Nantucket got it right
Ssshhhh, don’t tell our friends at the Inquirer and Mirror or the Nantucket Current, but we found ourselves a little envious of Nantucket’s town meeting last week.
No, not because they discussed and approved topless...
The future of Roe, the court, and us
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s recently leaked draft opinion overruling Roe v. Wade has amplified the loss of credibility the Supreme Court has suffered as its approval rating erodes. It used to run as...
Wounded pride
Martha’s Vineyard in general and Oak Bluffs in particular have always had a proud history of being a welcoming and inclusive community.
Last week, that history took a blow — an unnecessary blow.
It was one of...
Act in the present
“The Vineyard Way: Connected to Our Past, Committed to Our Future,” is the theme of a Climate Action Plan being developed by dozens of Island residents through the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.
Next week (May 8...
Peter Ochs, a tribute
Longtime Aquinnah resident Peter Ochs, who died on April 11 in Vienna, Austria, was a Gay Head original.
Thirty years ago, my wife and I bought the lot in front of Peter’s house, and immediately...
Ferries, democracy, and cats
Here are some things we’ve been thinking about as we’ve scurried around waiting for town election results and sitting through town meeting discussions.
With the exception of Peter Jeffrey, Falmouth’s representative to the Steamship Authority...
An important step
It was a great week for the housing bank last week — a clean sweep of four town meetings and then three overwhelming victories at the ballot box make it clear. Martha’s Vineyard is ready...
Russian war crimes
President Biden has called Russian military action in Ukraine war crimes and even declared he held Russian President Vladimir Putin personally responsible. Biden said that in his opinion Putin is a war criminal. He...
More civility, please
Terry Donahue’s comments during a Zoom meeting have been and should be condemned. And while Donahue has apologized for his vulgarity aimed at Susan Desmarais, and she has accepted that apology, we need to...
Give it a rest
Dukes County and Nantucket officials held a public hearing Monday about the Steamship Authority bill filed by state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, and state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro.
They should have called it the hurt...
Ginni and Clarence Thomas: conflicts of interest
recuse | ri-ˈkyüz transitive verb
to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case; broadly: to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest. –Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Last December, former Trump White House...
Housing bank — an opportunity for Martha’s Vineyard
At our upcoming town meetings, Islanders will be able to vote on the future of affordable, year-round housing on Martha’s Vineyard. The outcome of these meetings — of the vote for the creation of...
All those in favor
Our story about the controversial tower in Menemsha that’s been installed as part of a security camera system is a bit of a warning for town meeting voters.
The decision to pay for surveillance cameras...
Russia (and Putin) in history
In January, I wrote that I hoped that the Russians and Ukrainians could come to a peaceful settlement that would “guarantee Ukrainian integrity and Russian security interests.” This was not to be.
As Russian forces...
Parade returns to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day
The small town of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland, erupted with joy on March 17, celebrating the first parade honoring Ireland’s patron, St. Patrick, since 2019. With flags flying and traditional music playing, the...
Shining the light
“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” -U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
Once again we are joining newspapers in New England and across the country in recognizing National Sunshine Week, which was...
Beyond COVID: A crisis of coalescing epidemics
On an average day, nearly 8,000 people die in the U.S., which is about 300 an hour, or 5 every minute. Many of these deaths can be traced to the multiple epidemics and crises...
Two long years
It was clear early on during the Wednesday, March 2, meeting of the Island boards of health that a majority of the board of health members were ready to lift the indoor mask mandate....
Libel and a free press
With its awardwinning reporting staff, The MV Times prides itself on precision. No news publication is, however, above criticism, because some people will always find fault with a story or commentary. Newspapers have long...