Less than a week to go
Some observations as we wait for one of the most important elections of our lifetime to be over and the ballots counted. Vote. Vote. Vote. There’s really no excuse not to cast a ballot...
Yes, yes, and no
Mail-in voting is in full swing. Early voting began Saturday. And we’re less than two weeks away from the general election. If you haven’t made your decisions and already cast ballots, it’s time to...
Some lessons from Judge Barrett’s confirmation hearing
During her confirmation hearing, like most nominees to the Supreme Court since 1987, Judge Amy Coney Barrett declined to set forth her views on healthcare, abortion, gun safety, and other hot-button issues. The year...
‘You knew … and still my boy is dead’
In Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1975 horror film “Jaws,” a drama teacher named Lee Fierro plays the mother whose son was killed by the shark. In a memorable scene, she walks up to the local...
Joe Biden for president
This election is about civility. It’s about character. It’s about making sure Joe Biden returns to the White House as president. We don’t pretend that our endorsement will change the minds of staunch supporters...
Can’t wish it away
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." –President John Adams For the current White House...
An election with, without the president
The worst-case scenario concerning President Trump’s recent bout with COVID-19 is unthinkable, even though his doctors released him to return to the White House where he is receiving medical care. The American people must...
Rush to judgment
The Tisbury School Building Committee should have sent its architectural firm, Tappé, back to the drawing board after renderings were recently unveiled for an addition and renovation of the West William Street building. Instead, with...
A case for teaching public health in schools
The best way to promote population health is to educate and engage the community who has the most to win: our youth. In high school, my Dad espoused some tenets for life: “Wear your seatbelt,...
Create a climate for change
Wildfires are burning out of control in California, Oregon, and Washington. More than 5 million acres have been ravaged, the equivalent of 88 Martha’s Vineyards. Their toxic smoke filled the air for thousands of...
RBG, her constitutional legacy
Tributes to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have rightly focused on her leadership in promoting human rights, especially gender equality, throughout her entire legal career. Overall, the most important contribution she made to...
How much is too much?
The 304-acre parcel purchased for $27 million by the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank and Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation raises some interesting questions about preserving open space on the Island. Generally, it’s great news that this swath...
A modest plea for precision, Part Two
In these pages, I recently set out some basic ideas concerning terms and phrases used without precision by politicians and the media. They say or write them, but give them vague or unintelligible meanings....
Real grownups also wear helmets
Fortunately for me, I was wearing a good bike helmet when a pickup truck ran me off the road early one morning in July. I flew off my bike and landed on my right...
Russia on my mind
By Grace Kennan Warnecke Less than three months before the American general election, Russia has appeared frequently in the news, but in somewhat different guises. As U.S.-Russian relations become more tense, espionage and related stories...
Some election takeaways
Here are some thoughts about the recent primary election and the upcoming general election less than two months away: A lot is being made of Joseph Kennedy III’s loss to U.S. Sen. Ed Markey...
A modest plea for precision
Sometimes when speaking and writing, we may use words and phrases so loosely that we overlook their true meaning. This is particularly true during this critical time when emotions run high, especially during a...
A beginning like no other
January is the start of a new year. Spring is the season of renewal. But there may be no more important beginning than September and the start of a new school year. Typically, we’d be...
Old-style newspaper comments, RIP
The role of the comment feature found on many newspaper and other news content websites, and on ours until a couple of weeks ago, has bedeviled editors and publishers for years. When fully active,...
Do the right thing
To demonstrate just how egregious it was that the Tisbury select board denied a common victualer’s license to Vineyard Grocer, we first have to provide a little history of the process. A common victualer’s license...