A few things to think about
The recent behavior of Maciel and Sons, the Vineyard Haven septic company, can only be described as outrageous.
Within weeks of the firm being fined $500 in Edgartown and having their license in that town...
An on-Island labor shortage could delay that lobster roll
In recent weeks, “help wanted” signs have become ubiquitous: gas stations, garden centers, grocery stores, and corner shops all need help. A booming housing market and tight constraints on the supply side (zoning) have...
A promising start
The Coalition to Create a Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank recently held two listening sessions. That alone sets it apart from the failed venture to create a housing bank several years ago.
We’ve been impressed by...
This must be the place: Martha’s Vineyard
If there were a song for your 2021 Martha’s Vineyard playlist, a contender would be “This Must Be the Place” by the Talking Heads.
With the benefit of hindsight, reflective gratitude, financial considerations, and a...
More immigration — now
The United States needs more people. Here’s why.
In early May, President Biden increased the refugee admissions cap to 62,500 from the historically low Trump era of 15,000. But that is not enough, and the...
We’re almost there
Last week was a good week, arguably the best we’ve had in more than 14 months since coronavirus and COVID-19 became household words.
On Friday, in a symbolic gesture that had to feel good, Edgartown...
It’s time to support Tisbury School project
In 1983, my parents bought a new house on Crocker Avenue in Tisbury, and we moved from East Chop over to West Chop. A big move, from the country to the city. I recall...
Keep Zooming ahead
At a listening session held last week by the Coalition to Create a Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank, there were close to 150 people listening in during the height of the Zoom session.
Last spring, when...
The government and the rule of law
Three years ago, in 2018, the Supreme Court, ruling 8 to 1 in Pereira v. Session, determined that immigration officials failed to properly inform an Oak Bluffs man of his deportation hearing with a...
Offering a fresh start
The caller on the other end of the line is a young woman. She’s slightly embarrassed. At a job interview, her arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol on the Island came up....
Moran’s missteps
A proposed amendment to the Steamship Authority’s Enabling Act by State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, that would change the weighted votes for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on the SSA board was met with immediate...
On the pursuits of justice and sustainability: Reasons for optimism
In the past few years, we’ve seen a groundswell of citizen activism around climate change (jump-started here on Martha’s Vineyard by our own Plastic Free MV middle schoolers). This week, we saw a fair...
Endless summer: COVID-19 edition
Martha's Vineyard is remote and difficult to reach, which is part of its unique allure. However, COVID-19 has an all-access ferry pass, can take flight, and will continue to mutate and lounge around this...
Take it slow
There’s a lot to love about the streetscape designs for Oak Bluffs. The $2.7 million project being designed by the Waterfield Design Group would add new sidewalks, trashcans, streetlights, and crosswalks to the downtown...
Student speech: Free, or not so much?
School administrators, staff, and faculty have a legal and moral obligation to act as surrogate parents while children are in school. The legal principle is known as in loco parentis (literally, “in place of...
Pump the brakes on SUP
The shared-use path (SUP) proposed now under construction (and delay) by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven should be a cautionary tale for Oak Bluffs. The first phase...
Did stigma kill George Floyd?
If George Floyd had an “acceptable” disease instead of an addiction, would he have been treated differently by the police?
If he carried a portable oxygen tank and breathed through a mask, would he have...
Lessons from a scandal
We wrote about the college admissions scandal previously because there was a slight Martha’s Vineyard connection. When the cheating scandal was uncovered, and indictments and arrests were made in March 2019, former Island tennis...
A few thoughts
We have a few things on our mind as we wait for that text message from the state’s preregistration system saying we have an appointment for a vaccine.
There is always a bit of NIMBY-ism...
Immigration reform: Long overdue
“Remember, remember always that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”
–Franklin Delano Roosevelt, addressing the Daughters of the American Revolution, April 1938
Americans’ ambivalence about immigration has increased...