The workforce housing was proposed by FOCUS, or the Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools. FOCUS, which has operated seasonally on the Vineyard for 50 years, draws…
The right to choose, the power of song
CAMBRIDGE — For nearly a half century, women had the right to an abortion under national law. Then, in 2022, the landmark Supreme Court decision that allowed for that choice, Roe v. Wade, was overturned. It was one of the only times that the highest court in the country revoked a fundamental, constitutional right. The…
M.V. Community Foundation awards $600,000 to Island nonprofits
The Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation (MVCF) awarded $600,000 in grants to 53 local nonprofit organizations this year. The funding is provided through MVCF’s 2026 Community and Impact Grants program and awards organizations that focus on issues ranging from food access, health care, arts and culture, and environmental initiatives.
Island rape convict detained by ICE
A former Island resident sentenced for rape at the Edgartown Courthouse in April was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers on Oct. 30 after he was released from state prison by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. ICE announced on Nov. 1 that Jair Fernandes De Oliveira Jr., 27, was arrested and listed…
A second homecoming
Veterans marched down the streets of Oak Bluffs Wednesday as Islanders joined in the fanfare to honor the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Salutes were made to the Star-Spangled Banner as it fluttered in the wind, and veterans spoke on the importance of service. Veterans were thanked by Islanders, and…
MVRHS graduate wins by landslide in California mayoral race
Updated Nov. 11. During the historic midterm elections last week that featured several firsts in key political positions — from the first Black woman governor to the first Native American governor — a Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) alumnus made his own splash on the other side of the country.
Paul Bailey appointed as MVYPS treasurer
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) committee voted on Friday morning to appoint Paul Bailey as treasurer for MVRHS and the Up-Island Regional School District (UIRSD) on Nov. 6. Bailey replaced Marylee Schroeder, who held the position for 29 years and is retiring, on Monday.
Regionalization, tribal relations, and tradition
Randhi Belain, chief of the Aquinnah Police Department for 22 years, soft-retired and stepped down from his role on Nov. 6. His position is now filled by Ryan Ruley, a former Edgartown Police sergeant and former Oak Bluffs Select Board member. The Times’ police reporter, Nicholas Vukota, spoke to Belain about his decades-long career in…
Lesser charges dropped in Aimee Cotton case
Aimee Cotton’s manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child charges will no longer be prosecuted by the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office. The state office is now prosecuting Cotton solely on her second-degree murder indictment, as of Nov. 6, according to Barnstable Superior Court records.
Safe Harbor Marina completes workforce housing
Roughly 10 people gathered outside of Safe Harbor Marina’s Vineyard Haven waterfront to commemorate the completion of new employee housing units on Tuesday morning. The $2.4 million project consists of two duplexes with a total of 10 bedrooms for year-round employees staffed at the marina’s locations in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. Currently, there are 25…
Coop de Ville faces closure
The Oak Bluffs harborfront comes to life every summer when businesses open their doors to serve year-round Islanders, returning seasonal residents, and flocks of tourists. But after four decades, a longtime waterfront favorite is set to shutter. The Oak Bluffs Association announced a “bittersweet goodbye” Sunday to Coop de Ville, the open-air eatery that houses…
Alarms sound over Donaroma operation
Updated Nov. 11. Town officials and residents, both in and outside meetings, have raised glaring concerns during the past few weeks about Jordan’s Nursery, an existing operation in Oak Bluffs that is currently under review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC).
ISland Life
Lending horses a healing hand
Denys Wortman on Denys Wortman
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The High School View
Top senior stressor: Applying to college
For high school seniors, the college application process can be an exciting but also stressful time. Between making important decisions about their future, hearing advice from others, and figuring out…
MVRHS receives Gold Star Award for the Seal of Biliteracy
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) received a Seal of Biliteracy Gold Star Award as well as an Inclusive Access Recognition from the Department of Early and Secondary Education…
A Teenager’s Guide to a Festive Fall
The air is getting colder, and the spooky season has officially come and gone. With just a sprinkle of creativity, and a pinch of leftover Halloween spirit, you’ll be brewing…
Environment
Aquatic pollution concerns persist for Jordan’s Nursery
Updated Nov. 11. Ways to mitigate excessive loads of nitrogen spilling into Lagoon Pond from a new nursery in Oak Bluffs was top of mind for commissioners at a hearing last week, particularly with lingering questions of potential employee housing not yet built.
Health
Program gives “Food for Thought” a whole new meaning
First graders from Oak Bluffs Elementary School gathered in a circle at Island Grown Initiative’s (IGI) farm in Vineyard Haven. All bundled up in their coats, the children listened as Astrid Tilton, a gleaning manager, explained how the nonprofit collects all extra, or surplus, crops to avoid creating food waste.
Housing
Small housing lots proposal narrowly fails at statewide polls
Days after the historic midterm elections in which the Democratic Party seized power in both houses of Congress, Massachusetts had the results of all nine statewide ballot questions, which should keep state officials busy for a while. Islanders in all of the towns were in lockstep in choosing to vote for or against ballot questions…
Education
School business administrator resigns
Mark Friedman, school business administrator for Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools (MVYPS), announced his resignation at a Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) committee meeting on Monday. Friedman, who has worked for MVYPS for 17 years, first as the accounts manager for MVRHS and then as school business administrator starting in 2020, will be the director…
Politics
Big blue wave across America, the state, and the Island
The Island woke up Wednesday to a sea change in American politics brought on by a powerful blue wave for the Democratic Party that will take firm control of Congress in both the House and the Senate. The historic midterm elections unleashed new currents of change, including in Georgia, the nation’s first Black woman elected…
Cops and Courts
Annual Veterans Day Parade in photos
Veterans Day Parade in O.B. Wednesday, Nov. 11. —Nicholas Vukota Coast Guard Machinery Technician Markas Varpiotas leading the Veterans Day Parade in O.B. —Nicholas Vukota Members of the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office at the Veterans Day Parade. —Nicholas Vukota Veterans during the “National Anthem” at the Veterans Day Parade. —Nicholas Vukota From left, Coast Guard…
Immigration
MVC pushes back on proposed census changes
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) decided to lend its voice to the growing opposition against proposed changes to the U.S. Census that would exclude undocumented residents. “It’s a couple of years away, but it is important to make sure that after 250 years, we don’t change the rules because one person is in office and…
Ferry and transportation
Vineyarders call for crackdown on excursion fare ‘abuse’
As the Steamship Authority (SSA) faces what it calls a tight budget for next year, some Vineyarders say the ferry line should crack down on passengers who are abusing the discount rates available to Islanders in order to mitigate losses. The SSA is looking at a $174.2 million budget for next year, an increase in…
Opinion
The sluggish road to repair the State Forest bike path
Almost half of the bike path in the State Forest is in bad shape. I mean, terrible shape. Anyone who bikes on the Vineyard knows someone who’s hit a frost…
What we owe veterans
The morning sun glinted off granite headstones marked with small American flags across the Island’s cemeteries, where veterans of every major war since the nation’s founding have been buried. This…
Moving on from a ‘tempest’ in Tisbury
An Oct. 29 article describes a “tempest” in Tisbury Town Hall. I served on the planning board for seven years, including one as chair, and know how much commitment the…
