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...
Feeling cross
We were walking on Church Street in Vineyard Haven, climbing that hill, when we came to the crosswalk on Franklin Street. We looked both ways. There was an SUV coming toward the intersection but...
The real reason Malcolm X was assassinated
“You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear
You’ve got to be taught from year to year
You’ve got to be carefully taught.” –Rodgers and Hammerstein, “South Pacific”
Most people are taught to think. They may...
A civic twofer
Vineyarders are facing very large and complex choices regarding the future of Island life. Either proactively or reactively, the decisions we will make and the ones we punt on will put a stamp on...
You’re not alone
We’re grateful for those of you willing to share your personal stories about Substance Use Disorder (SUD), the recovery process, and the real life struggles that so many face here on the Island and...
Banning books
Chances are you’ve read a banned book. Take, for example, the Bible, the best-selling book of all time, estimated to be between five and seven billion copies, with annual sales of well over $400...
They belong together
Updated
It’s hard not to think about the Abreu family right now and not be sad and then mad.
Sad because this is a family that’s been ripped apart. We’re not going to attempt to justify...
Mixed messages are costly
We predicted this would happen. As soon as Superintendent Matt D’Andrea announced at a Thursday, Jan. 20, meeting that he was headed hat in hand to the select boards of Martha’s Vineyard looking for...
The court after Breyer
Observers have rightly noted that Justice Stephen G. Breyer’s replacement on the Supreme Court will not alter its ideological balance. At 83, he announced his retirement will take effect at the end of the...
Wanted: New blood, fresh ideas
The Tisbury select board appointed town administrator Jay Grande as the town’s representative to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) on Wednesday, Jan. 20, in what they hope will be a temporary, stopgap appointment.
There were...
Select board misfires on gun probe
There is a stench coming from the Oak Bluffs Police Station.
Sgt. Michael Marchand has resigned, forced out after an internal investigation found that he violated department policy in the handling of an M-4 rifle...
Why the crisis in Ukraine matters to us
We must not underestimate the danger of the Russian buildup of some 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. While Russian President Vladimir Putin claims he does not want to initiate a war to protect...
Shouldn’t need a mandate
The Steamship Authority’s vaccine mandate seemed to come out of nowhere last week. We were tipped off to it on Tuesday morning by a commenter, and were able to ask about it during the...
Encourage more volunteers
We’re always struck by the number of people who give of themselves to make their communities a better place to live. Four years ago we started a tradition of highlighting some of those volunteers...
A chance at the hot seat
“How in the world do you get these gigs?” was the text I received from my brother living in San Francisco after I returned home from Martha’s Vineyard.
When I grew up in the Boston...
2021 by the numbers
Our first full year dealing with a pandemic is coming to a close. While 2020 was partially affected by COVID-19 beginning in March, this year we’ve lived with the effects of the virus throughout....
Green’s involvement in field project must end
Having spoken to Laura Green, Ph.D., over the past couple of weeks, we understand how proponents of the synthetic turf field became enamored with her. She has an easygoing style as she talks about...