Nicole Galland
Personal effects
Every element of Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee’s documentary, “Aftershock,” packs a mighty punch. The narrative arc, the visuals, the information — all...
MV Ps and Qs: Going Viral
Dear Nicole,
I split my time between New York and Chilmark and wanted to come to the Island during this challenging and scary time, but...
MV Ps and Qs: Who gets to be called an ‘Islander’?
Dear Nicole,
Help us resolve a long-standing disagreement between a friend and me. What’s the definition of an Islander? Who exactly gets to be called...
Ps & Qs: Seasonal shutdown
Dear Nicole,
I am a seasonal resident who has had it with the entitled attitudes of the ever-so-holy year-rounders who tend to treat us like...
Ps & Qs: Ticks in private places
Dear Nicole,
Holy cleavage! Guess where I found an embedded deer tick? Unable to disengage the tick from its private perch, I needed to enlist...
Ferry greeting
Please enjoy this recycled and yet timely piece.
Dear Nicole,
"Where are you off to?" If I could count the number of times I've been asked...
Tony the pony
To elicit a smile from every person you pass by in the hospital parking lot, it helps to walk alongside Tony Smalls.
Tony is a...
Betty Burton: ‘Understanding the struggles of others just makes you walk differently’
Updated Jan. 2
What does it mean to be a real Islander? Some folks insist you have to be born here. The thinking goes that...
MV Ps & Qs: Is it OK to insult?
Dear Nicole,
Thanksgiving weekend is over, and predictably I am Monday-morning quarterbacking. Whom did I insult? And should I apologize? If the discussion around the...
MV Ps and Qs: Do you have papers?
Dear Nicole:
I am a teenager, Vineyard-born, of Mexican parents; I am bilingual (no accent in either language), and have lived and gone to school...
MV Ps & Qs: About that free stuff by the road
Dear Nicole,
While I am a believer in the sharing economy, I don't think people should be leaving their old mattresses, even if they're not...
Bridget Tobin: The Island’s lifeline
Ways to spot real Vineyarders: They drive “Island cars.”
When traveling off-Island, they need to get their Island car to the mainland, and back again.
Therefore,...
MV Ps & Qs: No thanks for that gift
Dear Nicole,
A houseguest who visits annually gave me a host gift this year straight out of Baby's First Beach Cottage Collection. It's the kind...
MV Ps & Qs: Pocket money for the Paint Bar?
Dear Nicole,
A few months ago, I gave a coworker $25 to hold for me until we had a chance to go to a Paint...
MV Ps and Qs: The cocktail party is over
Dear Nicole,
I have attended numerous cocktail and dinner parties on the Vineyard this summer (as a caterer, that is) and have noticed a troubling...
Ps and Qs: Summer Traffic Rules
Dear Nicole,
Yesterday after disembarking the ferry in O.B., we drove past the Flying Horses and headed toward V.H. on Lake Avenue and saw,...
Ps and Qs: Seasonal Shutdown
Please enjoy this recycled and yet timely piece.
Dear Nicole,
I am a seasonal resident who has had it with the entitled attitudes of the ever-so-holy...
Ps and Qs: Renting a friend’s cottage
Dear Nicole,
I have a friend with a cottage she rents out for the summer. Months ago, I asked her if my family could rent...
MV Ps & Qs: Restroom or reading room?
Dear Nicole,
My husband, son, and I had breakfast at the Black Dog yesterday. While there, a man got up from his table and took...
Ps and Qs: Woods Hole friends
Dear Nicole,
We are lucky to have a friend who lives in Woods Hole whom we stay with when the ferry gets canceled. Now that...