Meet the Brokers
Nya Clarke, Broker/Owner
Martha’s Vineyard Island-Wide Realty
What got you started in the brokerage business on the Vineyard?
I moved back to the Vineyard from a career in design in New York City. In some ways I...
‘From the land’
For more than 12,000 years, members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) have called Martha’s Vineyard home.
Long before white settlers arrived on the Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands, the Wampanoag people...
The Entrepreneurs
India Rose
The Sideline Brand
49 Main St., Vineyard Haven
508-685-0484
sidelinebrand.com
Tell us about your new business — you opened in November?
We opened on Black Friday in this year of COVID. “The Sideline Brand, Luxury sports apparel and...
Meet the Deckers
In some respects, we’re all family on the Vineyard. We’re a diverse group, often fiercely independent, but united and drawn together by the fact that we’ve chosen to live in a place that’s surrounded...
The Gleaners
Collecting excess produce from local farms and distributing it to people in need is not a new concept: It's been going on for centuries. Four Island gleaners give us an inside view to harvesting...
The Handymen
Renato Lacerda
My Handyman, Vineyard Haven
508-684-0242; myhandymaninmv@gmail.com
How long have you been working as a handyman on the Vineyard?
About twenty years. I started as a painter, and through the years I learned carpentry, tile work, house...
The Florists
Emily Coulter, owner
Morrice Florist
149 State Rd., Vineyard Haven
508-693-0392
morriceflorist.com
How did you come to own Morrice Florist?
Five years ago, I took over the business. It completely changed my life. I had never worked with flowers —...
The Bakers
Updated July 24
Masters of all things buttery, flaky, sweet, and savory — the bakers of Martha’s Vineyard pride themselves on an exceptional product. The Local spoke with a number of them to see what...
The Architects
Four architects share their processes and passions for building structures on Martha’s Vineyard.
Joseph W. Dick, AIA
Joseph W. Dick Architecture, Inc.
508-693-1717; josephwdick.com
Tell us about your work on this West Chop house on the water.
I have...
The Electricians
Picture this: It’s a sweltering summer day — the kind where going outside is a task in itself. The humidity soaks your shirt, and the sun crisps any exposed skin. You’re watching mindless television...
The Housecleaners
Four Island housecleaners give The Local a look at their busy industry, from the trials and challenges to the rewards, and to why they choose to clean houses.
Maik De Souza and Kristina Kerr
A1...
Brewed awakenings: Meet the baristas
These on-the-verge-of-winter mornings don’t start without a fight. Around 8 am, the horrendous chime of my default ringtone wakes me up. I press snooze and re-enter what feels like another REM cycle. Eight minutes...
The Wedding Planners
Four wedding planning firms share their challenges in creating the most beautiful special day for couples on this popular destination — Martha’s Vineyard.
Jackie Kane
My Vineyard Elopement
508-693-1706; 310-804-1103
myvineyardelopement.com
Tell us about your special officiating services for weddings.
Jackie:...
Why would anyone kiss a fish?
When it comes to gaining an edge to win the Martha’s VIneyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, you have have to make sure your tackle is in order, study the tide charts, understand what...
The Caretakers
Scott Ellis; Plumbing and Caretaking, Edgartown
What got you started caretaking?
I got into caretaking after fixing a house where all the pipes froze and had burst since no one was watching it. I was working...
The Auto Mechanics
Al Noyes, owner, Al Noyes Automotive, Edgartown
A father-son Vineyard business
I was born and raised in Oak Bluffs, my wife born and raised in Vineyard Haven; we settled in Edgartown. I’m 69 years old, and...
The Fishermen
Steve Amaral, Surfcaster; Derby participant for 71 years, Oak Bluffs
What got you started fishing?
We all grew up in my father’s fish market, Amaral’s Fish Market in Oak Bluffs. It was the early ’40s. As...
The Volunteers: We’re all in this together
Several busy volunteers speak about their community service and the organization they serve, why they do it, what they get out of it, and why the Island breeds this special activism.
Susan Straight, volunteer; Suzan...
The Musicians
Four musicians share stories about how they came to make music their life’s work.
Nancy Jephcote, Vineyard Haven
Strings teacher, singer, songwriter; guitar and fiddle
The Flying Elbows
I was lucky — I came from a musical family....
The Shopkeepers
Our Island shops provide us with both needed essentials and luxuries, sparing us the expense and inconvenience of having to travel off-Island. Five local shopkeepers tell us about the challenges of selling to the...