SPECIAL SECTION: VINEYARD PROPERTY VALUES Find out what your house is worth.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD TIMES
Volume 43, Issue No. 32
3 Sections
Increasingly fragile supply chain keeps Island afloat
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Martha’s Vineyard Commission identifies high risks in transport of Island essentials. BY HAYLEY DUFFY
LUKE DIORIO PHOTOGRAPHY
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The Ferris wheel made its long-anticipated return.
A fair share of fun for all The 164th annual Agricultural Fair draws a big crowd. BY MARIA BARROS
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rom the colorful cars of the Ferris wheel turning above the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society grounds in West Tisbury, a scene unfolded below: Families drifted between rides and food
booths, and the sounds of the buzzing amusement rides mingled with the bustle of animals in the barns, all familiar rhythms of the four-day Agricultural Fair, which celebrated 164 years this August.
The annual fair, held at the Agricultural Hall on Panhandle Road, featured barn animals, events, contests where participants won bright blue, red, or yellow ribbons, Continued on A7
he supply chain for Martha’s Vineyard is a casual system based on informal coordination and institutional knowledge, almost totally dependent on marine transportation. That casual network is not a shock to those who live here, but the vulnerabilities are anything but casual. In fact, parts of the Island have been deemed “highly vulnerable,” according to a new study. Between geographic isolation, limited onIsland supply reserves, exposure to increasingly unpredictable and severe weather, and complete reliance on single ferry lines and ports, the network of people, companies, and resources that transport essentials — food, fuel, construction materials, and waste — to and from the Island is fragile. The study publicized at the end of June from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) found that the Island’s supply chain functions as a “tightly interconnected but highly fragile system, dependent almost entirely on marine transportation and a small number of critical operators,” and as sea levels rise, storms intensify, and infrastructure ages, there are more and more risks to the economy, public service, and daily life on the Island. Just as the summer season started, the MVC, the town of Nantucket, and the town of Gosnold, more informally known as the Elizabeth Islands, completed a preliminary risk assessment of the islands’ supply chains with funds from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) through the agency’s ResilientCoasts Initiative. The initiative, which culminated in a final plan released last year that outlines guidContinued on A9
Warren’s Island visit focuses on housing initiatives The senator highlighted a federal housing act she championed. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON
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en. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, came to the Island last week to focus on affordable housing at a roundtable discussion as local officials look for federal and state assistance amid growing concerns about the sustainability of life on the Island for year-round residents. Arriving Friday, August 14, for the day, Warren said she came to learn more about the reality of housing for locals and to present a substantial housing act that she cosponsored, which became federal law this July. She toured workplace units, and lent her ear to the drawbacks faced and achievements made in tackling the Vineyard’s housing crisis, as the median home price was close to $1.7 million in 2025, and average sale price jumped in the past year more than $600,000, to $2.5 million; all while the regional median income remains steady, at $114,200 for an individual, and $163,100
for a family of four, according to the Dukes County Housing Authority. Local leaders in regional planning, the working waterfront, social services, housing, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) met with Warren at the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce Friday and described a balancing act between the building pressure of a tourism economy and the reality of lower- to middle-income earners who support that system; the nexus of both is affordable housing. “My view on this is: It is a really tricky economy,” Warren told the room of Island representatives. “There’s enormous wealth flowing to the top. We’re watching the pressure on not just families that have struggled for a long time; we’re watching a lot of pressure on 90 percent of Americans … I just want to be able to hear from all of you.” Warren, a Democrat, Continued on A8
Sen. Elizabeth Warren casts a glance at State Sen. Julian Cyr. See A8 for an abbreviated interview between Warren and The Times.
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news
August 20, 2026
Air conditioning in parts of hospital down for weeks External AC units brought in; a patient said her stay was affected. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON
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s visitation on the Island — and hot weather — continue to surge during the busiest month of the year, the largest healthcare facility has lacked air conditioning (AC) in parts of the building for weeks, and the system is currently under repair. A patient at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH) said there’s been no AC since the start of
her stay, and there was no hot water this past weekend. Administration at MVH, which operates under the umbrella of Mass General Brigham, said in a statement that issues with heating and cooling are being alleviated through external units and system repairs. An 87-year-old patient, Anne Sylvester of Vineyard
Haven, told The Times Monday morning that there wasn’t air conditioning when she’d arrived at the hospital “four or five days ago,” and that there was “no hot water for two to three days now.” Sylvester told The Times around 3 pm on Monday that the hot water was back on but the AC had not been fixed yet. Sylvester was admitted to
the hospital for drug-induced Parkinsonism, which she said is “temporary but very debilitating.” She said her room was hot during the day without a cool blast of AC to counter August temperatures in the low 80s, but at night, it was much more tolerable. The lack of hot water was also noticeable, she said. The hospital sent a statement to The Times over email explaining the situation, and said a facility team is handling both the AC and the hot water. They stated that the hospital “began experiencing cooling challenges within limited areas (primarily within older parts of the building)” on Sunday, August 2. “The Martha’s Vineyard
Hospital Facilities team, in conjunction with external vendors, immediately began mitigating the situation, implementing alternative cooling solutions and completing critical repairs,” the statement said. MVH and repair staff installed stand-up AC units in at least four areas of the building, a hospital spokesperson said. They added that at no point were any of the hospital rooms out of acceptable temperature range (70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit). According to MVH, the hot water was an issue only on Sunday, August 16. The hospital said it affected the skilled nursing care wing and was fixed within a few hours. “At no time was patient care
compromised, and there was no risk to patient safety,” the statement read. At the hospital this summer, emergency room visits remain consistent compared to years prior. There were 4,306 visits from Memorial Day to July 26 this year, just over 4,300 in 2025 in the same timeframe, and more than 4,200 in 2024. There has been a spike in tick-related concerns this year across all Islander healthcare centers, and over 300 visits to the emergency room during a heatwave on July Fourth weekend. The hospital stated Monday that “additional repairs and improvements remain underway,” in regards to the AC in the building.
news in brief Bat with rabies is third-ever case on the Island Lab results for a bat killed by a pet cat came back positive for rabies. It’s the third positive rabies case on the Island since testing began in 1985, and local officials said it’s not an indicator of worsening conditions. Heather Maciel, Tisbury animal control officer, told The Times that residents notified her on July 26 after their cat killed a brown bat. After collecting the dead bat, Maciel sent the mammal the following day to the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain for testing. The test results received on July 28 confirmed the bat carried rabies. Three cats live in the household, and since it’s uncertain which of them were also exposed to the bat, they were all put on a 45-day quarantine. Drew Belsky, Tisbury health agent, said none of the cats showed rabies symptoms, and the owners are “taking precautions and receiving rabies PEP [post-exposure prophylaxis] treatment.” Maciel said she regularly sends out bats that come into contact with humans or pets to be tested for rabies, but the most recent case is only the third time it’s been found on the Vineyard. The first two were in 2019, one in Tisbury in February and the other months later, in June, in West Tisbury. Rabies is a virus that primarily affects mammals’ brains, and once clinical symptoms appear after a week- to months-long incubation period, the condition is “nearly always fatal,” according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The federal agency states that bats are one of the leading carriers of rabies. In the rare instance of death from rabies in the U.S., at least seven out of 10 infections stemmed from bats, according to the CDC. Of leading animals that carry rabies, the only other one found on the Island is skunks. Maciel said rabies-related deaths are rare because the U.S. takes “extra steps” when exposure occurs, such as booster shots or a series of vaccinations. Belsky told The Times that rabies “occurs at low, consistent levels in the bat population,” and that “a positive test reflects that baseline risk rather than a new or increasing threat.” “It doesn’t change our guidance to residents,” Belsky said. “It is, however, a good reminder for pet owners to keep their animals’ rabies vaccinations current.”
State issues temporary kratom ban Gov. Maura Healey announced August 13 a ban on kratom products, a substance that is largely unregulated at the federal level, in an effort to protect residents, particularly young people. According to a press release from the governor’s office, state Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Robbie Goldstein issued an emergency order that temporarily designated “all forms of kratom into Schedule I under
A big brown bat, a common species on the Vineyard.
Use Helpline, which is available at all hours. The DPH also launched educational tools at mass.gov/kratom to “help residents understand the risks, recognize the signs of an overdose, learn how to respond to an overdose, and access treatment and recovery services.”
Islanders make emotional testimonies about organ donation
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Massachusetts law,” which places it in the same categorization as synthetic opioids. The order takes effect after a 14-day notice period, and will be in effect for up to one year to allow local municipal officials to “take enforcement action against retailers selling kratom products.” Bans on kratom have already begun on the Vineyard. The health boards of Edgartown and Tisbury both approved bans on the substance earlier this summer. “In public health, we need to be nimble, responding to new and emerging threats with evidence-based actions,” Goldstein said in the release. “Kratom is increasingly being used by youth and adults, and many are unaware of the risks, including overdose, dependence, and serious health consequences. Our goal is to protect the public while getting those who need treatment or support the care they deserve.” The release describes kratom as a “leafy plant native to Southeast Asia containing naturally occurring substances, including mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).” State officials stressed that kratom products with “highly concentrated or laboratory-modified compounds” can have “significantly stronger opioid-like effects.” They also warned about the risk of overdosing on kratom products, especially if used with other products or stronger variants. According to the release, “kratom use has been associated with a range of health effects, including seizures, hallucinations, psychosis, physical dependence, and withdrawal symptoms,” and rare instances of death. Naloxone can be administered to someone who has slowed or stopped breathing after having used kratom products. Naloxone is medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and, as the release states, is “available without a prescription at pharmacies and many retail locations across Massachusetts.” Healey said in the release that “customers should be able to trust the products being sold in stores are safe,” as kratom is widely available in convenience stores, gas stations, and smoke shops in various forms, including gummies and powders. For people experiencing kratom withdrawal or dependence, treatment options are available. They can seek help for themselves or a loved one by either calling or texting “HOPE” to 800327-5050 to reach the Massachusetts Substance
About 15 people gathered in the Community Room in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH) last Tuesday afternoon to take in words from state healthcare officials and listen to a moderated discussion with organ donation recipients from the Island. MVH organized the event, Legacy of Life, alongside New England Donor Services, a nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation in the New England area. The event occurred in the midst of National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month, which raises awareness for organ and tissue donation and promotes diversity in organ donor registration. Dr. Karen Casper, medical director of the MVH Emergency Department, emphasized the impact that organ donation has on its recipients. “As a small Island community, we often think about how we depend on one another,” Casper said. “Organ donation is an extraordinary example of that connection. One person’s decision to give can profoundly change or even save the life of someone they’ve never met.” Moderated by Dr. Lorna Chambers-Andrade, health chair for the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the discussion highlighted the personal experiences of both organ transplant recipients and the mother of a deceased organ donor. Connecticut resident Carolyn Fletcher lost her 16-year-old son in a car accident. While waiting in the emergency room, she recalled how upset she felt when a hospital staff member mentioned the idea of organ donation. “I lost it on her, because I’m thinking you need to go save my son, and not ask me about organ transplantation,” Fletcher said. Fletcher, however, ultimately changed her mind, and her son’s heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys were procured. Fletcher said that her son would have supported the decision. “I knew that if I could speak to him and say, ‘What do you want Mom to do?’ he would say, ‘Save somebody,’” Fletcher said. “I said, ‘I just need to be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud.’” Fletcher urged the room to have conversations with their relatives about organ donation. “Please speak to your family and discuss organ transplantation donation, because you don’t want to be in the situation that I was, in the midst of a tragedy, trying to make that decision,” Fletcher said. “It’s very important that your family understands Continued on A3
N E W S
C O R P O R A T I O N
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Charles M. Sennott
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August 20, 2026
Judge rules Trustees overburdened Cape Poge Uncertainty remains on whether certain trails fall under a 19th century decree. BY EUNKI SEONWOO
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he Trustees of Reservations, which manages various conservation lands on Martha’s Vineyard, was deemed by a Massachusetts Land Court judge to have overstepped its bounds on Cape Poge, casting doubt on where oversand vehicles are allowed on Chappaquiddick Island’s northern point. Land Court Judge Sarah Turano-Flores ruled on Tuesday, August 11, that the Trustees violated the easement rights of Victor and Dawn Robert Bruno Colantonio, Cape Poge property owners, and that the nonprofit organization overburdened the area by allowing visitors on oversand vehicles to traverse its trails. The case was one page of the extensive disputes between Cape Poge landowners, who have called for the protection of the natural space, and beach access advocates, who’ve asked for the preservation of historically accessible beach routes. And this suit, filed by the Colantonios in 2022, dealt with the strip of land beloved by fishermen and beachgoers. They alleged that the Trustees “selling access to private way and beaches to thousands of people each year overburdens the shared easement and constitutes a nuisance.” “This is a very significant ruling, because the judge has undertaken a very comprehensive analysis of … what is good environmental stewardship of the land,” Denise Chicoine, the attorney who represented the Colantonios, told The Times. Victor Colantonio said in an email that the results at land court were a win for Cape Poge and were in the spirit of how the parcels in the area were meant to be used. “Purposely brought to land
court, there is no monetary damages sought or awarded,” Colantonio said. The Trustees are still processing the legal blow. “We are still reviewing the ruling with our legal team and considering our options,” Mary Dettloff, Trustees public relations director, said in an August 14 email. “We will have more to say in the coming days.” The case focused on a trail near the Cape Poge Lighthouse that provides the land route to the areas known as the Cape Poge elbow and the Cape Poge gut. The transactions described in the Turano-Flores order and the groundwork for the suit are complex, but a key document of the case was the 1891 Decree, issued the same year the Trustees were founded. Through this decree, 330 acres of Cape Poge were divided by Dukes County Probate Court into 17 lots for 11 proprietors. Currently, the Trustees own 10 of these lots, the first of which was acquired in 1959. The decree also established five original ways of access to the water, although more trails were established over the years. While the Trustees have acquired additional land and easements since the 1891 decree, Turano-Flores stated the way the organization was utilizing the easements exceeded how they were meant to be used based on the 19th century decree. The judge wrote that while opening up the easement to visitors didn’t specifically violate the decree, the Trustees’ unlimited sale of oversand vehicle permits “impermissibly transforms the original purpose of the 1891 Easement to one that exceeds the scope of the original easement,” and led to overly intensive use of the area.
Continued from A2 what your wishes are … especially to the African American community, because we don’t talk about it.” After six attempts, Island resident Paul Munafo finally underwent a successful liver transplant to treat his hepatitis C in 2014. Following the procedure, Munafo, who regards his transplant day as “a second birthday,” wrote letters to his donor’s family twice a year before finally receiving a response from his donor’s wife. “She said that it took her 10 years of missing her husband to finally get that out,” Munafo said. “I was eternally grateful.” Munfao, who still keeps in touch with the family, expressed his deep gratitude for his donor’s wife. “Every day I get up, and I thank God for the life and the sacrifice that a wife made to say goodbye to her husband,” Munafo said. “I don’t take one minute of it for granted. I live every minute of it to the absolute fullest.” MVH paramedic Olivia Hart received her heart transplant in 2014. Hart, who also
Turano-Flores noted the environmental impact numerous vehicles traversing the area could produce, such as erosion. But she also raised safety concerns around the trails based on what she witnessed on Cape Poge in October. She noted that the narrowness of some paths only allowed for one vehicle to pass at a time, which could lead to issues during the busy season. “During the view, we encountered only a dozen or so other drivers on the Partition Ways,” Turano-Flores wrote. “Nevertheless, on several occasions, because the trails are so narrow, with no room for two cars to pass each other simultaneously, we were forced to back up for a good distance to find a place to pull over and let the other car go by. Not only was this a safety concern, it also caused a substantial delay in the time it took us to traverse the partition locus.” Chicoine said the order pertained to the privately owned Cape Poge easements based on the 1891 plan, so there wouldn’t be ramifications for areas owned by the Trustees or off the easement, such as the restored trail that was recently approved by the Edgartown conservation commission connecting Wasque Reservation and Leland Beach. But a continuation of the case on August 18 raised questions on which trails actually fall under the 1891 decree, and not later documents. The Tuesday hearing related to a renewed preliminary injunction filed in July by Chicoine asking the court to order the Trustees be limited to 30 vehicles per day on the 1891 easement. This would drastically cut into the state Department of Environmen-
MICHAEL CUMMO
A view of Cape Poge from the air.
tal Protection (DEP) order in April meant to establish parameters for oversand vehicle access on Cape Poge, which stemmed from appeals filed by the Trustees and Chappaquiddick residents who were dissatisfied with the limits set by the Edgartown conservation commission in May 2024. The state agency’s order allowed up to 275 vehicles per day in the area, although the Trustees have noted this amount would vary based on beach conditions. Chicoine argued that the request doesn’t call for outlawing oversand vehicles, but it preserves the way the 1891 Decree was meant to be upheld, 17 lots among 11 proprietors, 10 of which are owned by the Trustees. According to Chicoine, the Colantonios are seeking “enforcement” starting from the northern boundary of parcel 32-2, which the Edgartown’s GIS map shows to be a little above the strait near Tom’s Neck Road. Chicoine also said the Trustees’ sale of oversand vehicle permits leads to a “renewed frenzy” every year, and a lack of clear delineation means drivers go where they see fit, whether the property is private or not. She also argued that the Trustees already close their properties when needed, such as for shorebirds nesting, so this would not be a “severe hardship,” and that more drivers can head south
to Wasque Reservation. “The further north you go, the thinner the crowds become,” Chicoine said. Dylan Sanders, the attorney representing the Trustees, argued that the request seeks to “destroy the status quo,” especially as it is the “height of summer” and the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby, when many participants use oversand vehicles to access beaches on Chappaquiddick, is scheduled to start in September. Chicoine said to the latter point that there are “miles and miles of beaches” on the Vineyard that don’t require cars. Sanders said that the trail networks have changed over the decades, and cited Chris Kennedy, who formerly headed the stewardship of the Trustees’ Vineyard properties, to argue that the nonprofit changed plans based on environmental factors, not property lines. Sanders also said the trail the Trustees use is not the same location as the 1891 partition at the center of the Colantonios’ lawsuit. Rather, it is part of access granted to the Trustees in a 1988 easement. He also argued that it was on the plaintiffs to prove these are indeed the same trails. Sanders noted that despite the 275 cars allowed by the DEP order, suggesting the Trustees invite that many
vehicles at once was “absurd and hyperbole,” and noted only around 50 cars have been in the area on a daily basis since July. He also said the order of conditions on Cape Poge meant they weren’t allowed on any private properties for the first time in history. “That’s why we don’t believe the Colantonios risk any irreparable harm,” Sanders said. Sanders submitted the opposition to the preliminary injunction over the weekend, so Turano-Flores gave Chicoine until August 26 to respond to it. Sanders would have until Sept. 9 to provide a sur-reply. The attorneys will return for a hearing in Boston on Sept. 22. Some “heavily disputed” portions of the case, including the Trustees’ claim of having used a path that cuts into Colantonio land without complaints for 20 years — conditions that could give the conservation organization right of use to the area if the judge sides with them — and whether the organization had become a nuisance or even trespassed onto the Colantonios’ properties by exceeding the scope of a 1897 easement, were deemed by Turano-Flores to require a trial due to a lack of conclusive evidence, and were not determined in the recent order.
news in brief keeps in touch with the father of her donor, Nora Blake, emphasized the emotional connection that she has to Blake. “Every life experience I have is something I do with Nora and for Nora. My life is not just me anymore,” Hart said. “She’s with me in everything I do.” Hart also discussed how she hopes to give back to the community as a paramedic: “When I needed them, [the Vineyard community] definitely became my stability,” Hart said. “Now I’m transitioning into being the member that other people can rely on.”
Tisbury health board closes pizzeria for unpermitted refrigerator Wolf ’s Den Pizzeria was closed by the Tisbury board of health after the eatery stored food in an unpermitted walk-in refrigerator, though it was soon reopened. The Beach Road pizzeria was closed on August 7 after Tisbury’s health department
was contacted by the Oak Bluffs board of health that Wolf’s Den was using a walk-in refrigerator at a residential home in Oak Bluffs. Tisbury Health Agent Drew Belsky said the storage unit mainly contained meat. “We closed them down and put an embargo on all foods [that coincide] with what Oak Bluffs found in that cooler,” Belsky said. Beyond the absence of a permit, Belsky noted it was uncertain what had been moved to the Vineyard Haven kitchen, and it was unknown whether the owners had checked the refrigerator’s temperature levels. It was also uncertain whether the refrigerator was up to code for a restaurant. Still, Belsky said the pizzeria operators were co-operative. They also showed town health officials photos of the food they threw out from the refrigerator. Following a brief hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Wolf’s Den was greenlit to order food to prepare for a reopening, pending another inspection. On Wednesday morning, August 12,
when an inspection was scheduled to take place, a yellow placard and a letter from the health board were on the store window. The pizzeria was open again when The Times checked on Monday, August 17. “Hopefully this is a learning experience for them,” Belsky said, noting food operators should come to the health board if they face storage issues. Belsky said restaurant closures for violations are rare in town, but operators tend to clean up their act after enforcement. He noted that after a follow-up inspection in late July on Mikado, which was temporarily closed in December for code violations, Tisbury Assistant Health Agent Fred Hehre was “impressed by the improvements they made at the establishment.” And Belsky said Wolf Den’s operators used the closure time “wisely,” such as repairing cracked floor tiles. “They are trying to listen to what we had to say,” he said.
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August 20, 2026
EDITORIAL Housing bank remains a needed piece of a complex puzzle The lack of affordable housing is the defining issue for Martha’s Vineyard. Our future is riding on how we solve this challenge. It will determine whether young people and longtime Island families will be able to stay on the Vineyard. The issue also frames a wider debate on questions that affect us all, most pointedly the environmental and physical limits of the Island. It presents an urgent question for the business community, which is struggling to find a workforce that can find a way to live here year-round, or to offer solutions for the busy summer season. The acute nature of housing here brought Sen. Elizabeth Warren to the Vineyard as part of her campaign to push for the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which was passed by Congress and enacted into law. It received strong bipartisan support, and marks what is widely viewed as the most substantial piece of federal housing legislation in a generation. And we, here on the Island, believe strongly that national leadership on this issue of affordable housing is urgently needed, as we witness the corrosive impacts of what happens to a community when the issue is kicked down the road, or when proposed solutions on all levels — local, state, and national — are stymied by powerful vested interests. Specifically, the law is designed to cut regulatory red tape and empower the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The overall goal is to spur construction of affordable units, reform existing programs, reduce costs of manufactured homes, and bring more oversight over federal housing regulators. The law also places strict limits, and in some places bans, on large institutional investors and private equity firms looking to buy up large quantities of single-family homes, outbidding ordinary families. We have seen this scourge firsthand here on the Island, and the law is welcome news if, in fact, it curtails the practice. The ingredients that make up the new housing act are still taking shape, and how it will actually impact the Island is not yet certain. That uncertainty is driven in no
small measure by the fact that we have our own unique circumstances to contend with. There’s the “Island factor,” a term coined by locals that refers to the steeper cost of building here than on the mainland; a seasonal economy that has led to a sharp decline in year-round rental availability; a median home price close to $1.7 million for 2025; and rising public health and safety issues that come with a lack of affordable housing, such as makeshift tent communities in wooded areas and overcrowded accommodations that put people at risk. But buried in the new law is legislation that brings to the forefront why we need our own transfer fee, often interchangeably called the housing bank. This is a piece of the puzzle that we believe is worth careful consideration. Some legislators and lobbyists on Beacon Hill may not like the idea of a housing bank, but on the Island, funding to clear the gap in affordability is sorely needed. A question for the whole Island is, How can we come together to find the right formula for the transfer-fee approach to building a housing bank? There are other important innovative approaches in the law. One section of Warren’s act is dedicated to RESIDE, an acronym for Revitalizing Empty Structures into Desirable Environments, which is essentially a pilot grant program to support local governments in converting empty commercial and industrial properties into affordable housing. The grants are for what are called “opportunity zones,” or federally designated economically distressed areas, and Vineyard towns are not a part of that list. It is worth noting that a western segment of Nantucket is listed. We need to find a way to be sure we are not overlooked, and find a way for our Island leadership to be sure that we establish parts of the Island as opportunity zones. Island planning officials often say we can’t build out of the housing crisis, a reality that gets closer as questions of the Island’s physical limits are raised. Converting existing resources is a way to supplement the construction of affordable housing while putting less stress on the land. To do this, the Island needs capital, but the pieces of legislation that would have established a transfer fee for the Island quietly failed to pass muster at the state legislature. The proposed legislation would have established a onetime fee of 2 percent on real estate transac-
tions of $1 million or more, to be funneled into a housing bank for affordable housing initiatives. The proposal stalled in July, largely due to pushback by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and doubt that was cast about the effect of a fee on the real estate market. The transfer fee failure was a blow for housing advocates. It’s the second time a housing bank has failed on Beacon Hill. Cape and Islands State Sen. Julian Cyr, who proposed the transfer fee, told The Times that a next swing at the legislation will need to wait until next year, and Cyr said he’s impressed upon his fellow state legislators the scale, and costs, of dealing with housing in the region. “We just can’t come up with a better revenue solution that would generate the tens of millions of dollars that we need to preserve year-round housing options for Islanders,” Cyr said to The Times earlier this month. As Cyr and housing advocates prepare to return to this battle for affordable housing, here’s something that can be highlighted for state legislators who are unfamiliar with housing on the Island: Sandwiched around the summertime glitz, the mansions that snag headlines, and the stereotype of the Vineyard being a rich enclave for liberal elites, are real people, working real jobs in real homes. Families raising their children, young entrepreneurs weighing the costs of doing business here, and people juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat. The Vineyard community isn’t naive enough to think any piece of legislation will be the sole answer. There is no silver bullet. But the housing bank is a tool that could have been used to generate the revenue necessary to help cover rent costs, purchase year-round deed restrictions, and turn properties into the housing a family may have been looking for to stay on the Island. And each snag that delays it will push people off the Island to more affordable pastures. We urge legislators who opposed the transfer fee to come see the Vineyard for themselves, like Warren did, and hear more firsthand accounts of what makes this Island so extraordinary. To experience Martha’s Vineyard on vacation or even for a day trip relies on the workforce that serves the community and that increasingly can’t afford to live here. It’s high time to come together to take bold steps to be sure we can all continue to call this Island home.
LETTERS Finishing the job of connecting Martha’s Vineyard to high-speed internet
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Charles M. Sennott • Publisher
Note to Readers The Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to Islanders. Each letter must include the name, address, and phone number of the writer. No exceptions, no anonymous letters, no pen names. All letters are subject to editing for style, taste, sense, and conciseness. Five hundred words is the outer limit. We publish most letters, but not all. The editor chooses. Letters will normally be published in the week they are received, but not always. The Times accepts letters by mail and e-mail.
To the Editor: Martha’s Vineyard is a community that values connection, whether it’s connecting neighbors, supporting local businesses, or ensuring residents and visitors can access opportunities online, including healthcare, education, and emergency services. Reliable high-speed internet is an essential part of that connection. Over the past several years, significant progress has been made by Comcast to expand broadband infrastructure to homes and businesses across the Island. We’re proud of the progress that’s been made, but dozens of homes in parts of West Tisbury, Chilmark, Vineyard Haven, and Edgartown are still waiting to be connected. To address these remaining homes without connectivity, Comcast is participating in a federally funded grant program working with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) designed to bring high-speed internet to the remaining homes on the Island without service. To complete the project, Comcast requires access to certain private, special, and ancient ways in order to extend the network to homes that are currently unserved. To move forward, Comcast must
secure easements from affected property owners, a legal requirement that allows access to specific areas needed to complete construction. Despite repeated outreach, Comcast has been unable to reach some property owners whose participation is necessary to bring service to their neighbors. That is why we are asking for the community’s support. If you have been contacted regarding an easement, or believe your property may be affected, we encourage you to respond and work with us as soon as possible so construction can move forward. You can contact Comcast directly at michael_galla@comcast.com or 508-732-1536. We also hope community leaders and residents will help raise awareness about this important effort. With cooperation and goodwill, we can help ensure that more Martha’s Vineyard residents have access to the reliable broadband service they need and deserve. Timely cooperation from residents is essential to make sure the community can benefit from this onetime investment opportunity and avoid costs that may be required to fully connect the Island in the future. Together, we can complete this important project and extend the benefits of connectivity to all corners of Martha’s Vineyard. Michael Galla, Comcast director Government and Community Affairs for South Shore, Cape & Islands
Galibois has earned our support as DA To the Editor: Promises made, promises kept. In 2022, then-candidate for Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois made more than a dozen trips to the Vineyard to connect with Islanders from each of our towns. He promised he would hire an Islander to work in his Martha’s Vineyard office, he would advocate for a recovery court to open in Edgartown, and he would hire a woman to be his first assistant. After his election, he fulfilled those promises, and has accomplished so much more. DA Galibois collaborated with Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and Children’s Cove to open an office on the Island where child victims could be forensically interviewed. He launched human trafficking trainings to promote awareness in the hospitality and transportation industries, as well as investigative techniques for law enforcement partners. He has made protecting our elder community from fraud and abuse a top priority. He has aggressively pursued pretrial detention of serious drug traffickers as a means of protecting public safety. Because of his leadership, we have seen a dramatic decrease in fentanyl overdoses in our district. DA Galibois has proven he will
be present for Vineyarders. He has earned our support. Carla Cooper Edgartown
An endorsement for Rob Galibois To the Editor: I am proud to endorse District Attorney Rob Galibois for re-election as district attorney for the Cape and Islands, and urge my fellow Vineyarders to join me in voting for Rob in the Democratic primary on Sept. 1. As Dukes County clerk of courts, my principal focus is to ensure that our judicial system operates with absolute fairness, integrity, and efficiency, and I have witnessed throughout his entire first term how DA Galibois’ office shows up and truly understands the unique needs of our Island communities. For too many years, the previous DA administration neglected and understaffed the prosecutorial function on the Vineyard, but Rob has successfully advocated for a recovery court on the Vineyard, and dedicated the resources of his office to ensuring robust prosecutorial presence in our courts. We must not go back. Vote to re-elect District Attorney Rob Galibois in the Democratic primary on Sept. 1. T. George Davis Dukes County clerk of courts
news A5
August 20, 2026
obituaries Services Friday for Richard Gershon Lesser
children, and great-grandchildren deeply. Nothing gave him greater pleasure than being surrounded by the people he loved and watching his family grow and thrive. Philanthropy was important to him because he believed that those who were fortunate had an obligation to help others. He was particularly supportive of Alzheimer’s research, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Jupiter Medical Center, and Jewish philanthropies. At the center of Richard’s life was Clare. He fell madly in love with her from the Richard Gershon Lesser, 91, moment they met. They of Jupiter, Fla., and Martha’s were engaged 10 days later, Vineyard, passed away peace- and married within three fully at home, surrounded by months. What might have his beloved family, on August seemed impossibly impulsive 13, 2026. Dick lived a full life to anyone else became a 63defined by family, hard work, year love affair. Through all generosity, and an extraorthe accomplishments and addinary capacity for making ventures of his life, Clare repeople feel valued. mained the person he loved Dick was born on Nov. 14, most, and his everything. 1934, and grew up in Newton. Richard was warm and afHe was the son of loving parfectionate, wise and reassuring. ents Charlotte and David Less- He worked hard, loved deeply, er, and the younger brother of and gave generously. Above all, Adison Lesser. He attended he measured the richness of his Northeastern University; while life in the people he loved and in college, he worked three jobs who loved him in return. to help support his family. He is survived by his wife, That determination led to a Clare Lesser; his daughters, long and enormously successSusan Alpert and Liz Chroful career in retail. He began man; his sons-in-law, Joseph his career at Zayre and Filene’s, Alpert and Jason Chroman; his was a co-founder of Reebok beloved grandchildren, Rachel USA, and eventually joined the Alpert Freydberg (husband company that would become Jason Freydberg), Matthew his professional home, TJX, Alpert (wife Taylor Alpert), ultimately becoming president. Katherine Alpert, Michael As proud as Dick was of the Alpert, Zachary Chroman, and company’s success, he was Cole Chroman; and his two equally proud of its people. great-granddaughters, Charlie He believed deeply in treatAlpert and Sophie Freydberg. ing people with respect, and Funeral services were held helped build a culture around on August 17 at Temple Judea that belief that endures today. in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Dick brought the same A second service will be held energy to the rest of his life. on Friday, August 21, at 11 He was an avid and dedicated am at the Martha’s Vineyard exerciser who loved golf, walk- Hebrew Center in Vineyard ing, and water aerobics. He was Haven. a voracious reader and student In lieu of flowers, donations of history, with a particular in Richard’s memory may be fascination with World War II, made to the Jupiter Medical Harry Truman, and Winston Center Foundation, online at Churchill. He was an undaunt- jmcfoundation.org, to Martha’s ed lifelong Red Sox fan. Vineyard Hospital, online at Accomplishments, books, massgeneralbrigham.org, or golf, and even his beloved TJX to the Admirals Cove Foundacame second to what mattered tion, online at admiralscovmost to Richard: his family. efoundation.org/give. He took enormous pride in his daughters, Susan and Liz, and To read the complete obituary, loved his sons-in-law, grandgo to mvtimes.com.
Frederic Scott
Pete’s wife Ruby. He built several houses on the island before he eventually settled down in the last place he built, on Lee Avenue. He and his best friend, Freddy Futch, also owned the Waterfront Motel (now the Innlet) for several years. Fred was a Boca Grande guide for more than 60 years, starting about the same time as his friend and former schoolmate Capt. Dumplin’ Wheeler did. At first he was a “fill-in” captain, taking people out tarpon fishing or to picnic on the surrounding islands. He Capt. Frederic E. Scott eventually garnered a name (“Fred”) has cast out his last for himself as one of the best line in Boca Grande waters. He offshore guides around, and passed away on June 10, 2026, for having a hot hand when it at the age of 85, and joins many came to catching snapper in of the island’s legendary fishBoca Grande Pass. ing guides in a place where the In his later years, Fred did tarpon never throw a hook and less guiding and more charthe snapper are plentiful. ters for people who wanted to He was born on Oct. 25, see sunsets and dolphins. He 1941, in Oak Bluffs to Fred also had a thriving business Scott Sr. and Mary (Canha). taking people to nearby resMary worked for a family on taurants, such as Cabbage Key Martha’s Vineyard who had or the Tarpon Lodge. a home in Boca Grande, and Fred was preceded in death that is how the family came to by his parents and his younger live in Florida. After coming brother, Paul. Survivors into Boca Grande, Mary married clude his brother Pete Scott; his Duane Futch, and they were sister, Patricia Scott Albee; and together for 44 years. many nephews, nieces, and Fred’s brother, Pete, came to cousins. Capt. Fred’s services Boca Grande first, in 1958, but will be private. in 1960 Pete went back to MasTo plant trees in Fred’s sachusetts to persuade Fred to memory, please visit the Symfollow him. With his ears full pathy Store. of stories of how amazing the fishing was, Fred decided to make the move. He was just a teenager when he arrived in 1960, and he attended Boca Grande High School. After graduation, he was drafted into the military, but after two years in the service he returned to the island, where he had many adventures. In the 1960s, Pete and Fred did a lot of seasonal fishing in the Keys, and even went as far as Seattle and Alaska to fish for salmon. In the 1970s, they started lobstering off Big Pine Key. About the same time, Fred also traveled the country Kayla Jo Gault Parkhurst, looking for gold, silver, and of Martha’s Vineyard, passed precious jewels. That was a away on July 29, 2026, after a hobby he continued through long and courageous battle with his later years. Alzheimer’s disease. After a time, Fred decided Kayla was a beloved mother, he wanted to be back in Boca grandmother, daughter, Grande, so he returned, and sister, and friend. Although for a time ended up staying Alzheimer’s slowly took pieces at the infamous Hotel Hell, of the woman she had been, it owned by his brother Pete and could never take away the love
Kayla Jo Parkhurst
she gave, the memories she created, or the place she holds forever in the hearts of those who loved her. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by her family, and all who were fortunate enough to know and love her. A celebration of Kayla’s life will be held at a later date. Details will be shared when arrangements have been made.
Deborah Spillane
A memorial Mass for Deborah Spillane, 59, will be held on Saturday, August 29, at 11 am in St. Augustine’s Church on Franklin Street in Vineyard Haven. The full obituary can be read at bit.ly/ CF_DeborahSpillane.
Carol Shilakes With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Carol Shilakes, age 84, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Edgartown. Carol passed away on August 16, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Michigan, Carol devoted her professional life to education, serving as both a teacher and a principal. Through her kindness, dedication, and genuine care, she touched the lives of countless students, families, and colleagues. Her impact will not be forgotten. In her later years, Carol filled her days with the activities and people she loved most. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, playing pickleball, mahjong, and golf, participating in Bible study groups and book clubs, and engaging in many other pursuits that brought her joy and kept her surrounded by wonderful people.
Throughout her battle with cancer, Carol’s unwavering faith, strength, and positivity inspired everyone around her. She found support and connection through cancer support groups, and faced each day with grace and courage, setting an extraordinary example for all who had the privilege of knowing her. Carol is survived by her children, Jessica Reilly and her husband Ray, and Christopher Shilakes and his wife Kirsten; her grandchildren, Christian, Jocelyn, Isabelle, Keegan, and Hayden; and her siblings, Frank Hebda, Robert Hebda, and Linda Hammerschmidt. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ronald Shilakes, with whom she shared nearly 61 years of marriage. A memorial Mass will be held for both Carol and Ron at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Edgartown, on August 28 at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Online donations may be made through its secure giving portal at giving.mvhospital.org. Please direct donations to the Oncology Clinic, in honor of Carol Shilakes. If sending a check, please note “Oncology Clinic – in memory of Carol Shilakes” and mail to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Development Office, P.O. Box 1477, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. Carol will be deeply missed by her family and by all whose lives she touched. Her memory, kindness, and beautiful spirit will live on. May she rest in peace.
OBITUARIES The Martha’s Vineyard Times publishes obituary information and photos at no charge for current and former residents of Martha’s Vineyard and for persons with significant ties to the Island community. The submission deadline for full obituaries is 5 pm Tuesday, for publication on that Thursday. The Times reserves the right to edit as needed. If you have questions or need assistance writing an obituary, please email editormvtimes.com. Obituary information may be submitted by e-mail: editor@mvtimes.com, barbara.davis@mvtimes.com mail: PO Box 518 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 by hand: The Times office on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven (opposite the ArtCliff Diner).
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A6
news
August 20, 2026
Vineyard enters primary season Candidates aim for seats as a Dukes County commissioner, regional district attorney, and the governor. BY EUNKI SEONWOO
A
s voters consider various issues Massachusetts is presenting for the state gubernatorial election, Islanders will also decide whom they want to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in November. The Massachusetts primary is set for Sept. 1 from 7 am to 8 pm statewide, where voters will elect candidates to run in the Nov. 3 state election. Early voting is set to begin on Saturday, August 22, the last day to register to vote in the primary. The last day to request a voteby-mail ballot for the primary is Tuesday, August 25. Among these races, the most local are for the Dukes County Commission, the county’s seven-member legislative body. The ballot showed only three Democratic incumbent candidates, Tristan Israel, Christine Todd, and Richard G. Wharton, more commonly known as Peter Wharton, pulled papers for re-election. But while it may seem four seats will be left empty, some commissioners are still looking for voters’ support in the state election. Doug Ruskin, a commissioner from West Tisbury, told The Times a “technical glitch” made it so that his paperwork wasn’t submitted by the June deadline. He noted that local
town clerks are usually more forgiving, while the state “runs strictly by the book, and makes no room for human error.” “I plan to run a strong write-in campaign in late October and early November,” Ruskin said, although he’d appear in the state election automatically if he can amass at least 25 write-in votes during the primary. Among current commissioners, Randy Milch is an unenrolled candidate, and will instead appear in the state election, while Don Leopold is not seeking re-election. Kate Putnam, another commissioner, was not immediately available for comment, though Ruskin said her paperwork is ready for the state election. Aside from unenrolled candidates and write-in candidates, other slots that won’t appear on primary ballots include nonpartisan seats, like on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC), and nine ballot questions that were selected in July. These will appear during the state election in November. Tara Whiting-Wells, West Tisbury town clerk, recommended anyone planning a write-in campaign for November, as some residents are considering for a MVC
seat, notify town clerks. “On the back end, it just makes it easier,” WhitingWells said, noting that voting machines can’t read handwritten submissions, and those will need to be handcounted by election staff and volunteers. There are seven seats on the Democratic ballot that are all but assured to be the deciding election, due to no Republican candidates. But the race that’s captured regional attention is for the seat of Cape and Islands District Attorney. Michael Giardino, an assistant district attorney in Plymouth County, is challenging incumbent Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois, who was elected in 2022. The two candidates were on the airwaves for a debate hosted by WCAI earlier this month, where they shared their priorities as candidates, like Galibois’ goal of creating an elder fraud unit, while Giardino championed stability in the contested office for employees. Giardino’s priority partially stemmed from a letter signed by former employees of the district attorney’s office, which cited high turnover from a shift in duties that pushed them away from working directly with victims, claims which Galibois has
pushed back on and accused of being politically motivated. And political affiliation was a question Galibois raised against Giardino, who enrolled as a Democrat this year. Giardino has been unenrolled since 2016, and also worked in the Cape and Islands DA’s Office under Robert O’Keefe, predecessor to Galibois, and a Republican. Giardino said he grew up in a Democratic household. For some candidates, the primary will be an elimination round before the state election. Republicans Michael Roger Minogue, a U.S. Army veteran and CEO of medical device firm Abiomed, and Brian Shortsleeve, a U.S. Marine veteran who founded venture investment firm M33 Growth, are the two Massachusetts conservatives who want to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, the former state attorney general who was elected to her current seat in 2022. For the ninth congressional district, R. Tyler Macallister, who formerly served on the Mattapoisett select board for five terms, and is the sole Republican in the primary for this race, will have to wait and see whether Democrats want to keep incumbent Bill Keating, who’s held his current district seat since 2013, or nominate a new candidate in Craig Swallow, a hospitality manager and civic activist in New Bedford.
Likewise, Republican senatorial candidate John Deaton is making another bid to become a senator, and he’ll have to see whether state Democrats will keep the incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who served 37 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2013, or Seth Moulton, a U.S. congressman from Salem and a Marine veteran. The Markey-Moulton race is one of the more closely watched statewide races, bringing to the forefront the question of the age difference between the two men and which candidate aligns more closely with progressive policies. Markey and Moulton shared inflammatory exchanges during a debate co-hosted by Boston 25 News and WGBH. The full debate can be watched on YouTube. Here are the in-person early voting schedules by town for the primaries:
Aquinnah Polling location: Aquinnah Town Hall at 955 State Road Dates/times: Saturday, August 22, 9 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 5 pm; Monday, August 24, to Friday, August 28, 10 am to 12 pm. Town Clerk: Kayla Darcy, 508-645-2304
Chilmark Polling location: Chilmark Town Hall at 401 Middle Road Dates/times: Saturday, August 22, 9 am to 11 am and 3
pm to 5 pm; Monday, August 24, to Friday, August 28, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Town Clerk: Jennifer Christy, 508-645-2107
Edgartown Polling location: Edgartown Town Hall at 70 Main St. Dates/times: Saturday, August 22, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm; Monday, August 24, to Friday, August 28, 1 pm to 3 pm. Town Clerk: Karen Medeiros, 508-627-6110
Oak Bluffs Polling location: Oak Bluffs Town Hall at 56 School St. Dates/times: Saturday, August 22, 9 am to 5 pm; Monday, August 24, to Friday August 28, 9 am to 4 pm. Town Clerk: Amy Del Torto, 508-693-3554, ext. 120
Tisbury Polling location: Tisbury Emergency Services Facility at 215 Spring St. Dates/times: Saturday, August 22, 9 am to 5 pm; Monday, August 24, to Friday, August 28, 12 pm to 4 pm. Town Clerk: Hillary Conklin, 508-696-4215
West Tisbury Polling location: West Tisbury Public Safety Building at 454 State Road Dates/times: Saturday, August 22, 9 am to 5 pm; Monday, August 24, to Friday, August 28, 8 am to 11 am. Town Clerk: Tara WhitingWells, 508-696-0148
news A7
August 20, 2026
Panoramic drone shot of the Ag Fair Thursday night.
ROBIN GOTTESMAN
MICHAEL BLANCHARD
A fair share of fun for all Continued from A1
The Ag Fair had both new and old rides.
thinking about her, because she taught me how to do it,” Vieira said. “It was a little emotional for me this year, but it felt great.” Vieira’s daughter, Nayelli Vieira, is a rising sophomore at MVRHS, and joked that she’s helped her father plan the fair since she was born. She said she hopes to one day take over her father’s role. “I enjoy knowing the people at the fair, and the community feel,” she told The Times. While many fairgoers, like Vieira and his family, have deep ties to the Agricultural Fair, it’s also an event that hosts many sea-
ROBIN GOTTESMAN
in line for the Zipper, a ride where passengers rotate inside cages around a track while the cages themselves spin and flip unpredictably. Along Boothland, fairgoers savored the diverse food trucks and shops offered at the fair, surrounded by the familiar smells of longtime fair vendors, such as the West Tisbury Fire Department’s Burger Booth, which has served hamburgers at the Ag Fair for more than four decades and was awarded Best Food Booth this year. Garrison Vieira, fair committee chair and booth manager, said organizers worked hard to bring new booths that highlight the communities represented on the Vineyard. “When I took over, there wasn’t much of a diverse representation of our Island community in Boothland, so I made it a personal goal for me to be more inclusive, and try to get someone from [the Brazilian and Wampanoag] communities to be represented,” he said. This year was the firstever stand from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Vieira said. The booth was Bowen’s Arrow, which is also a storefront at the Aquinnah Cliffs, owned by Jennifer Staples and her mother, Wampanoag elder Kristina Hook. Staples was awarded Best New Booth on Sunday afternoon for Bowen’s Arrow, which featured an array of handmade jewelry, Aquinnah-themed T shirts, and hats and books on indigenous practices. Vieira also shared that this year’s layout for Boothland was done with much thought and appreciation for the traditions that have kept the Agricultural Fair going through the years. “I worked under Diane Powers, who was the booth manager before me for multiple years. She just recently passed away a couple of weeks ago, which was kind of a shock. And so when I was doing a layout this year, I did a lot of
The Zipper ride at the fair.
LUKE DIORIO
and rides that ranged from slow-moving to screaminducing. Food trucks lined up next to one another on the dusty ground, and visitors and Islanders alike milled around pop-up stands and waited in long lines for treats — some of which come to the Island only once a year. The annual event raises money for the Agricultural Society. From the women’s skillet toss contest to baby piglets and a weaving tent, this year’s fair was another one for the books. The fair dates were changed this year so that it was held a week earlier than usual, and didn’t compete with other annual events coming up at the end of August, like Illumination Night and the fireworks in Oak Bluffs. It was also the second year that Fiesta Shows, the largest traveling amusement provider in New England, took over preparation and management of the rides, food, and games for the fair. After a soggy start, bright morning rays washed away the last signs of a summer storm on Thursday morning and gave way to bright, fairworthy weather for the rest of the weekend. The opening parade was delayed by two hours to noon, due to weather-related safety concerns on Thursday. The annual 4-H Parade and traditional Parade of Oxen plowed the way into a fun beginning to the fair as thousands of fairgoers lined up at the gates to watch the opening ceremony. Lines of excited children and teens mingled together as they awaited their turn on the most popular rides of the midway section, namely Top Gun, Zipper, and Pharaoh’s Fury. “I’m hyped about this ride because I’m with my friends, so it’s going to be fun, even though it looks scary from down here,” Emily DaSilva, a rising senior at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS), said as she stood
A variety of games were available throughout the weekend.
sonal visitors to the Island. New York resident Larkin McNamara grew up vacationing on the Vineyard. Now, she and her sister return to the Island each year to work at the FaerieFyne Face Paint stand at the fair, which was awarded Best Non-Food Booth this year. “Everyone’s so nice, and I love the Island. Everything makes me want to come back year after year,” she told The Times on Friday night. Anastacia and Mark Awad have attended the fair together for the past seven years with their son Austin. “It’s been our annual tradition, at this point,” Mark said as the three of them sat at a picnic table watching the sack race competition Saturday afternoon. “We love coming to the fair
every year. And also Austin’s school, the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, has a booth here this year, so we’re supporting and volunteering there to make people aware of this great school,” Anastacia added. For incoming third-grader Austin, it all comes down to fair enjoyment. “My favorite part is … maybe bungee jumping. That is really fun,” he said. Inside the wooden barns, farmers proudly displayed their animals, ranging from calves and ponies to bunnies and chicks. Jo Douglas, who runs two meat enterprises on the Island, Pork to Fork and Leaf to Beef, has displayed her pigs for the past eight years, and said the best part is educating people about farming. Bringing the pigs to the fair “is a huge part of the farm, because I love the education part of it. I love talking with people and teaching them about my pigs,” Douglas said. Many sheep farmers and local weavers demonstrated their abilities in the shade of the Weaving Tent, where serene Islanders wove wool into thread. Historian Norah Van Riper stood next to her wool displays, dressed in a historical outfit authentic to the 1700s. “This is my favorite volunteer opportunity,” Van Riper said. “I’m always happy to donate my time to the Agricultural Society’s biggest fundraiser. And it’s just fun to get new perspectives in front of new audiences.” The 164th Agricultural Fair closed in style after the popular and well-attended skillet toss was won by Em deBettencourt, the Oak Bluffs harbormaster, who threw the cast iron more than 45 feet. The Barn Closing Parade wrapped up the weekend, featuring participants and livestock for a final appearance before the barn officially closed its doors. “The fair is a time for you to spend with friends and family, and to appreciate this beautiful community we live in,” Emily DaSilva said.
A8
news
August 20, 2026
Warren’s Island visit focuses on housing initiatives
Warren speaks at the community roundtable. NICHOLAS VUKOTA
Continued from A1 represents Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate, and on Friday, in a bright room at the Chamber of Commerce, she highlighted the federal government’s most substantial housing law in more than three decades, which she cosponsored and championed, called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act. The act aims to increase housing supply and cut through regulatory red tape as most of the country faces higher costs and a rising need for housing development; in Massachusetts, to meet demand, the state needs to build 220,000 new homes by 2035, according to Gov. Maura Healey’s office. It had bipartisan support in the Senate and became law last month, despite President Donald Trump refusing to sign. According to the Constitution, a bill becomes a law automatically if a sitting president doesn’t sign it for 10 days. “Donald Trump couldn’t pick up the pen because he just isn’t interested in lowering costs for American families,” Warren stated in a press release at the time. The ways the new housing law could affect Vineyarders and the unique challenges facing this 100-square-mile island are yet to be seen in action. But there are some legislative acts in the new law that could address local concerns if local municipalities, nonprofits, and private developers choose to take them on. Warren described the act as a “giant department store.” “The best part of the bill is going to be everybody who looks at it and figures out what they can make work for them,” she said on Friday. One provision in the new law beats back private equity homebuyers by restricting the number of homes a private firm can own. Institutional investors, defined in the bill as those owning 350 homes or more, are barred from purchasing more single-family properties and cashing in on rent. “This is literally the first time the federal government
has said no to private equity on anything ever, and the good news is: We did it. The lobbying, no surprise, it’s all on the other side. It’s Wall Street, Wall Street money, and Wall Street lobbyists. We got nothing on our side except tenacity, right? A willingness to fight back. And by all, we got it done,” Warren said to the officials in the room on Friday. Another part of the law streamlines manufactured development, or the process of building elsewhere and transporting the structure, which for a place like the Island is often cheaper than building from the foundation, up. And according to Warren, not only is there hope on the horizon for housing, but locals are already hitting the mark with some projects. She called the workforce housing near Navigator Homes, an elderly-care facility she toured during her visit to the Island, a great model for a manufactured building project countrywide. “You all have built something really special here,” Warren told Claire Seguin, president and COO of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. But at the roundtable, local leaders, while hopeful, described the reality for an Island community facing the edge of sustainability. Every summer, Airbnbs and short-term rentals take up housing stock, the “Island shuffle” — a euphemism for seasonal housing insecurity and frequent moves — for locals starts again, and many take on second or third jobs. Some people live in tents in the woods, while others share beds in crowded housing. All the while, middle-income individuals and families are leaving the Island more frequently as prices soar. “We don’t have middleincome opportunities anymore. I could never have come here, as I did 30 years ago, and settled down and had a family. It’s just not possible anymore,” Philippe Jordi, executive director and founder of Island Housing Trust, said at the discussion. Cape and Islands State Sen. Julian Cyr, who was
also present at the roundtable, introduced transfer fee legislation, which would have added a 2 percent fee to real estate sales more than $1 million to be added to a “housing bank” for affordable housing initiatives. Last Thursday, The Times learned that legislation had stalled in the House and Senate in July. “These are our ancestral homes, and we’re losing our tribal members pretty heavily due to the cost of living here and the housing crisis,” Kevin Devine, chairman of the tribal council of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), said. “The millionaires and billionaires are buying us out.” Devine also said the area median income for Dukes County is restrictive for local families. The mode of determining who qualifies for affordable housing and who doesn’t is based on a median in an area known for wealth disparities. “When you sit here and tell somebody that it’s affordable housing, and you have someone that’s making $30 an hour that doesn’t even meet the affordable income threshold to get that, that’s one of the biggest problems that we’re dealing with right now,” Devine said. As more than 60 percent of the Island’s housing stock sits empty for eight months and Airbnb rentals go for up to $300,000 a month in the summer — almost triple the annual median income for a year-rounder — the issue affects local businesses and workplaces, who have trouble finding housing for the people they need to hire. “Our biggest pain point is being able to staff our businesses well,” Lora Ksieniewicz, owner of Yoga on the Vine in Edgartown, told Warren. “I do find housing to be the biggest factor in why we’ll lose staff over time.” Jordi agreed. “If you don’t have housing in your business plan, you don’t really have a viable business plan,” he said of the Vineyard. Nitrogen-loading and wastewater capacity were another big discussion point for
Island leaders in housing. Wharton said that when the American Rescue Plan Act — signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 to speed up economic recovery after the COVID pandemic — opened up funding for municipalities across the country, the Vineyard got $3 million from the federal government. It spent the entire amount on wastewater improvements. Warren referred to wastewater systems and the nearconstant requirements for upgrades as a “hole in the bottom of the boat.” Affordability restrictions were another point of friction, local leaders explained. “The incentives really need to shift so that what we’re building is affordable and attainable,” Peter Wharton, chair of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, said. “If you’re working
three jobs on this Island, it becomes unsustainable. We’re trying to address that, but the incentives from the federal government need to change: the ability to subsidize that.” While solutions for housing at both the state and federal level were toggled through during the roundtable discussion, the discourse continued to return to the specificity of the seasonal nature of Island life: Finding ways to ensure year-rounders have their basic needs met, while also keeping Island summers a vibrant vacation hot spot. Island representatives in housing, health, and regional planning described it as a constant juggling act, and a dynamic that many year-rounders are participating in every day. And another strain on year-round Islanders peeked
through on Friday as well: resources, staffing, and solutions spread across all six towns. Although the individual character of each locale on the Vineyard is often considered a strength both economically and culturally, it sometimes translates to a misalignment of town assistance and slower uptick on new initiatives, along with understaffed departments and budgetary concerns. “Who do we want to be as a culture, as an Island? Because that’s the starting point for this stuff. We can talk about the housing and the economic implications, but if we don’t have a voice — a collective voice — of ‘This is who we want to be’ — then we’ll get lost in the minutiae,” Scott Turton, CEO of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, said.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) came to Martha’s Vineyard last week to discuss a bill she co-sponsored, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate earlier this summer. The Times’ housing reporter, Sarah Shaw Dawson, sat down with Warren for a brief interview after the roundtable. Here is an abbreviated transcript.
That’s why I was encouraging everyone, call Julian, because Julian calls us all the time. But keep thinking through how problems, for example, that the islands face are very much like some of the valley communities in Idaho and Colorado, and they’ve had to think through how to ensure year-round housing and a vibrant year-round community, and not lose it to a handful of rich folks who swoop in and swoop out.
Sarah Shaw Dawson: What are your key takeaways from today? Sen. Elizabeth Warren: So I was really struck by that conversation about how much stress there is on middle-class families out here on the Island. That even a pretty good salary makes it tough here, because of the high housing costs and other high costs for being out on the Island. I’m also deeply impressed by how much community coordination there is. The Island is a very special place, and that comes through in the conversation about how could we work together to make this Island work for everyone. The idea of using land trusts and tax credits to maintain middle-class housing and affordable housing, it’s very impressive. It is a special place.
Dawson: On the Island, with construction, there’s the “Island factor,” where they estimate it costs 30 percent more to build here, and there’s finite land. How does this new bill address that?
Dawson: Recent real estate market data (“Tea Lane Associates’ 2026 Mid-Year Market Report”) came out just last week about the first half of 2026. It showed that our average sale price of all transactions Island-wide surpassed $2.5 million, which is actually almost a $600,000 jump from the first half of 2025. I’m wondering about the solutions in this new law that address affordability specifically, and how to fill that gap for people across Massachusetts, especially the Island community? Warren: The Island is certainly feeling the fallout from a stock market explosion and more and more wealth flowing to billionaires. I understand why they’d want to come here, but preserving an economy that works under those circumstances has gotten about 10 times harder. We have a housing shortage all across America, and our new housing law is about how to build more housing. That’s important, but it takes a very thoughtful approach on a place like the Vineyard, because simply building out hundreds more houses will not solve either the problem of more seasonality or create affordability for year-round residents. This is why I wanted to be here. This is the first in-detail conversation I’ve been able to have since we got the housing bill passed; I am concerned that we need more and different tools here, and I want that to be led from the community, not from Washington. There were some good ideas that came out of that roundtable. And I know there’ll be lots of follow-up, particularly with [State Sen.] Julian Cyr.
Warren: One of the things in the new bill is to make it less expensive to build manufactured housing. And as we’ve learned, the Island is now the proof point on using high-quality offsite building and floating it in to reduce costs and increase speed. The Island may be leading the whole country on one approach to dealing with housing shortages … I know you think we’re always struggling on the back end, but this whole community development built offsite and brought in to create two side-by-side communities, senior living (Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard) and workforce living (Martha’s Vineyard Hospital workforce housing), works. And it’s one thing to try to persuade people in Washington that something will work in theory — it’s something else to say, “I know it works, and I have the pictures and receipts to show it.” The whole idea of having the senior living integrated with families who have young children, so seniors look out the window every day, see the school bus come by, they hear the kids playing, and when emergencies occur, bad weather, there’s that wonderful big central place for everyone to go and make sure that everyone’s warm, everyone’s safe, everyone gets fed. It’s a microcosm of everything a community should be … More ease on approval for new construction or for expanded construction. There’s a lot of that in the bill, and there’s my personal favorite, the Innovation Fund, that says, in effect, if a community is trying to create more housing for its people, the federal government can offer help by way of additional funding for things that serve the whole community, like expanded elementary schools or new wastetreatment plants, the infrastructure to help that community grow and thrive. Dawson: Where do you see the future of Island housing 10 to 15 years down the line if we do these things right? Warren: The Island is an extraordinary place, and with careful attention to infrastructure and the right kind of community investments, it will be even more extraordinary for the next generation.
news A9
August 20, 2026
goal. But the New Increasingly fragile supply chain keeps Island afloat term Bedford Hurricane ProtecContinued from A1
ance and strategies for nearand long-term vulnerability from sea level rise, storm surge, and erosion over the next half-century, found that parts of Martha’s Vineyard showed very high risks, in the 85th to 100th percentile, for damage from coastal flooding to housing, built infrastructure, and the commercial and industrial economy. The area around Sea View Avenue in Oak Bluffs, in fact, was deemed as highly vulnerable in all three areas. It was after this plan that the CZM allowed municipalities to propose regional coastal resilience projects, which Island officials took up. But they didn’t look only at natural occurrences, like sea level rise and erosion, but also focused on how the elements could affect weaknesses in the Island’s supply chain. The preliminary risk assessment was done by a group of consultants from Northampton-based Jamie Caplan Consulting, who worked between April and June 2026, and focused on data gaps and next steps for a longer-term effort. AECOM and the Woods Hole Group, both construction engineering companies, also worked on the project. Sakiko Isomichi, climate resilience planner for the MVC, who anticipates another round of funds soon, is now at every town select board to ask them what they want included in a secondary, more formal study. The research focused on five sectors: food and drinking water, medical and emergency services, fuel and energy, workforce and passenger movement, and other goods and services. Martha’s Vineyard relies heavily on imported food, and there’s only around three days of food supply, due to a lack of cold storage and warehousing capacity, should the system halt. Healthcare providers rely on the ferry as well for supplies and personnel, while many specialized medical services aren’t even available on-Island; and access to the hospital is already affected intermittently by flooding on Beach Road. An initial report relied on interviews with those that manage the movement of essential goods; on the Island, that was RM Packer Co., the Steamship Authority (SSA), Cronig’s Markets, and Stop & Shop. Every commodity, the study found, reaches the Island via water, primarily by the Steamship Authority, while RM Packer Co., a supplier of energy to the Island since the 1930s, transports bulk freight, liquid fuels, and waste; there was no mention of reliance on air shipment in the study. The SSA, the only public authority mandated to pro-
vide year-round passage, operates more than 20 roundtrips per day in peak summer months, and not only transports passengers and cars but also perishable food and groceries, fuel and propane, construction materials, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, mail and packages, retail inventory and restaurant supplies, and waste and recycling. The 5:30 am departure from Woods Hole, currently a contentious topic for the ferry line, “exists specifically to accommodate the freight surge” in the summer months. It was noted that despite
the Steamship, which can be disrupted by both the environment (storms, high winds, ice) and logistics (mechanical failures, crew shortages), but there aren’t a lot of alternatives. There is barely any redundancy, especially in the winter months when there are fewer ferry passages, and some ferry lines completely shut down, and so “even short-term disruptions can cascade across the supply chain,” the study said. The SSA recently said that it has eyed New Bedford as an alternative to Woods Hole, though that’s a long-
tion Barrier, which protects the area from tidal flooding, currently closes 17 times per year, and is expected to increase over time, and would pose other problems. It’s operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and impacts the islands’ barge operations. The consultants also completed a preliminary coastal flood vulnerability assessment to understand the physical infrastructure of the supply chain. It found that by 2030, the Cuttyhunk and Chappaquiddick ferries would experience interruptions to operations from increased coastal storms. Even the SSA’s The Island is heavily reliant on the Steamship Authority for every essential commodity, according to a new study.
Vineyard Haven terminal, used year-round, is highly vulnerable to coastal flooding; the Woods Hole Group found that there is at least a 50 percent chance of flooding as soon as 2030, increasing in frequency by 2050; the same goes for the Oak Bluffs terminal and dock that serve the Patriot Shuttle, Island Queen, and Rhode Island Fast Ferry. They recommended that the facilities be adapted. Separately, all ferry operators “noted increasingly intense and frequent weather events over the past 10 to 20 years” that cause cancellations; that’s only expected to get worse. The Packer landing has a slightly lower flood vulnerability, and the assessment said Debby Packer, owner and operator, plans to build infrastructure to sea level rise standards, and a second barge ramp. Meanwhile, consultants estimate that Beach Road and the Five Corners intersection, a key part of the Island’s supply chain, already experience flooding multiple times a year, and are expected to see daily flooding by 2050, caused
by sea level rise and increased water runoff as the Island becomes more developed. And an increase of the peak summer crowds — which can quadruple the number of people from 20,600 to almost 100,000 as of 2024 data — further compounds these issues as demand for goods, services, and the workforce increase. This was a preliminary study and outlines next steps, such as to formalize coordination and emergency protocols, which were recently studied by the Olson Group. It also calls for the Island to develop a shared data system for fuel reserves, food inventory, and medical supplies, to adapt ferry terminals and access roads to flooding, especially in Vineyard Haven, and expand on-Island storage for essential goods. Other future interviews in the stakeholder list for the Island include the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, Chappy Ferry, Hy-Line Cruises, Seastreak, Tisbury Wharf Co., and the town of Oak Bluffs.
3D Scanning & Modeling Building Documentation for Remodeling and Renovation.
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lower volume, there is a higher risk of vulnerability in the winter months, due to fewer trips and a higher probability of weather that can cause ferry cancellations. The late February storm this year caused a five-day power outage in Woods Hole, and prevented staff from work and suspended the ferry; the SSA said that there was a large backlog of freight, passengers, and emergency vehicles. The disruption almost always cascades, the study said, and “a canceled sailing pushes freight into competition with the next day’s already full reservations, and grocery shelves.” Cronig’s Markets, for example, though doesn’t use the 5:30 am, depends on two drivers who live off-Island and rely on early ferries every day. Packer, which operates the only deep-water-accessible terminal on Martha’s Vineyard that can handle barge freight, does about 13,000 round-trips per year, and 1,500 fuel-related trips. But Packer, which also owns a facility in New Bedford, can be restricted by the mainland city’s hurricane barrier. And though the staff has decades of institutional knowledge, there are concerns about what the study called “succession planning,” especially as a lack of affordable housing continuously compounds other issues. The Island relies heavily on Woods Hole and
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August 20, 2026
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Join the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Team! Financial Advisor
Martha’s Vineyard Bank and Martha’s Vineyard Investment Advisors (MVIA) are excited to welcome a Financial Advisor to our investment team. In this role, you will build and nurture meaningful client relationships with tangible support and guidance from the entire MVIA team. You will help families and institutions find investment solutions that solve their unique financial goals. While investment licenses and designations are preferred, MVIA is willing to support individuals who have the desire to obtain them and a proven passion to help others. Please visit www.mvbank.com for detailed information and how to apply. We offer an exceptional benefits package, a clear path for advancement, and a competitive compensation package. This package includes an initial base salary ranging from $70,000 to $85,000 plus substantial potential incentive compensation. Equal Opportunity Employer: Vets/Disabled
TO PLACE YOUR JOB LISTING, EMAIL VALERIE@MVTIMES.COM.
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CIRCUIT ARTS SEEKS A DIRECTOR OF FILM PROGRAMMING TO LEAD THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD FILM FESTIVAL AND YEAR-ROUND FILM PROGRAMMING. This leadership role combines curatorial vision with filmma er relations and community engagement. Learn more and apply: circuitarts.org/jobs. CLEAN-UP OUR ANTIQUES WE HAVE ANTIQUES WE’D LIKE CLEANED UP TO USE IN OUR HOME. We don’t want “;restoration”; (sanding, refinishing because we don t want to lose the character. We thin we need cleaning, other attention. ou do various woodwor ing all the time. Call Matt @ 617-820-6203.
ISLAND ALPACA ENTHUSIASTS WANTED! Tell us about yourself! Email us: info@islandalpaca.com HELP WANTED - CLEANING Needed once a wee for cleaning a home. References appearance. Must spea English. Call Marissa 508-212-4312. DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES TOWN OF OAK BLUFFS Reporting to the Town Administrator, this executive-level position provides strategic leadership and hands-on administration of the Town’s human resources and administrative services functions. The irector leads wor force planning, recruitment and retention, labor and employee relations, collective bargaining, compensation, ris management, wor place investigations, policy development, and compliance with employment laws. The position also oversees procurement, public records, contract and grant administration, organizational improvement initiatives, communications support, and special projects, while serving as the Town’s ADA Coordinator and providing professional support to the Personnel Board. Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field Master s degree preferred. Minimum of seven 7 years of progressively responsible experience in human resources, municipal administration, or a related management field, preferably in local government. Starting salary range:$115,884 - $131,544, commensurate with experience, plus an excellent municipal benefits pac age. For a complete job description and the online application portal, visitoa bluffsma.gov obsor contactwbrough oa bluffsma.gov. Application deadline is August 24, 2026, at 4 00pm. Oa Bluffs is an EOE/ AA Employer.
Staff Generalist at Daybreak Clubhouse ($23.00 - $27.60 per hour) Love supporting others as they grow, learn and connect? We’re looking for a dynamic team member to provide vocational, educational, and social support to members in our Daybreak Clubhouse. We value lived experience and strongly encourage individuals with personal experience of mental health illness to apply. Apply at: mvcommunityservices.org/ employment
E.C. COTTLE, INC. IS HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: • FRONT DESK • YARD HAND • CDL & DELIVERY DRIVERS
WILLING TO TRAIN THE RIGHT CANDIDATE $2,500 SIGN ON BONUS • Positions are full-time, year-round. • Monday thru Friday hours with immediate start. • Competitive pay. Plus, E.C. Cottle offers full benefits including, Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, matched 401k, paid time off and paid holidays. All benefits earned after completion of probationary period.
Stop by a branch and ask for an application, or email resume to ecottle3@yahoo.com.
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DUKES COUNTY SHERIFFS' OFFICE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS $1,000 Monthly Housing Stipend for Full Time Island Residents Looking to kick-start a rewarding career while serving the Island community? Correctional O cers at the Dukes County Jail & House of Correction are responsible for the care, custody, control of inmates, as well as other assigned duties. Must be at least 19 years of age with a valid MA Driver’s License, have effective oral and written communications skills, exibility and willingness to adapt to changing environment and priorities; positive attitude, integrity, and excellent judgment. Work schedule includes assignments to the day, evening and night, weekend, and holiday shifts. Paid Correction Academy training (may be hosted on or off-island) with a strong commitment to supporting employees’ ongoing professional growth. Full-time position with a generous benefit package, including paid leave, insurance, state pe nsion and deferred compensation matching. Full time pay range is $65,516.88- $70,933.46 annually, plus $1,000 monthly housing stipend. Candidates must pass interview, background check, and post-conditional-offer medical evaluations and meet the physical fitness testing requirements. Apply today! Download applications and job descriptions at dukescountysheriff.com/careers
Join the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Team! Executive Assistant to the President & CEO
Martha’s Vineyard Bank has an exciting career opportunity for a seasoned and talented professional to join our team as the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO. The primary function of this position is to ensure consistent and effective management of daily operations of the office of the President & CEO as well as provide Board level support to the Board of Trustees and various Board committees. Please visit www.mvbank.com for detailed information and how to apply. We offer an exceptional benefits package and a competitive compensation package. This package includes an initial base salary ranging from $117,000 to $129,000. Equal Opportunity Employer: Vets/Disabled
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Family Support Center Service Navigator ($23.07-$27.40 per hour) Do you love helping families thrive? We’re seeking a compassionate and resourceful Service Navigator to support families in identifying resources, solving problems, and building strong community connections. Join a team that values family strengths, diversity, and self-direction across the lifespan. Experience preferred but paid on the job training may be provided. Sign-On Bonus available to employees in good standing! Apply at: mvcommunityservices.org/ employment
Family Support Worker – MV Family Resource Center ($23.00-$28.50/hour) Help connect families with community resources and support services while assisting with parent and youth programming, support groups, family events, and volunteer coordination. Responsibilities include providing referrals, maintaining program data, participating in community outreach, and supporting Family Resource Center activities. Evening and weekend hours required. Qualifications: Background in social services or a mental health setting preferred. Strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills required. Ability to maintain confidentiality and work effectively with diverse populations. Valid Massachusetts driver's license and reliable transportation required. Apply at: mvcommunityservices.org/ employment MARTHA’S VINEYARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS CENTRAL OFFICE see s ualified applicants for a 1715 Administrative Support Personnel Responsibilities include: Coordinating bi-wee ly payroll * Maintaining time & attendance records * Maintaining payroll & personnel files * Assisting with other associated duties and all other duties re uested by the Superintendent and/or Business Manager Payroll and BudgetSense experience a plus Proficiency in E cel, Word, and other related office software a plus Applications can be submitted by visiting our website at: www. mvyps.org, under Employment; new jobs-corresponding Schoolspring Job Id: 5880391 Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled Start date to be determined No person shall be excluded or discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. EOE.
classifieds A11
August 20, 2026
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NOW HIRING MEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: JOIN OUR AWARD-WINNING TEAM! We are seeking a driven, community-minded Account Executive to support our ad sales and marketing efforts. Help local businesses grow while supporting exceptional local journalism. Part-time (20 hrs/ wk) with potential for full-time advancement. Primarily in-person with remote fle ibility. $25 hr $26 yr plus bonus and commission potential. 1-2 years of sales or marketing experience preferred. To apply, email your resume to sean@mvtimes.com. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School District invites proposals for the provision of adult and continuing education classes, beginning in fiscal year 2027. The provider will develop, advertise, offer and manage a wide range of classes for adult learners, including enrichment, continuing education, and training for teaching assistants aspiring to become certified teachers. Bid documents can be obtained by email request to ocelyn Broadley at broadley mvyps.org. Proposals must be submitted and received by 2:00PM on riday September 11, 2026, in the secure drop box located at the front door of the Superintendent s Office, 4 Pine Street, Tisbury, MA, or by mail to Mark Friedman, Chief Procurement Officer, 4 Pine Street, ineyard Haven, MA 02568. Proposals will be opened at 2:00PM on September 11, 2026 at the Superintendent s Office, 4 Pine Street, Tisbury. District reserves the right to reject any and all bids. SERVICE WRITER / CUSTOMER LIAISON MARTHA’S VINEYARD SHIPYARD This is a full-time, year-round position with benefits. We are a growing, family-owned shipyard built on quality craftsmanship, strong customer relationships and a passion for the water. We pride ourselves on creating a workplace where team members are supported, challenged and appreciated. We are currently looking for a Service Writer who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is ready to be the face of our service operations. WHAT YOU’LL DO First Contact: Act as the main point of contact for our customers, offering top-tier communication and welcoming service. Estimates & Planning: Prepare detailed, accurate written estimates for labor, parts & repairs. Project tracking: follow work closely through every stage to ensure deadlines & high-quality standards are met. Customer Follow-up: Maintain proactive, timely communication with boat owners regarding updates, approvals & completion timelines.
friendly working environment. Ready to take on the challenge? Send resume to jhale@mvshipyard. com with subject line “Service Writer Application”
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Boat nowledge Solid understanding of boats, marine systems & terminology required. Tech-Savvy: Comfortable navigating digital management software, inventory systems & modern communication tools. Detail-Oriented & organized, adaptable & driven to take on new challenges & adjust as daily shipyard priorities evolve. High level of patience, exceptional customer service skills & a good sense of humor! What we offer is year-round stability, competitive compensation & benefits pac age and a supportive, team-oriented, family
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VINEYARD DECORATORS IS HIRING
225 SQ. FT. Office Space Perfect Edgartown Location $950 / Utilities Included Sept. 1 2026 Availability Call 401-633-4104 Staged Photo
$1,150,000 Marilyn Moses 617-462-0381 30 Double Ox Road in Oak Bluffs Create an extraordinary Martha's Vineyard estate in the exclusive Lagoon Ridge community of Oak Bluffs. This mostly wooded estate parcel of over one acre features gently rolling topography, providing an exceptional canvas for a customdesigned luxury residence. Privately situated within an intimate enclave of just four estate parcels, the property is accessed by a welcoming paved approach. This thoughtfully planned neighborhood will feature distinctive architectdesigned residences, creating a refined and cohesive community setting. Approved for connection to the neighborhood's private Amphidrome® (you will avoid the high expense of a septic system a savings of almost $50,000)on-site wastewater treatment system the parcel is approved for a threebedroom residence and may offer the potential for additional ex spaces, expansive outdoor living areas, a pool, and attached or detached garages, subject to applicable approvals. Embrace the timeless Martha's Vineyard coastal lifestyle, with beaches, boating, children's sailing programs, the harbor, ferries, boutique shopping, restaurants, and the charm of Oak Bluffs just minutes away. This exceptional offering presents a rare opportunity to create a private Island retreat in one of Oak Bluffs' most desirable neighborhoods.
$429,000 Marilyn Moses 617-462-0381 Welcome to Unit B-12 at the Causeway Condominiums, a turnkey studio offering comfortable, lowmaintenance island living just a short walk to the charming village of Vineyard Haven. Thoughtfully designed to maximize space and functionality, this inviting residence features warm bamboo ooring throughout, a custom Murphy bed, and a beautifully crafted custom mahogany closet and storage system, providing exceptional organization while making the most of every square foot. The bright, open layout is filled with natural light and offers an ideal blend of comfort, style, and e ciency. Residents enjoy a beautifully maintained in-ground swimming pool with an expansive sun deck and lounge seating the perfect place to relax after a day at the beach or exploring Martha’s Vineyard. The affordable monthly HOA fee of just $221 includes water, on-site dumpster service, grounds maintenance, snow removal, pool maintenance, and master insurance, providing exceptional value and worry-free ownership. Ideally located within walking distance of the Steamship Authority ferry, Vineyard Haven Harbor, Main Street’s shops and restaurants, beaches, and the bike path, this move-in-ready studio offers an exceptional opportunity as a yearround residence, island getaway, or investment property. Enjoy all the convenience and charm of Vineyard Haven with easy access to everything that makes Martha’s Vineyard such a special place to call home. With onsite parking available immediately and strong rental income potential, this property presents a compelling opportunity for i nvestors seeking both lifestyle and return an affordable gem in a highly desirable location.
FRONT DESK MANAGER Vineyard Decorators is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented Front Desk Manager to oversee SOLAR INSTALLER incoming calls, calendars, Join a talented, collaborative team working to strengthen the Vineyard's replenishment, and general front energy resilience. You'll install solar desk operations. This position will systems for residential, commercial, also support our Bookkeeper with daily administrative tasks including nonprofit, affordable housing, and community projects, helping clients scanning, filing, copying, and organization. Proficiency in reduce their energy costs and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Googl e environmental impact. Workspace required. Must be We offer an exceptional, familyavailbel to work Saturdays. friendly compensation package, Opportunity to grow into a full-time including medical/dental/vision Operations Assistant role for the insurance (SMCo covers the full deductible), profit sharing, 401k, and right candidate. 401(k), paid vacation, health insurance, and the potential for ownership. Learn more about this position, how housing available if needed. Email resume to to apply, our compensation policy, sophia@vineyarddecorators.com and our culture at https:// southmountain.com/meet/ DESIGN CONSULTANT | HOUSING TOWN OF EDGARTOWN COUNCIL AVAILABLE ON AGING DEPARTMENT Start building a career in Interior ASSISTANT ($28.38-$40.39) Design from the ground up. This fullThe Town of Edgartown is seeking a time, year-round position combines Department Assistant for the Council furniture showroom sales with on Aging to provide administrative, interior design and is ideal for clerical, and customer service someone with a strong eye for color support to the department and the and design and an eagerness to older adults it serves. This 35 hour week position assists with day-to-day learn. No previous design experience required. After the 27 office operations, program and appointment registration, meeting sup- season, employees have the port, financial and payroll processing, opportunity to take online Interior Design courses to further develop recordkeeping, and responding to public inquiries. Candidates should their skills and career. Competitive demonstrate experience using Goocompensation package, 401(k), paid gle Workspace and be comfortable vacation, health insurance, and navigating digital workspaces and housing available. cloud-based platforms. Position is Email resume to open until filled, with a priority date sophia@vineyarddecorators.com of September 8, 2026. Applications and full job description SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER | are available at edgartown-ma.us or HOUSING AVAILABLE in the HR Office in Town Hall. Please send completed applications to HR@ Vineyard Decorators is seeking an experienced Senior Interior Designer edgartown-ma.us or P.O. BO 5130 ATTN HR, Edgartown, to join our growing Interior Design Studio. Qualified candidates should MA 0253 . The Town of Edgartown have a bachelor’s degree in Interior is an Equal Design or Architecture and a Opportunity Employer. minimum of 8 years of experience in construction-based interior design. Strong proje ct, time, and client management skills, with the ability to independently lead projects, are required. Must be proficient in AutoCAD. Full-time, year-round position with competitive compensation, benefits, and housing MARTHA'S VINEYARD available. Learn more about our GLASSWORKS IS LOOKING FOR company and design team at our A GALLERY ASSISTANT TO HELP website. WITH SALES AND CUSTOMER Email resume to INTERACTION FROM 2026 sophia@vineyarddecorators.com Labor Day to New Years. Retail Experience preferred. Competitive retail wages, work with a great team and a fun environment. Please contact info@mvglassworks.com for more information.
SEEKING ELECTRICIAN FOR FULL TIME YEAR ROUND EMPLOYMENT. Self-starters with experience in both residential and commercial installations desired. Please call 508-693-7786 or forward resume to o ce@warrenelectricmv.com for more information.
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400 SQ. FT. Office Space Perfect Edgartown Location $1000 / Utilities Included Sept. 1 2026 Availability Call 401-633-4104 Staged Photo
HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS
#2 WINEMACK ST, OAK BLUFFS FOR SALE $1,049,000 CALL OR TEXT Rene Ben David, Cell 508-847-4864 OCEAN PARK REALTY INC. OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE 8/15 SATURDAY 10AM -12PM 8/16 SUNDAY 10AM-12PM 8/18 TUESDAY 10AM-11AM 8/22 SATURDAY 10AM-12PM 8/23 SUNDAY 10AM-12PM Located at the southern end of Winemack Street, this inviting 3bedroom, 2-bath Oak Bluffs home offers a quiet residential setting in a neighborhood of both year-round and seasonal homes, while remaining remarkably close to everything Oak Bluffs has to offer. Just approximately 1.2 miles from downtown, you’ll enjoy convenient access to the ferries, Oak Bluffs Harbor, beaches, shopping, restaurants, and all the attractions that make this area of Martha’s Vineyard so special. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is also just a short two-minute drive away. Built i n 1988, the home offers approximately 1,456 square feet of living area, with prefinished wood ooring in the living room and bedrooms. The roof is approximately 10 years old, and recent improvements have focused primarily on the basement, where the space has been transformed to expand the home’s usable living and recreational area. Whether you envision a TV room, game room, home o ce, exercise area , or a combination of uses, there are plenty of possibilities. A newly completed “doghouse”-style exterior basement entry provides convenient direct access to the lower level. The first and second oors would benefit from a little TLC and personal touches to brighten and refresh the space, providing a great opportunity for the next owner to make the home their own. Outside, the property offers a sma ll, manageable yard with off-street parking, along with a classic Vineyard outdoor shower—a favorite feature after a day at the beach and something many consider a must-have for Island living. Set on a 5,000-squarefoot lot, the property offers the best of both worlds—a quieter location at the Eastville side of Winemack Street while still being just minutes from downtown Oak Bluffs. Prequalificatio n letter from your lending source or proof of funds required. Owner and tenants currently occupy the home; 24-hour notice for showings is preferred.
$2,250,000 MARILYN MOSES OCEAN PARK REALTY 617-462-0381 NEW CONSTRUCTION Welcome to Lagoon Ridge, Oak Bluffs’ newest and most soughtafter neighborhood. Build your 3bedroom dream home in this elevated enclave, set 95 feet above Lagoon Pond and capturing sweeping sky views, colorful sunsets, and refreshing sea breezes. This exceptional home site represents one of the final opportunities in this thriving new community.To be built — The Naushon — features 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and over 2,400 square feet of thoughtfully designed living space. A grand wrap-around covered porch provides a welcoming entry and the perfect place to enjoy morning coffee or cool evening breezes. Inside, the open-concept oor plan connects the chef’s kitchen with spacious living and dining areas, ideal for enter taining family and friends. Each bedroom suite includes a tiled en-suite bath with customizable fixtures and finishes, and the second- oor suites may offer private balconies for added relaxation. Classic Oak Bluffs cottage architecture meets modern comfort and energy e ciency, making The Naushon an ideal yearround or seasonal retreat. Lagoon Ridge offers direct access to conservation lands with wal king and biking trails, and nearby Lagoon Pond invites kayaking, sailing, and shell fishing. All utilities—electric, town water, and a private, state-ofthe-art Amphidrome wastewater system—are located at the street. This innovative system serves the entire neighborhood, providing convenience and peace of mind. Lagoon Ridge is a covenantprotected community with architectural review and professional management by First Property Management Co. This beautiful home site is ready for the construction of your Vineyard dream home. Eleven lots have sold—only two remain available. Call for details!
CLASSIC OAK BLUFFS VICTORIAN $2,575,000 MARILYN MOSES 617-462-0381 OCEAN PARK REALTY, INC Built in 1875 by renowned architect Samuel Pratt, this classic 4bedroom Victorian is just one block from the beach and moments to the harbor, ferries, shops, and restaurants. Enjoy water views from the mahogany wrap-around porch and private balcony. Historic charm is complemented by thoughtful updates, including mini-split heating and cooling, Harvey replacement windows, a rebuilt mahogany porch, newer roof, updated electrical, outdoor shower, and town water and sewer. Established rental history with 2026 bookings in place. Partially insulated 3-season home.
A12 classifieds
August 20, 2026
Real Estate
HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS
HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS
HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS
HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS
IMPROVED PRICE: $1,895,000** CONTACT MARILYN MOSES AT 617-462-0381 FOR MORE DETAILS! OCEAN PARK REALTY Discover the beauty of **THE PRESERVE at THE WOODLANDS** in the highly coveted Oak Bluffs community! This is your chance to own one of the last remaining building lots in this prime location, just moments away from town, beaches, harbor, ferry ports, and the Farm Neck Golf & Tennis Club. Underground utilities are already in place, making this rare offering perfect for developing your dream family compound. Enjoy a peaceful and private setting, surrounded by conservation land and trails ideal for hiking, walking, and biking. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to embrace the Oak Bluffs lifestyle!
OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 21 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 38G $527,500.00 Call or text Rene Ben David 508-847-4864 Ocean Park Realty Inc. Welcome to Unit 38G at the Island Inn, offering resort-style living in an exceptional Oak Bluffs location just steps from the beach. This desirable ground- oor end unit features a large glass slider opening to the patio, with stairs leading to the heated outdoor pool just a few feet away. Accommodating up to six guests, the unit features one bedroom with a queen bed, a separate sleeping area partially divided by a 4' wall with two single beds, a sofa bed, 1.5 baths, and a small kitchen with a two-burner cooktop. The Island Inn is a seasonal resort community, open April–October, with beautifully maintained grounds, heated pool, three association clay tennis courts, outd oor fire pits, and easy access to downtown Oak Bluffs, beaches, restaurants, shops, ferries, golf, and boating. The popular Noman’s outdoor family restaurant is directly next door, offering dining, cocktails, lawn games, live entertainment, and a pet-friendly atmosphere. Gulph Creek Management is conveniently located on site and handles rentals, bookings, cleaning, repairs, and maintenance. Just br ing your luggage and enjoy your piece of paradise! Ideal as a Vineyard getaway, investment, or combination of personal use and rental income. Showings during turnovers only, 10AM–3PM. Proof of funds required.
OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 27 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 9C $287,500.00 Call or text Rene Ben David 508-847-4864 Ocean Park Realty Inc. Welcome to 27 Island Inn, Unit 9C, an inviting Martha’s Vineyard retreat offering the perfect combination of personal enjoyment and rental opportunity. This comfortable studio accommodates up to four guests with two double beds, a full bath, kitchenette with a 2-burner cooktop, cable TV and free WiFi. A unique opportunity is adjoining Unit 10C, a separate 1-bedroom, 1-bath suite accommodating up to four guests with a queen bed, sofa bed, cozy living area, well-equipped kitchenette with 2-burner cooktop, and patio/deck. Units 9C and 10C can be enjoyed separately or together through the adjoining door. Each is being offered for sale separately, with the opportunity to pu rchase both together—ideal for additional family, guests or expanded rental possibilities. Island Inn is a seasonal resort, open April through October, offering a relaxed, pet-friendly setting with a heated outdoor pool, 3 association clay tennis courts, grilling areas, fire pits and spacious grounds. Directly next door is the popular and pet-friendly Noman’s, offering outdoor dining, cocktails, la wn games and entertainment. Ideally located between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, you’re minutes from beaches, golf, shops, restaurants, ferries and Oak Bluffs Harbor. On-site Gulph Creek Management handles virtually every aspect of the rental operation, including bookings, guest coordination, cleaning, repairs and maintenance. Just bring your luggage and enjoy your piece of paradise! Ideal as a Viney ard getaway, investment, or combination of personal use and rental income. Showings during turnovers only
OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 33 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 27F $260,000.00 CALL OR TEXT RENE BEN DAVID 508-847-4864 OCEAN PARK REALTY INC. Welcome to 27 Island Inn, Unit 27F, a comfortable studio offering the perfect combination of a Martha’s Vineyard getaway and rental opportunity. Accommodating up to four guests, this inviting unit features two double beds, one full bath, a convenient kitchenette, cable TV and free WiFi. Island Inn is a seasonal resort, open April through October, offering a relaxed, petfriendly setting with a heated outdoor pool, 3 association clay tennis courts, grilling areas, fire pits and spacious grounds. Directly next door is the popular pet-friendly Noman’s, featuring outdoor dining, cocktails, lawn games and entertainment. Ideally located between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, just minutes from beaches, golf, shops, restaurants, ferries and Oak Bluffs Harbor. On-site Gulph Creek Management handles virtually every aspect of the rental operation, including bookings, guest coordination, cleaning, repairs and maintenance, making ownership easy and convenient. Just bring your luggage and enjoy your piece of paradise! Ideal as a Vineyard getaway, investment, or combination of per sonal use and rental income. Showings during turnovers only, 10AM–3PM. Proof of funds required.
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LAND BANK
WEEKLY INCOME FY 2027, Year to Date:
1,886,172.92
MAIN HOUSE PLUS GUEST APT WITH ROOM FOR A POOL! 44 TIFFANY DRIVE Tucked away in a serene setting, and set on 1.38 private acres, this beautifully renovated 4BR/4.5BA Cape offers over 4,000 sq. ft. of living space, a gourmet kitchen, large living room with fireplace, dining room, large family room with propane fireplace o ce/game room, two ensuite bedrooms, multiple entertaining areas, a screened porch, and a separate one-bedroom guest apartment above the garage. All new appliances, windows, mini-splits. Listed for $2.80M, plus $50K will be put in escrow at closing for a pool, depending on the offer! Contact Perry Patterson, Realtor, MV Luxury Homes, 973-789-1264
$900,000 $850,000 $800,000 $750,000 $700,000 $650,000 $600,000 $550,000 $500,000 $450,000 $400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000
PRIVACY MEETS CONVENIENCE IN OAK BLUFFS JAYNE ISFORD | 203-962-4317 $1,795,000 Nestled at the end of a quiet street, this roomy and spacious Cape-style home offers privacy and convenience just a short distance to the Oak Bluffs School, town center, and within walking distance to the Lagoon. Sun-filled main level with open oor plan, large windows, and a generous kitchen with ample counter space, opening to the dining area. Sliders lead to a back deck, yard, and bluestone patio ..perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Radiant heated oors in the primary suite and lower-level playroom. Twocar garage with bonus space above. Beautiful stonework driveway. Updated furnace (2020) and water heater (2024).
$200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 0
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Weekly Registrar’s Report: Aug 14, 2026
Edgartown
Oak Bluffs
August 11, William G. Veno and Aubyn Barstrom Veno sold 177 West Tisbury Road to John Helzer and Christina Funston Thatcher Helzer for $1,695,000. August 13, Walter Morris and Eileen Morris, trustee of Morris Family Living Trust, sold 0 MV Harborside Inn Condo Unit 308 Week 25 to John Mendros and Nicholas Mendros for $15,000.
August 11, Sabrina R. Goldberg and the Estate of Patricia L. Irving sold 25 Pennacook Ave. to Keith Henry and Elizabeth Robinson Henry for $2,100,000. August 13, Michael D. Friedman, as an individual and trustee of 67 Monroe Avenue Realty Trust and Norman Friedman Living Revocable Trust, Katherine R. Friedman, trustee of 67 Monroe Avenue Realty
Trust, Mark Friedman, as an individual and trustee of Norman Friedman Living Revocable Trust, and Jennifer Friedman, sold 66 Monroe Ave. to Brenda Bryan and David Bryan for $1,200,000.
Tisbury August 11, Marc Brown and Laurene Brown sold 180 Pilot Hill Farm Road to DRS Pilot Hill LLC for $6,400,000.
OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 27 ISLAND INN UNIT 10C $310,000.00 CALL OR TEXT RENE BEN DAVID,508-847-4864 OCEAN PARK REALTY INC. Welcome to 27 Island Inn, Unit 10C, a comfortable one-bedroom, one-bath Martha’s Vineyard retreat offering an ideal combination of personal enjoyment and rental opportunity. Accommodating up to four guests, 10C features a queen bedroom, sofa bed, cozy living area, well-equipped kitchenette. A unique feature is the adjoining door to Unit 9C, a studio with two double beds, full bath and kitchenette. Units 9C and 10C are being offered for sale separately, with the opportunity to purchase both together—perfect for extended family, guests, or expanded rental possibilities while still allowing each unit to be used independently. Island Inn is a seasonal resort, open April through October, offering a relaxed, pet-friendly setting with a heated outdoor pool, 3 association clay tennis courts, grilling areas, fire pits and spacious grounds. Directly next door is the popular pet-friendly Noman’s, featuring outdoor dining, cocktails, lawn games and entertainment. Ideally located between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, just minutes from beaches, golf, shops, restaurants, ferries and Oak Bluffs Harbor. On-site Gulph Creek Management handles virtually every aspect of the rental operation, including bookings, guest coordination, cleaning, repairs and maintenance. Just bring your luggage and enjoy your piece of paradise! Ideal as a Vineyard getaway, investment, or combination of personal use and rental income. Showings during turnovers only, 10AM–3PM. Proof of funds required.
LAND-OAK BLUFFS
SOLD $1,150,000 MARILYN MOSES 617-462-0381 OCEAN PARK REALTY, OAK BLUFFS CLASSIC CAPE Charm meets modern e ciency in this move-in-ready 3-bedroom home. Thoughtfully maintained and beautifully presented, the home features sun-filled living spaces, an updated kitchen, and comfortable bedrooms designed for easy everyday living. Enjoy year-round comfort with energy-e cient minisplit systems providing both heating and air conditioning, offering costeffective climate control in every season. The finished basement adds valuable bonus space ideal for a media room, home o ce or workout room giving you the exibility to fit your lifestyle. Outside, a private yard offers the perfect setting for relaxing or entertaining. A wonderful opportunity for a year-round residence, vacation getaway, or investment. ..this classic Cape blends timeless style with modern upgrades.
Real Estate Transactions August 10 – 14, 2026
HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS
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@MARTHAS VINEYARDTIMES
OAK BLUFFS WATERVIEW LOT FOR SALE $1,200,000 PRICE REDUCED, NOW $1,049,000. CALL OR TEXT Rene Ben David's Cell 508-847-4864 OCEAN PARK REALTY Welcome to # 0 Temahigan Ave & Dover Street, Oak Bluffs. Build Your Martha’s Vineyard Dream Home. Rare opportunity to own a level, cleared corner lot in desirable Oak Bluffs, with paved roads bordering two sides, ready for construction of your Martha’s Vineyard dream home. Approved for up to 6 bedrooms, this exceptional property includes an approved 6-bedroom septic design, with room for a possible future pool. Located in the sought-after Eastville area, where many homes enjoy beautiful water views, this lot offers the potential to capture stunning views of Vineyard Sound and beyond from a thoughtfully designed home. Create a custom residence that embraces all the beauty and lifestyle Martha’s Vineyard has to offer. Enjoy a short walk to Eastville Beach, where you can take in spectacular sunsets, watch the ferries come and go, and experience the charm of island living. Just a short drive away, you’ll have access to everything that makes Oak Bluffs so special — additional beaches, shellfishing, swimming, boating, and the vibrant energy of Circuit Avenue, featuring boutique shopping, diverse restaurants, and convenient ferry service to and from the island via the iconic Oak Bluffs Harbor and nearby ports. This is more than just land — it’s an opportunity to create something truly special. Don’t just dream it — make it reality. Owning a piece of Martha’s Vineyard is an investment in a lifestyle you’ll never regret. Please include a preapproval or proof of funds with offer. Seller is offering a buyers broker consideration.
LAND-OAK BLUFFS
SOLD $1,200,000 NEW LISTING IN EAST CHOP OAK BLUFFS MARILYN MOSES 617-462-0381 .52 ACRES 66 Munroe Avenue and 17 Madison Avenue Oak Bluffs East Chop~Build your custom island retreat in coveted East Chop on this over onehalf acre parcel. Offering the potential for a 6 + bedroom residence, this exceptional homesite includes a topographic map and features expansive grounds that may accommodate a pool, subject to local approvals. Ideally located just minutes from the East Chop Beach Club, Oak Bluffs Harbor, beaches, ferries, restaurants, shops, and vibrant downtown Oak Bluffs. Buyers should perform their own due diligence with the appropriate town agencies to verify all information regarding building requirements, approvals and intended use. All offers should include proof of funds.
HOUSES-WEST TISBURY
WEST TISBURY NEW LISTING $1,399,000 Call or Text Marilyn Moses 617-462-0381 Coastal contemporary residence is located on a private 1.60-acre lot in West Tisbury, with convenient access to Long Point Wildlife Refuge and access to "Coveted" Lambert's Cove Beach. The home features four bedrooms and two full bathrooms. On the first oor, you'll find two bright bedrooms, a modernized bathroom, and sliders from the living area that lead to a new AZEK deck and enclosed fenced gardens, perfect for outdoor enjoyment. The open oor plan includes attractive beadboard ceilings that create a sense of space and light. Recent upgrades feature a remodeled kitchen with a tiled backsplash, granite countertops, and an LG induction stove along with matching stainless-steel appliances. The firstoor bathroom has been fully renovated with a tiled shower and glass door, tiled oor, new toilet, vanity/mirror, rainfall showerhead, and all new hardware. Additional updates include a newer roof, Azek window trim, an outdoor shower enclosure, and gutters with leaf guards. The basement has a 9-foot ceiling with four windows, providing potential for further finishing with town approval. Other improvements include updated plumbing and electrical systems, a new well pressure tank, new Culligan Water Filtration and Conditioning system, and a Generac whole-house generator installed in 2022.
classifieds A13
August 20, 2026
Classifieds RENTALS WANTED
Legal Notices
YARD SALES
YEAR-ROUND RENTAL WANTED Married professional couple seeking private year-round apartment, studio, guest house, or basement on Martha’s Vineyard. Responsible, employed locally, great score.(774)5638122
PORCH SALE Saturday, August 22, 9:00 to 2 o’clock, rain or shine at 143 Monroe Ave., Oak Bluffs. Harvard memorabilia, clothing, linens, jewelry, vintage Vineyard items, shell collection, shell flowers, carved bird, art work, 78 rpm records, 1927 crank up victrola, lawn game, books, doll house furniture, doll clothes,vintage glass and porcelain, vintage and antique furniture. Two Nantucket light ship molds. CHILMARK QUALITY AT OAK BLUFfS PRICES. Proceeds to charity. RAIN OR SHINE ESTATE AND YARD SALE Furniture, free beds, vacuums, bicycle, household items, patio set, free stuff Aquinnah state rd. near lighthouse. August 22,23 and 29,30 8 to 2pm
WINTER RENTALS
EDGARTOWN Furnished cottage, in town. Easy walk to town center, close to buses, on bike path, furnished. W/D. $2000 per month, Background checks and references required.1st and last month rent and collateral deposit. Utilities not included. No pets, no smoking. (201) 965-7628 VINEYARD HAVEN WINTER RENTAL 2 bed/1bath Causeway Condo Sept 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027. $3200/month plus utilities and security. Text 917-754-0720 WINTER RENTAL : OAK BLUFFS October 2026- May 2027 2 bedroom- 2 bath furnished house. Convenient location off street parking & Bus route. Full kitchen & laundry. No smoking, no pets. $2700 per month plus utilities Call : 508-221-0076
AUTO SALES
2013 TOYOTA RAV4 LE 73K miles. $15,000. Runs/drives great. Has a few cosmetic dents in the rear. 2005 Toyota Corolla LE 72K miles. Runs/drives great. Some cosmetic scratches. Both serviced at Courtesy Motors and Island Tire. Call or Text: 774-563-9535 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA LE 72K miles. Runs/drives great. Some cosmetic scratches. Both serviced at Courtesy Motors and Island Tire. Call or Text: 774-563-9535
APARTMENTS/ROOMS
RENTAL TRAILER WITH BATHROOM SHOWER IMMEDIATELY OR THRU DECEMBER. 1-2 people. Double bed/ kitchenette. Very basic but good vibe outside grill/ table. Text me 310-213-5472. $1000$1500 depending on specifics. STUDIO APARTMENT AND/OR BEDROOM. Private entrance apartment has full kitchen, bath, includes electicity. $2500 or less for individual. ROOM for individual $1400. Includes utilities. OakBluffsRental@yahoo.com WEST TISBURY YEAR ROUND One bedroom apartment, newly furnished, “;suitcase ready”;. Full size eat in kitchen/sitting room. Separate entrance, parking, all utilities included, laundry on site. Bus stop close by. One person, no smoking, no pets. Available September 1. $2300 monthly. References, security deposit plus first month. 774 563 0738. YEAR-ROUND W. TISBURY Studio apartment, one person, day-worker. No smokers, no pets. Avail. early Sept. Mostly furnished, or not. $1,700 mo. all utilities incl. First, last, security. Application & references. 508 693 9199.
2016 FORD FIESTA 34,900 miles. In good shape, is peppy, runs well. Edgartown. $6,250. 571-594-4542.
HARLEY HUGGER FOR SALE - 6000 MILES Call 508 939 0909. SEEKING GENTLY USED TRUCK Ideally, a smaller, 1/2 ton, non-4x4, no cab necessary. Thank you for calling! Island Alpaca Company 508-423-1443
SERVICES
FROM FLOORS TO FINISHES – WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED! • Floor Installation • Hardwood Sanding • Painting • Kitchen Remodeling Mult ooring.com 508 982 9675 MY HANDYMAN SERVICES/PROPERTY PAINT, DUMP RUN, TILE/STONE WORK, CARPENTRY, WINDOWS/ DOORS, SHINGLES, GUTTER CLEANUP, DECK REJUVENATE, POWER WASHER, ROOFS, BASEMENT/ GARAGE CLEAN UP, Certified Mold Inspector & Remediator, TENNIS COURT CLEANING, French Drain Installation. 508-684-0242., RENATO myhandymaninmv@gmail.com
WEDDING DIRECTORY
DAVIS POGGI OF EDGARTOWN AND GAYLE POGGI OF WEST TISBURY ANNOUNCE THE WEDDING OF THEIR DAUGHTER, TAYLOR RAE POGGI, TO EDWARD CHRISTOPHER FENIMORE ON APRIL 11, 2026. Parents of the groom are Edward and Susan Fenimore of Berwyn, Pa. The bride is an RN at Scripps Healthcare in San Diego. The groom is a capital markets consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. The couple resides in San Diego.
BOAT SALES
FUN IN THE SUN(FISH) 14ft sunfish in very good condition, complete w. sails, 2 center boards, 2 rudders. In addition, a nearly new trailer w. fat tire launching buggy. New cover for all. $3200 OBO. 508-693-1039.
FREE WESCO BOAT TRAILOR (1999/21 FT.) Has two new tires but needs bunk boards replaced! You haul it away! Call: 704-577-4258. FREE WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER. 5000 BTU. Call or text. 508-221-0076 JIGSAW PUZZLES SCRABBLE, PARCHEESI, ETC. Good/Excellent condition. $3-$12. 508-693-7472 -Call anytime, 7:30am-12:30pm is best.
LEGAL NOTICES W. TISBURY
LEGAL NOTICES OAK BLUFFS
WEST TISBURY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING On Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 5:30pm the ZBA will hold a public hearing at the TOWN HALL-2nd floor meeting room on an application for a Special Permit from Wesley Nagy to allow a one-year extension for the temporary use of a camping vehicle originally allowed through May 2026 during the construction of a single-family residence at 72 Rogers Path, Map 15 Lot 29.2 under Section 8.7-3 of the West Tisbury Zoning Bylaw in the RU district. Interested parties are invited to send comments via email to: zba@westtisbury-ma.gov or mail comments to: Zoning Board of Appeals, PO Box 278, West Tisbury, MA 02575. Please call 508-6960107 for information on the application.
the plan and applications are on file with the Planning Board in their offices in Town Hall, 56 School Street Oak Bluffs, and may be inspected between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Plans are also available online on the Town of Oak Bluffs’ Planning Board page: www.oakbluffsma.gov. Interested parties are invited to comment and attend the hearing. Zoom Link is as follows: https://oakbluffs.zoom.us/j/ 85054468080?pwd=bNabWQRYBvTPYjHV 8s8vygMHKkbb3Q.1 Please direct comments to: Administrator Oak Bluffs Planning Board PO Box 1327 Oak Bluffs, MA 02557 Phone: 508-693-3554 x 154 E-mail: planningboard@oakbluffsma.gov
SEALY TWIN MATTRESS (2) Excellent Condition/smoke and pet free. 100.00 each Call or text 508-221-7545. SOFA (3 CUSHIONS) 76”;l x 36”;d x 30”;h, tan with 2 throw pillows. $100 or best offer. Picture available. 215-962-0109 SONY CDP-CX53 50 DISC CD CAROUSEL CHANGER Light use, dependable, excellent quality component (we have one in use) PICS available. $65 508274-8131.
BARGAIN BOX ADS ARE FREE; CALL AND RENEW AFTER 2 WEEKS 24 words maximum • Maximum sale price is $100 Prices must be listed with each item.
LEGAL NOTICES OAK BLUFFS
TOWN OF OAK BLUFFS, MA PLANNING BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING SUNNY FIELD REALTY TRUST FORM C DEFINITIVE PLAN SUBDIVISION APPLICATION – AMENDED NOTICE In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 41, Section 81-T and 81-U, and the Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land in Oak Bluffs, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday August 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. via Zoom on the application of The Sunny Field Realty Trust, for approval of a definitive subdivision plan entitled Plan of Land in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts Prepared for Sunny Field Realty Trust designed by Schofield Barbini and Hoehn, dated July 29, 2026, located at assessor’s address “0 Sunny Field Road”, in proximity of County Road and Windy Hill Road, assessor’s map and parcel 12-126, and showing 4 proposed lots. A copy of
LEGAL NOTICES EDGARTOWN
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING EDGARTOWN CONSERVATION COMMISSION On Wednesday, September 26, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. the Edgartown Conservation Commission will hold a hearing via Zoom on a Notice of Intent filed by Suzan Bellincampi (Director of Felix Neck) on behalf of Mass Audubon under the Edgartown Wetlands Protection Bylaw and the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. The applicant is seeking permission to install a 0.5-mile All Persons Trail (APT) of unvegetated gravel, a pondside viewing platform, seating, handrails, a post and rope guiding system, interpretive elements, and accessibility improvements to the existing bird blind including ramps and changes to the existing doorway. The property is located at 100 Felix Neck Drive (AP Map 6, Lot 36). For a copy of the application or for questions related to participating in the meeting via Zoom, please contact: conservation@edgartown-ma.us
MARTHA’S VINEYARD
DISTRICT COURT REPORT July 24
BargainBox 3 FREE PILLOWS Clean, Gently used Great for Dorm Room or Rental. 508-627-8438. EARLY 1970S SUNFISH Sail, center board, rudder, etc. $99 obo. Call or txt Ken @ 917-838-9297. ELLIPTICAL TRAINER Smooth Fitness Model CE 3.2 Functional equipment but computer programming outdated. 508-807-2515. FREE 8 1/2x11 wool rug and gas grill. Mirror 48x32. $10.00. 508-662-1415.
LEGAL NOTICES W. TISBURY THE WEST TISBURY COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE WEST TISBURY PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, 454 STATE ROAD, WEST TISBURY ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 AT 5:30 PM. The meeting can also be accessed remotely via zoom at https://us06web.zoom. us/j/89869984598?pwd=IhBU2LLasWPAGqSYsigKVfcn0ndMrP.1 Meeting ID 898 6998 4598 Passcode 264320. The hearing will be held to present information on the Community Preservation Act and the availability of funding for projects that preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. Information on the application process can be accessed at: https:// www.westtisbury-ma.gov/government/community_preservation_ committee/application_process.php WEST TISBURY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING On Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 5:15pm the ZBA will hold a public hearing at the TOWN HALL-2nd floor meeting room on an application for a Special Permit from Vineyard Land Surveying & Engineering, Inc. on behalf of Craig and Lissa Millett to allow the construction of a 900 sq. ft. Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) requiring 24 feet of rear and 33 feet of side yard setback relief on a pre-existing non-conforming lot under Section 4.33D of the West Tisbury Zoning Bylaw at 26 Middle Rd., Map 32 Lot 18.1, in the RU district. Interested parties are invited to send comments via email to: zba@westtisbury-ma.gov or mail comments to: Zoning Board of Appeals, PO Box 278, West Tisbury, MA 02575. Please call 508-696-0107 for information on the application.
Michael J. Pitiger, 38, Fairhaven; assault on family/household member, intimidation of witness/juror/police/court official, arraigned and released on personal recognizance, continued to pretrial hearing.
July 27 Marizete S. Costa, 41, Edgartown; operating under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, arraigned and held, bail set at $500 with potential for bail revocation, continued to pretrial hearing.
July 28 Daiyuonte R. Reed, 33, Oak Bluffs; operating motor vehicle with license suspended, motor vehicle lights violation, arraigned and released on personal recog-
BUSINESSES MAY LIST FREE ITEMS ONLY. NO LISTINGS FOR ANIMALS. LISTED FLOWERS, GARDEN PLANTS, FIREWOOD, AND MANURE MUST BE FREE.
nizance, continued to pretrial hearing.
July 30 Ualas Grouga Alves, 38, Edgartown; marked lanes violation, speeding rate of speed exceeding posted limit, no inspection sticker, unregistered motor vehicle, uninsured motor vehicle, possession of open container of alcohol in motor vehicle, arraigned and held, condition to remain alcohol-free, bail set at $1,000 with potential for bail revocation, continued to bench trial.
July 31 Kevin F. Almeida, 20, Oak Bluffs; speeding rate of speed greater than was reasonable or proper, marked lanes violation, negligent operation of motor vehicle, leaving scene of property damage, marked lanes violation, arraigned
and released on personal recognizance, continued to pretrial hearing.
August 2 Mark L. Sauer, 76, Edgartown; third offense, operating under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, no inspection/sticker, arraigned and held, bail set at $500 with potential for bail revocation, continued to pretrial hearing.
August 6 Hannah E. Fobert, 29, Marblehead; operating under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, open container of alcohol in motor vehicle, arraigned and held, bail set at $100 with potential for bail revocation, continued to pretrial hearing.
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A14
news
August 20, 2026
Three local soccer players selected for Olympic program
From left, Mateus de Assis, Thales Fernandes, and Rafael Assis.
NICHOLAS VUKOTA
“They are 12 years old,” Geis said. He noted that experience through the ODP “is a big step” that “hopefully sparks that further interest, so they can want to see more.” Fernandes, born and raised on the Island, began playing soccer at roughly 6 years old. He started as a defender, but now plays left attack. Fernandes said he learned to love the sport from his father, Flauber Fernandes de Souza. Fernandes described a philosophy taught to him that helped him improve. He calls it “the art of losing.” “I don’t think anybody in life likes losing, and I’m really
competitive, so when I lose, I try to learn from it. I don’t accept defeat; I take it as a learning moment,” Fernandes said. He described the call to compete at ODP both a surprise and a longer-term goal. “A long time ago, I said the hard work was going to pay off, but I’m surprised to see how far I have come,” Fernandes said. Fernandes said his goal is to play professional soccer one day, and make his family proud. “I hope to prove my parents right and go pro. Just seeing your son [as] a professional soccer player would make
my mom feel like she’s done well, and that’s my goal,” Fernandes said. In an email sent by Assis’ mother, Aline Lucas, she called her son “the Bull,” because of his strength, determination, and heart when he plays. “He never gives up on a play and always fights until the final whistle,” said Lucas in the email to The Times. “His grit and passion inspire everyone around him.” Assis moved to the Island from Brazil in 2021, and plays midfield. Soccer was central to his childhood, he said, but when he first came to Martha’s Vineyard, he was worried about his soccer career. “Ever since I got here, I felt nervous at first, because I wasn’t sure if I would find a soccer team,” Assis said. He eventually found MVU, moved into travel soccer, and later was invited to try out for the ODP. “It felt really big, because the Island we live on is really small,” Assis said. “It’s crazy how we were the ones who got selected for this big tournament.” Assis’ goal is also clear. “I want to make it professionally,” he said. Assis’ mother, Lucas, said her son is quieter, and more reserved than most kids his age, but “he lets his game speak for itself.” “[He is] calm, thoughtful, and intelligent; every move he shows that you don’t have to be the loudest to make a difference. His humility, dedication, and love for the game shine through every match,” she said.
drafting an agreement with the Edgartown parks department to allow access between Wasque Reservation and the segment of Norton Point, another popular fishing spot, still connected to the rest of Chappy. The restoration is a boon for anglers, especially since the more-than-monthlong 81st annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Blue-
fish Derby is scheduled to begin on Sept. 13. “Since the Derby’s inception, our participants have fished this stretch of shoreline extensively. It has produced countless weigh-ins and numerous winning fish, including last year’s shore bluefish winner,” a letter from the Derby committee supporting the Trustees read. “Restoring OSV access to Wasque is especially
The Martha’s Vineyard United members head to Florida in January. BY NICHOLAS VUKOTA
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hree local soccer players who play on the nonprofit Martha’s Vineyard United (MVU) travel team, were selected for the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a youth soccer pipeline that identifies and develops talent across the country. Rafael Assis, Mateus de Assis, and Thales Fernandes earned the spots through weekly ferry trips for extra practice and exposure and dedication to improvement, the young locals said. “It’s amazing to see how they have grown over the past five years, and they are just kids, only 12,” Lena Queirós, mother of Fernandes, said. “A lot of good things have happened to them, but they had to work really hard. They are patient, competitive, and very friendly, and they try their best to do everything right, and I think they really deserve it.” Tommy Geis, technical director for Massachusetts Youth Soccer, the host organization for the Olympic Development Program in the state, said the boys have gone above and beyond. “On the Vineyard, their access to soccer is challenging [in and of] itself. Everything they have to do, they have to travel for. There’s a lot of soccer on the Vineyard, but when they want different op-
portunities, they have to get on the boat multiple times a week to get what most kids on the mainland can do in 25 or 45 minutes of driving,” Geis said. The ODP is a high-level soccer training initiative run by Massachusetts Youth Soccer for athletes 12 and over. Assis, de Assis, and Fernandes will travel to Florida from Jan. 14 to 18 for an ODP event that is a primary evaluation phase in front of national team scouts and collegiate coaches at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Orlando, Fla.
Restored Chappy trail: A boon for fishermen and beachgoers The Trustees of Reservations plan a vehicle land route between Wasque and Leland beaches. BY EUNKI SEONWOO
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n oversand vehicle (OSV) trail on Chappaquiddick Island that was inaccessible for years due to erosion has been restored, just over a month before the Vineyard’s premier fishing tournament begins. The Edgartown conservation commission unanimously voted on Wednesday, August 12, to reauthorize the Trustees of Reservations’ operation of a 450-foot trail that connects its Wasque Reservation and the state-owned Leland Beach, opening a vehicular land route between two fishing hot spots on the southeastern corner of Chappy. “Everybody’s going to be so happy,” Darci Schofield, the Trustees Islands director, said after receiving the approval. The eroded trail has been closed since at least 2022, when Schofield joined the Trustees, and was not included in the previous OSV
trail proposal approved last year. But a series of storms that pummeled the Island between December 2024 and January 2025 shifted the sand in a way that the closed trail’s area grew to more than three acres, making it large enough for vehicles. The Trustees plan to work with Poucha Partners LLC, which owns Wasque Point, the property the path goes around, to manage it. Schofield said the new trail will be nine feet at its widest. “Most importantly, it’s the area where we have a rip, [which] is a very popular fishing destination,” Schofield said. She also said the new trail will not cause disturbances, as it goes over bare sand and won’t impact the area’s dunes, which act as natural buffers for inland areas from coastal storms and floods. Schofield said the trail will be managed based on state guidelines for managing barrier beaches and protecting
shorebirds while allowing recreational use, and on the Trustees’ management plan for Cape Poge, Leland, and Wasque. Schofield also said the trail would close depending on the beach conditions. These include erosion shrinking the corridor, which Schofield said was likely in the next two years with the “migration of the breach” that cut off Chappaquiddick from the rest of Edgartown in January, and a rare species being in the area, such as when endangered piping plovers nested and hatched chicks in Wasque Point this year for the first time in a very long time. Despite Edgartown conservation commission approval, the Trustees are awaiting feedback on their plan from MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, as the proposed area is designated by the state as priority habitat for rare species. The Trustees are also
De Assis, also born and raised on-Island, plays attack and midfield. De Assis said his father, Torbelly de Assis, also ignited his interest in the sport, buying him jerseys and small soccer balls from a young age and watching Brazil games with him. Lucas said de Assis “brings joy wherever he goes.” He is “playful and full of energy off the field. He dazzles on the field with his quick feet, creative dribbles, and ability to weave past defenders with ease,” Lucas said. “He reminds us that soccer is not only about competition but also about creativity and happiness.” De Assis said he loves soccer because it’s a fun sport, but it’s challenging too. “It requires a lot of determination and discipline,” de Assis said. He credits their achievement to their dedication to the sport, traveling offIsland frequently, running drills with coaches, and playing pickup with his friends whenever he can. “Ever since we started with MVU, they told us that if we work hard and have discipline, we could achieve this moment. It feels really good,” he said. “We’re going to Florida in January, and I’m just really excited.” “The goal is to become a professional soccer player, and it’s my parents’ dream to see me up there,” he said. Lucas said she couldn’t be prouder of the three boys. “I am proud not only of the athletes they are becoming, but also of the respectful, humble, and kind young men they are off the field,” she said.
important for many longtime Derby participants, particularly older anglers and those with mobility challenges.” Still, how long the trail will be accessible is uncertain. “It has a long history of being closed and then opened, because Wasque is the most dynamic of our beaches,” Mary Dettloff, Trustees public relations director, told The Times.
COURTESY EDGARTOWN CONSERVATION COMMISSION
A map showing the restored trail, bolded, connecting Wasque Reservation and Leland Beach.
news A15
August 20, 2026
fishing report
W
ow! What a week we had last week. August tourists. August heat. Ag Fair. And … fins. Many of us were filled with unbridled joy when rumors of bonito from shore were confirmed and then witnessed. I, for one, grabbed my rod and spent almost every morning and some early evenings casting in and around Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, as well as a glorious Sunday morning at Lobsterville. The only morning I skipped the beach was Thursday, when I picked vegetables from my garden in the rain and drove up to the Ag Hall to drop off entries for the 164th Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair. One day a year, the zucchini, tomatoes, beans, peppers, eggplant, kale, carrots, summer squash, and all the herbs and flowers are more important than fishing. Hey, a girl’s got to have accompaniments to go with all that yummy fish. With the vegetables checked in, I returned to my primary focus: catching that first bone of 2026. If I was driving near water, I was glancing over, and pulling over. One morning, I was headed toward the drawbridge and saw fish breaking fairly close to the wall. I parked, grabbed my bonito rod, and climbed onto the wall. I cast and cast, but kept coming up empty. I saw J.R. Thomas further down the wall. We waved and walked toward each other. We moved up and down the wall, toward Vineyard Haven and back toward the drawbridge, following those fish who continued to swim just out of casting range.
Fair, friends, and fins No matter how many times I saw fish breaking, they were always out of casting range. This did not deter me. Sooner or later, those speeding tuna were going to take a pass along the beach. I’d come close, or the fish had come close, one night. They’d come so close that I’d waded into the water in shorts to see if I could get close enough. I didn’t, but I gave myself an A for effort. A few nights later I drove to Eastville and walked out on the jetty. I’d heard that Doug Asselin, who works at Dick’s Bait and Tackle, had caught a shark off the jetty a night or two before.
Sure enough, as I was casting, a fin poked out of the water. Then another fin. Then the shark was fully visible and swimming alongside the jetty. Fishing was done. There was no way a bonito, or any fish, was going to swim toward a hungry shark. I needed to chat with Doug. The following afternoon, I drove over to Dick’s. Doug was behind the counter, and we started talking about sharks. “I was on the jetty last week,” said Doug. “A guy was there scup fishing. He got a fluke. It was too small,
1
so he threw it back, but the fish flipped and got stuck on the rocks. A few minutes later, a shark comes up on the rocks and grabs it.” I could totally picture that shark. I’d been at Edgartown Light fishing during the Derby a few years ago when a guy near me on the point reeled in an albie. As he reached down to unhook the fish, a shark jumped at the beach, snatched the fish, barely missing the guy’s hand, and took off with the albie. The guy screamed, but all of us were startled. Doug went back to the jetty a couple of nights later.
BY LISA BELCASTRO
“I worked all day, got off, grabbed a pack of mackerel, and went to see if I could catch that shark,” said Doug. “The bait wasn’t in the water for 20 minutes, and I was on.” Doug walked down the jetty, reeling the shark to the beach, snapped the hook, and released the brown shark back into the water. Doug’s noticed what most of us fishing have noticed. “Every shoreline has a sixto seven-foot brown shark. They are everywhere this year,” said Doug. Is it the same sharks? How many sharks? Are the sharks
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BRAD BENN
3
DOUG ASSELIN
1. Doug Asselin landed this brown shark on Eastville Beach on Saturday night. 2. Brad and Justin Benn visited the Island last week and had two fintastic trips aboard the Skipper, catching dinner both times. 3. A beautiful bonito — fins, stripes, and sharp teeth. May there be a big one in my future during the Derby. LISA BELCASTRO
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scaring away the fish? Why are there so many more this year? Doug and I threw out answers, but in the end we decided that what we need is a shark study, an official shark study tagging sharks and tracking them. Something to plan after the 81st Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, over the long, cold winter months. While I was chasing fish, a few people staying in my home were catching fish. They’ve visited the Island every summer for decades. Part of their Island vacation tradition is a charter aboard the Skipper. This year, Brad Benn and his son Justin went out Wednesday morning, and had so much fun, they decided to go out again on Friday afternoon. I know I wrote about John Potter and the Skipper last week, but these are facts. We’re catching fish and having fun aboard the Skipper. I promise you, I have no ownership in the Skipper, and I don’t get a commission, or even free fish. I simply love how easy it is for people to hop aboard the Skipper and experience the pleasure of catching dinner. I can tell you that the Benn family, including mom Jen, enjoyed their fresh catch hot off the grill only hours after the guys reeled it in. Pair that fresh fish with blue-ribbon vegetables harvested minutes before from the garden, and you have a better meal than you could order at any restaurant. I hope to see you on the beach, where the fish are close and we’re reeling in dinner. Twenty-six days, four hours, and 25 minutes. #IYKYK.
A16
sports
news
August 20, 2026
sports@mvtimes.com
Softball: A favorite local summer pastime The Highlanders are back-to-back men’s softball league champions. BY NICHOLAS VUKOTA
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he Highlanders captured their second straight men’s softball league championship last Thursday night, taking down the Brewhas 16–9 in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals. The Highlanders also took Game 1 on Monday last week in the seven-inning game and closed out the series in a comeback Thursday, tacking on a number of runs in the later innings to take the win. The softball league on Martha’s Vineyard, which has both a women’s and a men’s league, plays at Veterans Field in Vineyard Haven, and locals and summer visitors alike take part in the beloved pastime. The
games are played later in the day, and as the sun sets, the floodlights come on. The Highlanders are made up mostly of up-Island locals, and the Brewhas mostly of local emergency service workers, from Police to EMS and Fire. Trailing 6–2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Highlanders loaded the bases before newcomer Silas Abrams launched a three-run home run. The home team tacked on two more runs with singles for an 8–6 lead. After holding the Brewhas scoreless in the top of the sixth inning, the Highlanders erupted at the plate, scoring eight more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Team captain
Jock Cooperrider contributed a three-run homer during the onslaught, stretching the lead to 16–6. The Brewhas snuck a few runs in at the top of the seventh inning, but the Highlanders played solid defense to hold their lead and close out the game 16–9. “Silas’ home run was big. That was definitely a gamechanger, got everybody off the bench and psyched up,” Cooperrider said in an interview with The Times. “His three-run home run definitely changed the vibe of the game. We were down four runs.” For the Highlanders, Abrams played shortstop in place of Aksel Cooperrider, who was out with an injury. He is one of several newcom-
said. “We do stuff outside of softball together, and I think that shows up on the field.” For Cooperrider, the summer season is about more than just winning, it’s about camaraderie, and social engagement. Highlander Benny Madeiras pitching. “It’s someNICHOLAS VUKOTA thing fun to look forward to in the summer. A lot of us ers who have joined the team played Little League growover the past couple years. ing up. There’s men’s leagues Other recent joiners include for different sports you can Jacoby Light, a local high play, but this is one of the few school graduate who attends where you can come down Lasell University, and Benny and socialize, and that’s a big Madeiras, who Cooperrider piece of it,” Cooperrider said. called “a great pitcher.” “It’s got a good combination Cooperrider has led the of less pressure, you’re out Highlanders as captain for the past six years. He said the there in hats and sweatpants, you’re not putting on gear team is made up of a tightknit group of friends, and the and jerseys, but there’s a lot of competitiveness. Nobody chemistry shows. “We have a really close squad. We all grew wants to lose, and there’s a lot of camaraderie, and up together,” Cooperrider
those two balance really well for that league.” Cooperrider said this is the first time the Highlanders have won the title two consecutive years. “Back to back, that was a big one. I don’t think we ever won the championship twice in a row, so that was something we’re excited to do,” Cooperrider said. “We go down there all summer a couple days a week, and we have ups and downs, and there’s nights you don’t feel like going down after work, but [the win] makes it all worth it.” The women’s softball league, which also plays at Veterans Field from June to the middle of August, has its third game in the best-ofthree championship series scheduled for Thursday, August 20, at 6:15 pm. The Creamers and the Snaps are facing off for the championship title. The Snaps beat the Creamers in game one earlier this month, but the Creamers kept themselves alive last Friday, winning in a close game 7–6.
The coolest hockey mask BY NICHOLAS VUKOTA
C
hristopher Hathaway, a 13-year-old hockey goalie on the Island, arrived at hockey camp last week in Oak Bluffs with a new mask that left his teammates in awe. The custom design was created by Sean McHale, a professional goalie-mask painter who works with college and professional players and lives on-Island in the summer. Hathaway, who plays for the Martha’s Vineyard Mariners Under-12 travel hockey team, said he had a clear vision for the mask. The mask features the Edgartown Lighthouse on the top, the Mariners logo on the side of the helmet, an outline of Martha’s Vineyard on the backplate, and the former Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School logo above the Island’s outline. But most notably, Hathaway wanted to have a Louis Vuitton–inspired pattern that replaced the company’s signature “LV” with “MV” for Martha’s Vineyard. “I was scrolling through the custom masks, and I saw a Louis Vuitton custom one, and I thought we could take the ‘LV’ and make it an ‘MV,’ and that’s what I
wanted for the mask,” Hathaway said in an interview with The Times. “I asked him to add some sparkles to it to make it shine, and we redid the back of it so that it faded from purple into gold.” Hathaway said when he showed his friends at hockey camp, they loved it, and teammates said it was the coolest mask they had ever seen. McHale, who’s spent the last 13 summers on Martha’s Vineyard, maintains a studio in Katama. “It’s the first time I got to paint Martha’s Vineyard,” McHale said. “Chris had some interesting ideas. He wanted a gold flake. He wanted the mask to sparkle on ice, and he had an idea of using a Louis Vuitton pattern.” McHale grew up playing goalie himself, and began painting his own masks because he couldn’t afford multiple new ones a year. An engineer by trade, McHale said he turned his love for hockey and art into a business about four years ago, after his wife encouraged him to chase his dream. McHale said a mask usually takes two to three weeks to finish. He said one thing he loves about his job is col-
laborating with people and families who love hockey. “I love it when it comes together at the end. To take some ideas, put them on paper first and turn them into reality,” he said. “It’s not like they just picked it off the shelf. It’s very unique to them.” McHale said that finding other elements of joy
PHOTOS: COURTESY SEAN MCHALE
Left, Chris Hathaway’s new helmet. Above, Sean McHale, left, and Chris Hathaway.
in sports is valuable, especially for young athletes, because it’s a new reason to love the sport. “I think things like equipment can add to that,” he said.
Hathaway’s father, Chris Hathaway, who also played goalie throughout his life, and is a regular in the local men’s league, said the position offers a rare chance
for self-expression through unique equipment, unlike in other sports. Chris said he never had a custom goalie mask of his own, and he wanted to give his son a chance to experience it. “He took [the reins] of the whole design, and all I did was make the emails,” said Chris in an interview with The Times. “It came out absolutely amazing, way more than I ever expected.”
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The younger Hathaway said he fell in love with the goalie position after volunteering to play when his team needed one. After attending camps regularly throughout the summer, he said, the new mask adds to the fun, and he wouldn’t have changed a thing about the final product. “He made it perfect, just how I wanted it,” Hathaway said.
THE PEOPLE, TOWNS, AND STORIES OF ISLAND LIFE + RESTAURANTS, GALLERIES & ENTERTAINMENT
T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 20 , 2026
NEW CHAPTE RS Black Book Festival writes a literary legacy. bySharisse
SO FOCUSED PHOTOGRAPHY
SEE B2
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community & calendar
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C E L E B R A T I N G
here are some spaces you attend, and then there are spaces you feel. The third annual Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival was one of those spaces. You could feel it before anyone even opened a book. On Saturday, August 15, the Island Inn Conference Center in Oak Bluffs became a literary gathering place. Conversations unfolded inside the conference center and beneath the tent, both areas creating space to meet authors, discover their work, and continue conversations long after a panel ended. Bunch of Grapes Bookstore transformed one area into a festival bookshop, bringing together titles from the featured authors so that a story heard in one space could become the book you carried home from another. Authors, readers, and literary enthusiasts moved easily between it all, giving the festival an intimacy that felt almost like being welcomed into an ongoing conversation. And it arrived during an August when that kind of intentional Black gathering seemed to be happening all around us. The Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival centered Black stories on the screen. HBCU Legacy Week celebrated the institutions that have educated and shaped generations of Black leaders. Across the Island, countless other gatherings created space for Black art, culture, entrepreneurship, history, joy, and community. The Black Book Festival added the written word to that larger conversation — a place not only to gather around our stories, but to preserve them in our own words. Part of what made the scene at the Island Inn so powerful was remembering that none of it should be taken for granted. There were generations before us for whom literacy itself was deliberately restricted, whose stories were excluded from publishing, and whose voices were too often documented by others rather than preserved in their own words. Black writers have had to fight not only for the freedom to tell our stories, but for access to the institutions, publishers, bookshelves, and audiences that determine which stories are deemed worthy of being read. Against that history, the scene before me carried a different weight. Here were Black authors sitting behind tables bearing their own names. Black readers chose which stories they wanted to carry home. Conversations centered not on whether our experiences were worthy of being documented, but on the extraordinary range of what we had to say. The celebration felt hard-
August 20, 2026
I S L A N D
D I V E R S I T Y
bySharisse
Welcome by MVBBF founder and CEO Traci Wilkes Smith.
Full tent of attendees listen intently during a panel discussion at the third annual MVBBF.
Walter Mosley speaks during “Amistad: Sustaining the Story" panel, moderated by April Ryan, with fellow author Morgan Radford. SO FOCUSED PHOTOGRAPHY
FROM THE
PORCH TO THE LAWN A new chapter in Black literary legacy.
earned. And people showed up accordingly. Guests arrived dressed in their best — bold colors, beautiful prints, statement pieces, and personal style filling the lawn. There was an intentionality in how people showed up for one another. In a festival dedicated to storytelling, the books may have been at the center, but they weren’t the only things speaking. Fashion became its own language: an expression of identity, creativity, culture, and the understanding that gathering to celebrate Black literature was, itself, an occasion worth dressing for. Then came the conversations. The laughter. The stories. The brilliance. This wasn’t simply a gathering of authors promoting books. It was Black stories being exchanged across generations, professions, and experiences — and a reminder of what becomes possible when we create intentional spaces to tell them. For festival founder and CEO Traci Wilkes Smith, creating this gathering feels like both an extension of her professional life spent championing storytellers and a continuation of a much longer literary tradition on Martha’s Vineyard. A summer resident of Oak Bluffs who is married to fourthgeneration Vineyarder Charles Smith, Wilkes Smith did not simply bring a book festival to the Island; she created one in a place where Black writers, thinkers, and families have long gathered in community. Now, only three years in, the festival is carving out its own place in that lineage — bringing contemporary Black authors and readers together on the same Island where generations before them gathered, wrote, and exchanged ideas. “It’s such an honor to be able to lift up Black literature on Martha’s Vineyard, this historic space for literacy. We know Dorothy West and all of the people who went to her home and sat on her porch. This is an opportunity for us to not necessarily be on the porch, but to be on the lawn — to be at the center, in community and fellowship, where our ancestors were. These books are living. They’re talking about legacy, empowerment, and sustainability. These are the times when we need to be doing more of that. It’s just an honor to be in this space with these brilliant writers, and to be able to lift them up.” That image stayed with me: from the porch to the lawn. Generations ago, Black writers, thinkers and creatives gathered in homes and on porches across this Island. Today, that tradition continues in new forms — and new generations are finding their place within it. I met 17-year-old Aaliyah Continued on B8
community & calendar B3
August 20, 2026
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Horse Radio” on SiriusXM’s Beatles Channel. August 27, 7 pm, Old Whaling Church. Tickets: https:// circuitarts.thundertix.com/ events/264442. Artist Bio: https://johncraigie.com/about.
MVPCS to host community open house
John Cragie
CARLY MONTGOMERY
Acclaimed singersongwriter John Craigie at the Old Whaling Church Circuit Arts welcomes singer-songwriter John Craigie to the Old Whaling Church for an evening of music and storytelling, presented in partnership with MVY Radio. With songs rooted in honesty, humor, and human connection, Craigie has become one of today’s most beloved independent touring artists, captivating audiences with his engaging stage presence and deeply personal songwriting. His most recent album, “I Swam Here,” was released
in February 2026. Written and recorded between New Orleans and Astoria, Ore., it reflects the landscapes and communities that shaped its creation. Collaborating with a close-knit circle of musicians including longtime friend Anna Moss, Craigie crafts a collection that balances Gulf Coast warmth with Pacific Northwest introspection. The result is an album that feels both intimate and expansive, inviting listeners into stories that linger long after the final note. The concert will feature an opening set by country singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell, host of “Dark
CelebratingOur MVRHSGrads
Ryan Barbini Helping to protect the world. BY MARGE HARRIS
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yan Barbini, class of 1996, has good memories of high school, especially good friends and playing soccer and hockey. A very prominent memory, which he immediately mentioned, was the death of a favorite teacher, Lou Toscano, his mathematics teacher. Losing him in his
junior year really stuck with Ryan. However, a memory that brought joy to him was the annual one-week Close Up* trip to Washington, D.C. He loved being in D.C., not only with Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) students, but with teens from all over the country, learning about the U.S. government up close. Ryan knew that he wanted
The Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School (MVPCS) invites current and prospective families to attend a community open house on Monday, August 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Families will have an opportunity to meet the school’s new leaders, and hear about the vision of the Charter School for the upcoming academic year. The event is open to both returning families and those interested in learning whether MVPCS may be the right fit for their children. Light refreshments will be served. Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, 424 State Road, West Tisbury.
Colonial Tavern Night Mark America’s 250th with an interactive Colonial Tavern Night. For one night only, participants are invited to enjoy 18th century–inspired drinks and bites and traditional games, while experiencing the social life of Revolutionary-era Amer-
to pursue his education in some area of science or math, so he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in chemical engineering. In his studies, he figured that he would aim toward some aspect of biomedical or pharmaceuticals. He returned summers to the Vineyard, where he worked with his dad in land surveying. After graduation, Ryan, in a change from his original plan, secured a position at Raytheon in the defense industry. During this time, he married his wife, Chelsea, and today they live in Pepperell with their two kids. Their son is in college, and their daughter (in another year or so) will also make that leap. Ryan has worked with Raytheon for more than 25 years, first supporting the assembly of component parts before transitioning into project management. Currently, Ryan works for a smaller defense company as a program manager, working on submarines. He feels strongly that Raytheon and his current company not only
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ica. Live music by Deirdre Sweeney and Al Petty, professional musicians specializing in Colonial-era tunes and instruments. 21-plus with valid ID required. Friday, August 28, 5 to 7 pm. Cooke House, 51 Cooke St., Edgartown. Martha’s Vineyard Museum members $50, nonmembers $60. Register at mvmuseum. org/registration-08-28-26.
Stories of healthcare and healing The Vineyard Haven library will welcome Donna Bulseco, editor of “Where It Hurts: Dispatches from the Emotional Frontlines of Medicine,” and Ryn Gluckman, emergency department nursing director at Martha's Vineyard Hospital, for a conversation about this newly released collection of essays, short stories, and poems. Healthcare workers are heroes, healers, and confidants, but they’re also human beings who struggle with burnout, doubt, frustration, fear, loneliness, shame, and anger. “Where It Hurts” shares the stories of more than 60 medical professionals, offering a window into the daily highlights and difficulties of the healthcare industry. From funny stories to heartrending and heart-mending tales of connection between doctors and patients, “Where It Hurts” shows us what it
provide him a livelihood but that he is a part of contributing to the progress of the U.S. in understanding defense systems protecting and connecting our world. Obviously, Ryan, from those early days in our government class as well as that special week in D.C., has taken the role of being an active citizen very seriously. I, one of his former teachers, am so glad that Ryan is part of always improving our defense systems. Thank you, Ryan! *Close Up Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic education organization that believes a strong democracy requires active, informed participation by all citizens. Its goal is to inspire every person to find their voice, and to help young people develop critical skills for tackling the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Marge Harris was a teacher at MVRHS for 27 years. You can contact her at margeharris@comcast.net. This column appears twice a month.
A Monthly Newsletter from your local Councils on Aging and the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living Find helpful information on Veterans Services, Travel News, Activities, Individual Town Councils on Aging and more! To place your ad email, adsales@mvtimes.com or call 508-693-61 0.
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means to truly be human. Donna Bulseco is a journalist and editor who holds a graduate degree in English from Brown University and in narrative medicine from Columbia University. Through the years, she has published work in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, InStyle, Self, and the Purist. As editor in chief of Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, a literary journal recognized as a leader in the medical humanities world, Bulseco works with an editorial board of clinicians, educators, and writers, who review and select from more than 1,000 submissions a year to produce the journal. She edited “Where It Hurts: Dispatches from the Emotional Frontlines of Medicine,” this year. Ryn Gluckman, BSN, RN, has been an emergency nurse for more than 18 years, and is currently the nurse director of the emergency department at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. She received a nursing degree at the University of Massachusetts in 2008, and earned a BA in pre-law and sociology from Hampshire College in 2001. In addition to working as a frontline and nursing leader, Gluckman has served as an educator at the University of Vermont and faculty member in the Allied Health Program for the Community College of Vermont. Throughout her
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career, Gluckman has been committed to amplifying nursing voices and ethics, elevating nursing practice as a powerful tool for social change, and centralizing the principles of justice, inclusion, and equity in nursing culture. She is currently a candidate for a master’s degree in the Disaster Resilience Leadership Program at Tulane University, with a focus on alternative models of healthcare delivery. Tuesday, August 25, at 6 pm. Vineyard Haven library, 200 Main St., Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required. For more information, email vhpl_programs@clamsnet. org or call 508-696-4211
Live Music: Mike Mok and the Em-Tones Join Mike Mok and the Em-Tones for a live rock ’n’ roll performance on Friday, August 21, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. The concert will feature singer Mike Mok (guitar) with his longtime musical partners J.J. Murphy (drums) and Grey Albert (bass). The trio will showcase their signature mix of bluesy rock ’n’ roll, swing, doo-wop, and surf. This program is free, and all are welcome. On the porch of the West Tisbury library, 1042 State Road. westtisburylibrary.org/publiclibrary.
POET’S C O R N E R
The Deer by Linda Zeltzer There I was biking down North Road. The air smelled green and up ahead was a truck off to the side, stopped. “Animal ambulance,” the driver said, “come to haul away the dead deer.” I don’t know what happened there was no visible sign. She seemed alert taut with expectancy clear eyes big as chestnuts looked right into mine. She must have known when you emerge from cover there is always risk. How many times, then, did she leave, trusting or needy and lulled by the tendrils of dawn, to secure whatever it was she was after? Linda Zeltzer lives in Chilmark, and is the author of the children’s book “Code Name KC: A True Account of One Osprey.” Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems of 120 words or fewer to m@mwest.com. Please also include a two- to three-sentence bio at the end of your poem.
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Tisbury By Taylor Stone tisburycolumnist@gmail.com
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hen in doubt: Just go to the fair! Another year of animals, art, food, and fun at the M.V. Agricultural Fair is in the books. I made it out on Friday to get my annual Floaters root beer float, along with Twin Beaks fried chicken, finishing it all off with some sinful chocolate at Mad Martha’s. One of my favorites in the animal hall is looking for Danielle Mulcahy’s most handsome-est roosters in the barn, along with (of course) the piglet family. I also caught the Upis Land Band marching through the hall,
adding even more color and joy to an already packed space full of artwork and ribbons. And now this week we move from West Tisbury to Oak Bluffs being front and center with Wednesday’s Illumination Night and Friday’s annual fireworks up next! Pro tip: if you’re one of those that love being front and center for the fireworks, don’t be too cool for earplugs. Also, did you know that it’s Tisbury’s own Vineyard Haven Band that plays in the gazebo before the excitement begins after dark? As we begin counting down
Edgartown By Marnely Murray marnely@gmail.com
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he last two weeks of August, here we go! Last week was packed with all the fair fun, and this week is an all-Island celebration with the Oak Bluffs fireworks and Illumination Night. Just because I’m the Edgartown columnist doesn’t mean I can ignore these incredible events happening 15 minutes (or 40 minutes, depending on traffic) from us — so make sure to plan your calendar around those fun events and join in the community fun! Here’s what’s happening in Edgartown this week: On August 24, discover
“Inside Edgartown Lighthouse: Keepers, Families, and History” starting at 4 pm at Cooke House & Legacy Gardens. Join Deborah Medders for a closer look at the stories behind the iconic Edgartown Lighthouse. From its origins in Ipswich and relocation to Edgartown Harbor to the keepers and families who lived there, this talk explores how the lighthouse became
By Joanne Lambert joannelamber@gmail.com
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’m sure some parents are feeling summer fatigue, as fun as it all can be! Juggling camps, work, summer guests, traffic, and beach sand can feel like a lot. September is coming! A big shout-out to the Ag Fair staff for a wonderful event! I, for one, was so happy it was earlier in August — it felt so calming to attend a welcoming, inclusive, community-based event in the middle of a month that has felt very
C to Labor Day Weekend, this is the time for you to go back over your summer bucket list and check off any of those still-waiting boxes. Have you listened to all the music you can? Did you enjoy one of M.V. Museum’s Global Rhythms Summer Concerts, our Vineyard Haven Band playing in Owen Park, or groove at a First Friday V.H.? Or maybe you trekked out of town to any of the performances at the Grange Hall, or Featherstone, or the Winnetu. Have you been waiting for the
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perfect movie at Circuit Arts’ Drive-In at the YMCA? Now is the time for all those lastminute beach visits and nature walks before school starts back up, and the traffic slowly begins to die down. One highlight of writing these columns is discovering so many upcoming events and seeing just how hard our community works to make our summer season special for locals and visitors alike. Even though I may not make it out to all my favorite happenings, I can at least share
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some with you here in hopes you can attend! In town this weekend, don’t miss the Miner Family Gallery’s next opening on Saturday, August 22, starting at 5 pm. Titled “Shuck Local,” you can see Craig D. Miner’s newest crustacean-themed series alongside Sarah Nelson’s newest oyster paintings. If you still haven’t had a chance to visit our newly reopened Vineyard Haven library, there is an upcoming event on August 28 that mixes filmmaking, crab eating,
overwhelming. Come to the Art Stroll on Dukes County Avenue on Saturday, August 22, and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Alison Shaw Gallery! It does not seem possible that it has been 20 years since Alison and Sue opened their beautiful gallery in the old Firehouse building. We are lucky to have our own “artists’ row,” including Michael Blanchard Gallery, Judith Schubert studio, and Galaxy Arts, which will host an ART Yard Sale. Enjoy an evening of art, inspiration, and Island spirit from 4 to 7 pm. See you there! Time to clean the book-
S and members of our M.V. shellfish community: “One Bad Crab” will screen at 4 pm, followed by a green crab appetizer and discussions. Happy upcoming birthday to Tisbury Printer’s Kevin Cain on August 25. Do you have an upcoming birthday, event, or just something you want shared in a future Tisbury column? Email me at tisburycolumnist@gmail. com with your own stories of our town or upcoming events you’d like to see spotlighted here.
If you still haven’t had a chance to visit our newly reopened Vineyard Haven library, there is an upcoming event on August 28 that mixes filmmaking, crab eating, and members of our M.V. shellfish community: “One Bad Crab” will screen at 4 pm, followed by a green crab appetizer and discussions. a defining part of the Island’s maritime landscape. Later that day from 5 to 8 pm, everyone’s favorite little “Townie” is turning 6 — cheers to Violet! Join her and the entire Town crew for a groovy end-of-summer bash. Kids, grownups, families, friends — everyone’s invited! They’ll have face painting, flower crowns, sweet treats, food specials, cocktails, mocktails, and more! On August 25, from 4 to 6 pm, join Morning Glory Farm for its Bluesday Tuesdays: live blues music featuring Jeremy Berlin and Delanie Pickering. Bring a lawn chair, browse the farmstand, and spend the afternoon lis-
tening to great live blues in a beautiful setting. This week’s menu is Mexican-inspired, and crafted from locally grown produce! On August 29, it’s “Can You Dig It: Quahog Harvesting,” with the Edgartown shellfish department starting at 9:30 am. Join them at the Katama Landing, where you will get a chance to learn techniques for harvesting shellfish from the constables of the Edgartown shellfish department. You do not need a shellfish license to attend and observe, but a shellfish license is required for hands-on experience with harvesting and taking home quahogs. Licenses can
be purchased online. Registration is required. For those looking for something crafty to do during the week, the Erica Wilson shop hosts a weekly “Sip ‘n Stitch” gathering every Thursday evening from 6 to 7:30 pm at 21 Kelly St. This free community event welcomes all skill levels to socialize, share needlepoint tips, and work on current projects over light refreshments. I just came across the “Early Birders Walk” at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. Walk the trails with experienced guides as you search for songbirds, raptors, and seasonal visitors. Practice using binoculars,
On August 29, it’s “Can You Dig It: Quahog Harvesting,” with the Edgartown shellfish department, starting at 9:30 am.
Oak Bluffs
“Summer — the time when parents realize how underpaid teachers are.” –Unknown
August 20, 2026
shelves! The Library Friends of Oak Bluffs are holding a book drive on Saturday, August 23, from 11 am to 2 pm at the library. They are accepting fiction and nonfiction for adults, teens, and children. All books must be in good to excellent condition with no odor or damage. Bring donations into the meeting room, please. All donations support free, year-round programming at the public library. More info at libraryfriendsob@gmail.com. The Sunset Concert series at the Tabernacle continues
Friday, featuring the Jon Bates Band on August 21 at 6 pm. Featherstone Musical Mondays will present Jodie Trealor and her band, Sneakytown — which is a very sneaky band, as you never know who will show up! The music starts at 6 pm. And don’t forget to get your tickets to see the Delanie Pickering band, which includes members of the infamous Bluetones on August 27 (also at Featherstone). A few summers ago, I met a very interesting young man, Jeff Burnett. He was working on research into the history
and archaeology of the Oak Bluffs Highlands. Through interviews and scientific research, he has completed the project, which includes the Baptist Temple and East Chop neighborhood. He will have a discussion of his work and next steps at the Oak Bluffs library on Wednesday, August 26, from 11 to 12:30 pm. It is truly a fascinating look at the roots of this historic neighborhood; don’t miss it. Another inclusive community event in August was Built on Stilts — kudos to Abby Bender and crew on their
sharpen identification skills, and count species along the way. This program builds appreciation for the Vineyard’s avian biodiversity and the conservation efforts that protect vital bird habitats. Registration is required. There’s plenty of other events happening through the end of summer, so make sure to let me know about them by emailing me at marnely@gmail.com. Here’s your reminder that the VTA buses are still free, so leave your car at home and catch the bus! It’s a sustainable and community-friendly way to support the VTA. Happy Birthday to Peter Graves on the 24th! Have a birthday or anniversary coming up? Send them my way! Cheers to having one more month of summer left — don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
30th year! To help ensure that it can continue, there will be a fundraiser party on August 28 at the P.A. Club. Come enjoy an evening of fun, performances, dancing, food, and silent auction. Tickets at builtonstilts.org. Happy birthday to Alyssa DaSilva, Robin Davies, and Jay LaVoie on August 20! Erin deBettencourt celebrates on August 23. Birthday balloons go to Rob Oslyn on August 26 (I won’t mention how many). Stay kind out there! Send me your news!
We are lucky to have our own “artists’ row,” including Michael Blanchard Gallery, Judith Schubert studio, and Galaxy Arts, which will host an ART Yard Sale. Enjoy an evening of art, inspiration, and Island spirit from 4 to 7 pm. See you there!
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Aquinnah By Kathie Olsen aquinnahcolumn@gmail.com
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s you surely must know, the Agricultural Fair is over. This year it lived up to its promise, with beautiful animals on display, a whole slew of new rides, a variety of delicious foods filling the air with mouthwatering smells, vendors offering up beautiful goods, and the Ag Hall loaded with the results of the hard labors of our creative neighbors, young and old. I don’t know exactly how many volunteers it took to pull this one off, but they were everywhere to be seen, selling and taking tickets, driving carts about to help people with mobil-
ity challenges, collecting and sorting trash, and handing out information, and this doesn’t count the many who collected and graded entries and then put them out for display, or those who set up booths and made signs. My hat goes off to them all. I worked a booth for the
By Claire Ganz cganz@live.com
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you are there, be sure to visit the Fairy Sculpture Trail.) Alexander Hart’s original Lego sculpture’s fabulous moving vehicles and many characters won second place. North Tabor Farm won the Lesley Gray Award for biggest tomato. The farm also welcomed a litter of piglets. And Irene Wong introduced us to sweet and savory tomato jam. It is available at their farmstand. Native Earth Teaching Farm, at 95 North Road, continues to invite visitors Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 10 am to 6 pm.
West Tisbury By Hermine Hull hermine.hull@gmail.com
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e had perfect weather for the 164th Ag Fair, a little cooler than the weeks before, and sunny, with a breeze. There was enough shade for everyone to find a comfortable place to sit and eat at picnic tables, often with a friend you hadn’t seen all summer. Music wafted across the grounds. The barn was full of baby pygmy goats, piglets, lambs newly shorn, the grandest roosters, and the fluffiest Silkie hens. There were demonstrations of rug hooking, spinning, weaving, and sewing in the Fiber
Green Team one morning. Who knew that collecting trash could be such a heartwarming and fun experience? It was great to help people figure out what was compostable, as opposed to what was recyclable or just plain old trash, but it was best to watch the smiles of people so proud to help in this way. After I thanked one little guy for bringing us his empty soda cup and “helping to protect our planet,” he looked at me seriously for a moment, walked away, and reappeared a few minutes later with his hands full of other empty food
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containers he had rounded up for saving. He took this protecting thing seriously. Made me hopeful for the future. Friends of the Up-Island Council on Aging are hosting their monthly lunch for seniors at the Aquinnah Town Hall on Wednesday, August 26. This is a free, informal event that brings seniors from Aquinnah together with seniors from other parts of the Vineyard to enjoy a delicious meal together. A public health nurse is usually there to provide blood pressure screening, free vegetables are often there for you to take home, and
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people are always kind and friendly. It’s not required, but it surely helps them to plan if you let them know in advance that you are going to attend. You can RSVP by calling the council at 508-693-2896. The State Primary election takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 1. You can vote by mail if you apply for a mail-in ballot before 5 pm on Monday, August 25. Paper vote-by-mail applications are available at Aquinnah Town Hall, in the foyer and can be placed in the drop box after hours. The mail-in ballot itself needs to be returned to the Town
After I thanked one little guy for bringing us his empty soda cup and “helping to protect our planet,” he looked at me seriously for a moment, walked away, and reappeared a few minutes later with his hands full of other empty food containers he had rounded up for saving.
Chilmark
hank you to the M.V. Agricultural Society for a wonderful fair. Congratulations to all who entered, volunteered, and worked the fair. It was tremendous. Congratulations to Bill O’Callaghan on winning a blue ribbon and a people’s choice award for his whimsical driftwood adorned with his remarkable clay sculptures table. (He and his wife, Heather Goff, offer their work at their Island Folk Pottery studio, 16 Marions Way, Chilmark. Heather offers new cups with saucers. While
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Tent. And the Hall itself was filled with one fabulous display after another. The quilts always amaze me. This year was no different. All the crafts, both those made by children and adults, were a splendid
Time on Randy BenDavid and Rebecca Gilbert’s farm is priceless. Like her book, she is a fount of weedy and life wisdom. Her vat of indigo dye is available on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5 pm. And three days a week, you can find regular and family-friendly Slow Flow Yoga with baby pygmy goats. $30 per person includes registration fees. Regular classes are for ages 13 and up; Family-friendly class is for all ages! Sliding scale. Visit the website, nativeearthteachingfarmmv. org, or call the farm directly, 508-645-3304. Also on the farm, at the Milokan Cultural Center and
Drum Museum, on Thursdays, August 20 and 27, Rick Bausman (email rick@ drumrol.org) is offering Origins, a drum circle with roots. Origins will combine the educational experience of a class with the energy and expressivity of a drum circle jam, using some of the instruments used in Africa and the Diaspora (conga, Koné, djun-djun, djembe, ogán, clave, shakeré …). After becoming familiar with some of the fundamental rhythmic structures, students will be ready to jam. All ages are welcome. Bring what you’ve got; Rick would like to meet you. (Coming: the Thursday Chilmark Drum Jam by the
Fire!) $15 individual, $50 family of four or more. Valerie Sonenthal’s healing yoga classes continue at her Peaked Hill Studio Kaiut Yoga at Peaked Hill Studio. Her classes are designed to help you work through chronic pain, injuries, aches, and stiffness. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 to 9:30 am, 11 Peaked Hill Pasture, Chilmark. Register at peakedhillstudio.com/ purchase-class-pass. Sig Van Raan submitted this Chilmark Softball report: “This week’s double-header featured a between-games awards ceremony given to the three new rookies (‘future star’ award); MVP - Defense went to Eijah Feiner for his stalwart
S Clerk by 5 PM on Sept. 1. Registered voters who want to vote in person can do so early by going to Town Hall on the following days and times: Saturday, August 22, 9-11 am and 3-5 pm, and then from 10-12 pm on the following days: Monday August 24, Tuesday, August 25, Thursday August 27, and Friday August 28. And of course, in-person voting will take place at Town Hall on Election Day itself (Sept. 1). For more information, contact Kayla Darcy, Aquinnah town clerk. I promise you that our systems are safe, honest, and respectful, and they are to make it possible for you to vote your opinions. Don’t let anyone try to tell you otherwise. This week, we have a great bunch of birthday wishes to go out. On August 20, they go to Barbara Bassett. On August 22, they go to Ron Slate. And on August 23, they go to my daughter, Noli Taylor.
defense in left field. Elijah made an eloquent speech acknowledging his participation in the softball games as the highlight of his summer. The offensive MVP award went to Junior Farrell, for his prodigious home runs (referred to as ‘gone with the wind HRs’). Junior also made an eloquent and personal speech. The Howie Hustle Award went to ageless Hans Solmssen, who continued to pitch and hit well until a sports injury put him on the DL a few weeks ago. “Again, high-spirited games with great defense and key hitting and an enthusiastic crowd of spectators, kids, and dogs. Midsummer couldn’t be better.
North Tabor Farm won the Lesley Gray Award for biggest tomato. The farm also welcomed a litter of piglets. array of everything imaginable that could be made by hand. The children’s pie-tin gardens appeal to my love of miniatures and miniature settings. Art in every medium was displayed. The tallest sunflower reached to the rafters. Flowers. Vegetables. Fruit. Eggs. Butter. Cakes. Cookies. Brownies. Pickles. Preserves. There were lots of rides and games of skill. It was all wonderful. I love the fair. Iyla’s birthday is in midAugust, so it always coin-
cides with the fair. She won some ribbons, and managed to have three days of birthday celebrations. I am very proud of her birthday expansion; birthdays are special, and should be enjoyed for as long as possible. Next year, maybe a week? This Saturday, August 22, is the last day to register to vote before the Sept.1 primary. Town Clerk Tara Whiting-Welles and registrars will be at the Public Safety Building between 9 am and 5 pm. It is also
the first day of in-person early voting, which will continue Monday, August 24, through Friday, August 28, 8 to 11 am, at the Public Safety Building. The last day to send in your request for a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, August 25. Please check with Tara at 508-696-0148 if you have any questions. Events at the library: Friday at 3 pm: Mike Mok and the Em-Tones rock 'n' roll concert. Saturday at 3 pm: Kirtan:
This Saturday, August 22, is the last day to register to vote before the Sept. 1 primary. Town Clerk Tara Whiting-Welles and registrars will be at the Public Safety Building between 9 am and 5 pm … The last day to send in your request for a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, August 25. Please check with Tara at 508-696-0148 if you have any questions.
Live Call and Response Chanting at noon, followed by the staged reading of a play by Bob Kaplan, “The Fight is With Yourself.” At the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, August 26 at 10.30 am will be Children’s Story Hour. Bring a blanket to sit on. Back at the library, a full day on August 27, that begins with Morning Pages, led by Kate Feiffer, on the porch at 8 am. Learn CPR at 1 pm, led by Alan Ganapol. The Summer Reading Program for kids ends with tie-dying Summer Reading Program T shirts. Bring yours to dye and decorate at 3:30 pm. At 5:30 pm, Tom Dresser will discuss his latest book, “Historic Storms of Martha’s Vineyard.” Out of town are Illumination Night and the fireworks in Oak Bluffs, two big end-ofsummer highlights. Enjoy.
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Jennifer Brown's textile and glass creations at Vineyard Glassworks in West Tisbury.
Translating textile to glass Jennifer Brown at Glassworks and the Field Gallery.
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rtist Jennifer Brown, who grew up on the Vineyard, recently took the leap from 2D to 3D, moving from flat, textured textile work to handblown glass. The resulting translucent and transparent pieces,
BY ABBY REMER
with her signature blue hues, are gorgeous to the eye and luxuriant to the hand. Brown’s new artwork springs from an unusual three-way collaboration of herself, Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks (where the pieces were made), and the Field Gallery, which represents Brown’s textiles. Glassworks
manager Wil Sideman explains, “We started a visiting artist program five or six years ago. The idea was to bring glass artists from all over the world for a week to work with our team. This year, we wanted to keep it local, particularly by working with someone who didn’t have glassmaking experi-
ence, so we could translate their ideas into glass. We knew Jenn, and luckily, she was willing to come in and work with us.” The Field Gallery was all in, and the collaboration began in May. Sideman says, “Over the course of five sessions, Jenn would come in, and we’d have at least a team of three. We’d look at her fabric swatches and sketches, and talk about the best way to approach [them in glass]. Then we’d make them.” Brown says, “It was fun playing with what the glass wants to do.” Sideman notes, “We try very hard not to influence the artist who comes in, because it would have been very easy for us to interpret the work, which isn’t what the relationship was supposed to be. All of us thought we’d be working in flat-dimensional work, but Jenn was thinking in three dimensions, which was a nice surprise and the ultimate goal of doing this. We don’t want to make artists work our way.” Brown says, “The benefit of collaborating with someone local is that I could come in multiple times. Translating textiles to glass is a whole new medium. I’m trying to understand how glass works, the effects and colors I could get. Every time we’d work in the shop, I’d have to go back and study what we did and what we wanted to do next. With my textiles, I understand what the fabric does, what I want it to do, and how to do it. With glass, it was more of a challenge.” Part of the challenge was having to conceptualize in three dimensions. There is, of course, the difference in the media. If you run your hands over Brown’s flat textile works, you find very shallow layers, since she works in reverse appliqué. Here, she layers the fabrics and then cuts away some of the top pieces, letting the textile underneath show through. The glass bowls, however, are fully threedimensional, and their textures range from icy smooth to rippled, depending on the glassblowing technique. Sideman and his team experimented with various
methods to achieve the effects Brown desired. Three examples include a bowl with undulating waves of color. In traditional glassblowing, the lines would be vertical, but in Brown’s vessel they are oriented horizontally, recalling some of the seascape-inspired imagery in her textiles. She says, “It’s been interesting to see how the glass relates to the textiles. Color is a big part of it. But I am trying to create airy pieces with a sense of movement.” Brown translates her technique of layering fabrics into three dimensions by nesting the bowls one inside the other. Because the glass is transparent, you can see the cumulative effect of their designs one in front of the other. “I love the surprise element of the meeting of patterns,” she says. There is also a wonderful vessel with thick, uneven turquoise lines laid over transparent glass, made using the Graal technique, in which you create multiple layers of glass with the intention of carving through the outer layer. Brown says, “The other thing I learned is that glassmaking is a social craft. You need a team of people to work with you, which is very different from being home alone with a little needle and thread. This experience was so fantastic in large part because of the technical skill, creativity, and openness to collaborate by the Glassworks crew, Wil, Russell Carson, and Courtney McCloskey.” Sideman adds, “I think every time we do these collaborations it’s fruitful
for us as glassmakers. We don’t always get to expand what we’re making because it’s often production ware, recreating designs we’ve done before. When we get something new, that’s always fun. We hope to continue to work with local artists and the Field Gallery. The crossover is really working for all parties.” Jennifer Pillsworth, the Field Gallery director, adds, “It is so exciting, and I credit Chris and Sheila Morse for encouraging this collaboration between two Island galleries that started as cottage businesses, and have really blossomed into well-established galleries in the community.” In the spirit of collaboration, there will be two openings — one at each location, with both the glassworks and textiles on view. Asked whether this experience will influence her textile art, Brown reflects, “I think it can’t help but to do so. It’s all creative work and exercising that creative muscle. I don’t know yet exactly how it will translate. It’s also getting to think about what is core to my work, even if it’s not in my traditional medium.” Brown says of her glass vessels, “I’m hoping the viewer feels a sense of calm and happiness. And I want there to be delight and surprise in these pieces.” Openings with both the glassworks and textiles will take place on August 22 from 4 to 6 pm at Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks, 683 State Road in West Tisbury, and on August 29 from 4 to 6 pm at the Field Gallery, 1050 State Road in West Tisbury.
“It’s been interesting to see how the glass relates to the textiles. Color is a big part of it. But I am trying to create airy pieces with a sense of movement.” –JENNIFER BROWN
PHOTOS: DENA PORTER
Left, Jennifer's three stacked domes create layers of texture, as can be seen in her textile work. Middle, Jennifer plans to "stack" these glass domes inside one another. Right, Jennifer chatted with Vineyard Glassworks Wil Sideman about the communal process of creating the glass domes during her residency.
community & calendar B7
August 20, 2026
Brooklyn in front of her Caterpillar of Kindness sign. PHOTOS BY ALLISON ROBERTS UNLESS NOTED
Fun messages, including “ice cream,” left by various community members.
Brooklyn stands in front of the long line of rocks decorated with kindness.
The caterpillar c r a w l Building a community of kindness one rock at a time. BY ALLISON ROBERTS
she said. “I did two, and we started off with six. I did the head of the caterpillar.” It wasn’t long before other people began adding to Brooklyn’s Kindness Caterpillar. “Our neighbors started adding on," Brooklyn's mom, Lori Hagan, said. “The first few weeks we’d all run out there every morning to see what people had done. We’re up to more than 200 rocks now.” Brooklyn and family created a sign at the head of the caterpillar, inviting folks to participate. “Please help our caterpillar grow …
A community member stops to decorate a rock.
LORI HAGAN
T
here must be a million ways to spread positivity and love. You can paint a colorful mural with words of encouragement, send handwritten letters to friends and loved ones, take someone out for tea and a blueberry muffin, or leave little paper hearts all over your house for your partner and/or family members to find. Although doing these things may seem corny, small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life. 8-year-old Brooklyn Jackson has found her own way to spread positivity by creating a Caterpillar of Kindness. “We looked online for special ideas, and then I wanted to do the caterpillar and make people happy,” Brooklyn said. Creating a rock caterpillar does more than just look cute. It brings people together, shows how small, individual contributions add up to something big, brightens the neighborhood, boosts happiness, and encourages empathy — one rock at a time. Brooklyn’s Caterpillar of Kindness began as a family affair. “The whole family did rock,”
Use ours or BYO rock. Kindness Matters.” Some of the messages on the rocks include: “Love will conquer all,” “Gratitude is the best attitude,” “You Rock,” “Thank you Brooklyn,” and much more. One couple was getting married on the Island and added their “Get-
ting Married” rock to the caterpillar. The rocks cover a lot of territory, starting at the base of Brooklyn's yard, and snaking quite a way down the sidewalk. Some of the rocks are even lined up to form a heart. “The rocks go as soon as we put them out there,” Hagan said. “People are also bringing some of their own to add in.” Brooklyn and her family set markers, paint, and chalk out for anyone who would like to add their piece of art and/or words of positivity to the ever-growing Caterpillar of Kindness. Brooklyn and family hope the community will help not only increase the length of the caterpillar, but also take some time to spread a little love. If you would like to add to the Caterpillar of Kindness, it can be found at 484 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, through the fall.
“We looked online for special ideas, and then I wanted to do the caterpillar and make people happy.” –BROOKLYN JACKSON
Decorated rocks spread in the shape of a heart.
B8
calendar & community
August 20, 2026
C E L E B R A T I N G
From the porch to the lawn
I S L A N D
D I V E R S I T Y
bySharisse
Continued from B2 Shabazz, who traveled from Washington, D.C., alongside her 15-year-old friend Carter Bonas. Carter submitted his book, “Swinging Beyond the Spectrum,” to this year’s festival. It wasn’t selected. They came anyway. “My friend Carter has a book out, and a nonprofit, and he’s only 15 years old,” Aaliyah said. “He applied to the festival and didn’t get in this year, but we still wanted to come out and support all of the other authors who were accepted and were able to showcase their books. We wanted to be here to support them.” At 15 and 17, respectively, they already understand something that can take a lifetime to learn: Community is not always about being the person celebrated. Sometimes it is simply about showing up to celebrate someone else. And people showed up. For first-time attendee Michelle Carter, seeing so many Black stories gathered together created recognition. “We’re sharing our stories and giving someone else the opportunity to say, ‘That happened to me, too.’ To see the journeys all of these authors have gone through, whether they’re celebrities or just coming up, and to feel the magical bond that’s here with our people, with Black people — it is just amazing.” That may be one of literature’s greatest gifts: realizing that something you thought belonged only to you has been lived, survived, or felt by someone else. But gathering Black stories does not require those stories to become one story. Acclaimed author Walter Mosley put it plainly: “I think the only responsibility that Black people have is to tell their stories — and to tell their stories the way they know their stories. Whether I agree with them or whether I don’t, that’s what’s important. It’s not like you belong to a certain party and there’s a party line … But if we all just celebrate each other, then that’s how we celebrate our individuality.” That individuality was everywhere: in the books lining the tables, in the conversations unfolding across the lawn, beneath the tent, and inside the conference center, and even in what people wore. And the stories themselves did more than entertain. They gave language to experiences that are sometimes difficult to name. Legal scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, who coined the term “intersectionality” in her groundbreaking 1989 scholarship to describe how overlapping systems of discrimination shape lived experience, spoke to the power that comes with having
Fireside Chat with MVBBF founder Traci Wilkes Smith and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
MVBBF team in group prayer before the festival begins.
Attendees show off their MVBBF-featured book purchases from Bunch of Grapes. FERNANDA H. MEIER
“Our Health, Our Power” panel, moderated by Marty McDonald, with authors Nicole Carr, Dr. Kemi Doll, and Dr. Imamu Tomlinson.
“This is an opportunity for us to not necessarily be on the porch, but to be on the lawn — to be at the center, in community and fellowship, where our ancestors were.” –TRACI WILKES SMITH, FOUNDER, MARTHA’S VINEYARD BLACK BOOK FESTIVAL language for what we experience: “When you don’t have literacy about that thing, you can’t fight it, you can’t transform it.” Perhaps that is another reason spaces that are centered on Black books matter so much. Storytelling can give us vocabulary for experiences we have felt but never named. A reader can encounter someone else's words and suddenly recognize their own life more clearly. Once something has language, it can be shared,
questioned — and sometimes transformed. For featured author Dr. Imamu (“Mu”) Tomlinson, the festival created an environment where that exchange could happen without the pressure authors often feel to sell themselves. “It’s an awesome experience to be here. Just the culture, and being able to have people come here who want to learn, get better, and be inspired — as an author, that’s humbling. The best thing is to write a
book; the worst thing is to sell it. But in this environment, you’re really not selling. You’re just talking about your story, which is amazing.” In some ways, that simple observation captures what was happening all around us. People arrived with different histories, professions, cultures and perspectives, but the festival gave those differences somewhere to meet. And there was joy in that meeting. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Try-
maine Lee reflected on something that can be easy to overlook when talking about the significance of Black spaces; sometimes their power is simply the freedom to experience joy together: “There is nothing like the freedom of being happy and happy with Black people.” On Martha’s Vineyard, that joy has particular weight. Black people have gathered here for generations not only to discuss the serious questions facing our
communities, but also to rest, laugh, dress beautifully, sit beside the water, share meals, fall in love, raise families, and simply be. The Black Book Festival felt like another expression of that freedom: intellectual, creative, and joyful, all at once. And those stories don't remain on the Island. Professor and social worker Eugenia Correia Knight has attended all three years, and organizes her summer around the festival. “There is no place where I feel like I can absorb so much literary Black excellence. As a professor, I come here to find books for my classes — whether I’m teaching complex concepts through storytelling, or discovering someone I personally want to meet.” She leaves carrying those books and ideas back to her students. The festival ends, but its reach does not. Perhaps that is how spaces of Black belonging endure. We gather. We receive something. We carry it with us. Then, somewhere else, we make room for someone new. Author Amber Mayfield Hewett, whose work explores the power of hosting and gathering, captured that beautifully: “I really wrote ‘Your Turn to Host’ to make everybody feel confident about opening their doors, hosting the cookout, hosting a dinner party, and continuing to make this a safe space for us, generation over generation, through hosting and gathering and communion.” Black belonging on Martha’s Vineyard did not sustain itself accidentally. Someone opened a door. Someone invited another family. Someone made room on the porch. Someone hosted the cookout. Someone set the table. And then the next generation did it again. Only three years in, the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival feels like another table being set — one where established authors sit alongside emerging voices, professors discover books for future students, teenagers travel across state lines to support one another, and guests arrive dressed beautifully — because celebrating each other is worthy of occasion. Because books are never just books. They give us language. They remind us that our individual experiences deserve to be documented. They allow someone to tell the truth of their life and another person to quietly recognize, That happened to me, too. And sometimes, they simply give us another reason to gather on a lawn, surrounded by our people, and experience the freedom of being together. From the porch to the lawn, perhaps that is the legacy being continued. We keep gathering. We keep making room. We keep telling our stories.
calendar & community B9
August 20, 2026
E S S A Y
O
Is this a tick? In the ferry terminals, tick identification cards sit right next to the boat schedules. “Can I get a tick check?” is not a pickup line. Here’s where to check. There are places you can’t see without a mirror or help, and having a safe friend is important.
Modern arsenal.
· Armpits · Between and below shoulder blades · In and around ears · Your scalp and neck · Inside your belly button · Back of your knees and legs · Between your legs · Under your boobs · Your bottom
Wood chip barriers.
Dragging for ticks.
Tick sheet on the line.
PHOTOS CLAIRE GANZ
ur contributions to last May’s Hazardous Waste Disposal Day at the Edgartown dump included a large cardboard container marked “War Supply.” “We can’t take the gunpowder,” the fabulous hazmat-clad human at the Edgartown dump said. ”What? I cleared off shelves in the barn, and didn’t see anything labeled gunpowder.” Concerned about safety, they didn’t want me to get out of the car to investigate. “But some of it was from WWII, and I expect it is permethrin,” I added. Because my grandfather was a pediatrician who served in both world wars, we were always aware of the danger of insectbourne diseases, and we had mountains of pesticides. We were prepared. As children, we dropped ticks into jars filled with gin. The bottles with the same bit of gin and a growing population of dead ticks lasted for years. Jars of preserved ticks were tucked out of the way in the house, garage, and barn; we are still finding bottles that were started by now deceased ancestors. In our childhood, decades ago, before we had flea- and tick-repellent collars and internal medicines for our dogs and cats, we’d be pulling some ticks off our pets that had grown into easy-to-find pale brown bubbles. Totally nauseating to even think about now, but it was a normal part of taking care of beloved animals — and somehow satisfying. On shelves by the door rested white bottles labeled Ole Time Woodsman’s Liquid Fly Dope. The listed ingredients were “Mineral Oil, Diethyl-Meta-Toluamide and other isomers, Rectified Oil of Pine Tar, Citronella, Pennyroyal, Oil of Bay, Isopar M, and Camphor.” It is harmful if taken internally, and must be kept out of children’s reach. We soaked bandanas and the inside bands of our hats in it before clearing brush or walking in the woods. Old bottles of fly dope and tick jars were also part of the hazardous materials we brought for disposal to Hazardous Waste Disposal Day. We still use a jar with gin, and keep tape in the cars, bedrooms, and on our desks. Today some people prefer to use dish soap. Some burn ticks with a match. Some crush them between rocks. Some attach ticks to a file card, noting the date. Some mail ticks to a lab for analysis. Some wrap them in tape and put them in the trash. Some just stay off grass and trails, and wear white pants only. All of these can help. In our medicine cabinet, next to the ibuprofen and Tylenol, sits a current prescription for doxycycline, with the instructions, “Take two tablets by mouth within 72 hours of a deer tick bite.” This can prevent Lyme disease. But preventing ticks from biting to start with is important. In the spring, we send our
Tick talk A lifetime of strategies. BY CLAIRE GANZ work pants and shirts to insectshield.com for a dip, and head to Brickman’s for more treated socks. Brickman’s offers a variety of InsectShield’s treated clothing. The Chilmark board of health has given 500 pairs of treated socks to employees and residents. On the shelf we keep OFF! and Repel (DEET), which make your skin unappealing to biting insects, permethrin sprays for your gear, and extra gaiters, socks, and tick tape for guests, infused with permethrin and woven to act like Velcro to stop and hold crawling ticks. The super-sticky double-sided tape traps ticks, and can be wrapped tightly around socks or the cuffs of pants. We wrap it around the base of the hummingbird feeder posts to keep ants away from the nectar. Mint, lavender, marigold, and rosemary are offensive to ticks. Emma Tobin of Tea Lane Apothecary offers a lovely lavender mist. You can find her at the West Tisbury Farmers Market. After learning from BiodiversityWorks that
the “tick prevalence research collection process“ was dragging a flannel sheet across the ground and counting the ticks it caught, we are conducting an experiment to see if we can decrease the number around our house without harming beneficial insects: We soaked an old flannel sheet with Sawyer Premium Insect
They say that running your fingers through your hair or around your ears is a sign of anxiety. It could also just be checking for ticks. Because ticks are good climbers, preparing to work in the garden includes putting up long hair. I use metal bun twists they used to carry at Conroy’s Apothecary in West Tisbury, and don a hat well-sprayed with Sawyer’s Premium Insect Repellant Insect. We used to scrape a tick off with our fingernails. You don’t want to squeeze, twist, or crush a tick, and there are tools that make it easier and more sanitary. Now we use the Denco Tick Kit. We bought it from Conroy’s, and love how well the tools work. The kit comes in a small case that is sturdy and easily recognizable by touch. The curved tweezers are also good for removing thorns and splinters. If you go out into the woods today, nothing will be as terrible as the experience of the explorer and botanist Pehr (Peter) Kalm in 1749, who gave us the early written description of the lone star tick (as quoted in the Journal of Medical Entomology): “It is found in great numbers in the forests, both in New Jersey and Pennsylvania; even more are found in Maryland and the cities situated further south … There will commonly, where they have bitten or sucked themselves in, form a hard lump, big as a (garden) pea or bigger. These lumps often last a full six weeks before they disappear. After a few days in the forest, one could well have 50 to 100 such lumps that made an indescribable inconvenience. One could then almost never scratch enough. The worst was when some lumps itched and the others burned, so that you did not know where to turn.” Should you get bitten, we have many places to turn, including the Tick Clinic at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Tick Center at Martha’s Vineyard Medical, our towns, and Tick Free MV.
Ole Time Woodsman’s Liquid Fly Dope … is harmful if taken internally, and must be kept out of children’s reach. We soaked bandanas and the inside bands of our hats in it before clearing brush or walking in the woods. Repellent (permethrin) for clothing, tents, and gear. We drag this sheet like a wedding train along the paths we frequently walk, and leave it hanging outside on the clothesline. We are NOT examining the sheet, and NOT recording how many it catches. We are optimistic it will trap and kill ticks. We are also experimenting with piles of wood chips as barriers and repellents.
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B10
calendar & community
August 20, 2026
Event spotlight for the week of 8•20 — 8•27
FRI 8/21
SAT 8/22
M.V. Jazz Experience
Theater: ‘Here There Are Blueberries’
B
ased on real events, “Here There Are Blueberries” tells the story of historical photographs and what they reveal about the perpetrators of the Holocaust, and our own humanity. It
SUN 8/23
was featured on the May 2024 season finale of “60 Minutes,” and was recently highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top plays to see this spring. Directed by Scott Barrow. Starring members of the original Tectonic Theater Project NYC cast. $50. 7 pm. Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, 24 Church St., Vineyard Haven. circuitarts.
T
he Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Experience is a cultural gathering of incredible live performances, community connection, local vendors, and family-friendly experiences.
Contemporary jazz, neosoul, R and B, vocal jazz, and instrumental jazz music. $50 to $175. 1 to 7 pm. MVCMA Tabernacle, 80 Trinity Park, Oak Bluffs. myle.com/bisonon-the-vineyard-2026.
Secret Gardens Watercolor Show
L
ocal artist Hannah Moore will be exhibiting a series of watercolors and drawings. She has been working on this series for the past year and a half, inspired by her love of nature, gardens,
MV TIMES
MV TIMES
MON 8/24 Musical Mondays with Jodie Treloar Sampson
M
usical Mondays features musical performances on Featherstone’s outdoor stage. Enjoy music while supporting musical artists and the nonprofit art center. Tickets are $20, and 50 percent of proceeds go to the musicians. Tickets for each week's performance will go on sale to the public at
medieval tapestries, and Victorian wallpaper. The gallery will be open Thursdays through Sundays, 11 am to 5 pm, through August 27. 11 Martha’s Park Road, Oak Bluffs. moorefamilygallery.com.
12 pm a week prior. 6 to 7:30 pm. 30 Featherstone Lane, Oak Bluffs. featherstoneart.org/music.html.
TUES 8/25 WED 8/26 Summer Opera Concert
B
oston Lyric Opera, in partnership with the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society, returns to the Island for a special one-night concert. The evening will include selections from classics like “Carmen,” “Tosca,” “La Traviata,” “Le Nozze di Figaro,” and more, sung by acclaimed soprano Brianna J. Robinson, and
BLO’s artistic director, Nina Yoshida Nelsen. 5 pm. $40. Union Chapel, 55 Narragansett Ave., Oak Bluffs. Learn more at mvcms.org/bostonlyricopera.html.
MV TIMES
Beetlebung Farm Variety Tasting: Tomatoes
B
eetlebung grows a variety of tomatoes every year. Heirloom or hybrid, the choices they make come down to flavor, disease resistance, structure, and just curiosity. Taste a sampling of this year’s lineup, hear from Beetlebung farmers about what drives their decisions, and why variety matters. Finish your visit with a dish from
MV TIMES
their kitchen team. 5:30 to 6:30 pm, $45. Beetlebung Farm, 410 Chilmark Road, Chilmark. beetlebungfarm.org/varietytastings.
MV TIMES
Events The MV Film Society • Now celebrating 28 years • 1999-2026
Thurs 8/20
JON STETSON
PSYCHIC MIND-BLOWING COMEDY SHOW
7:30 PM
7:30 PM THE ODYSSEY Sat LIVINGSTON TAYLOR SOLD 7:30 PM OUT 8/22 LIVE IN CONCERT Fri 8/21
THE INVITE THE ODYSSEY
4:00 PM 7:30 PM
THE ODYSSEY Tue 8/25 THE ODYSSEY Wed 8/26 THE ODYSSEY Thurs 8/27 THE ODYSSEY
7:30 PM 7:30 PM
Sun 8/23 Mon 8/24
7:30 PM 7:30 PM
WINNER BEST ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATION 2025 Voted by the Vineyard Community
The MV Film Center is open to the public and masks are optional for all individuals. Please join us for an in-person movie experience soon!
Information & Schedules
scan code for complete schedule
mvfilmsociety.com
508.69 6.9369
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 Dance Fitness and Strength Training with Kris Martin
7-8 am, Airport Fitness, West Tisbury. A creative blend of rhythmic resistance, cardio conditioning, manageable mobility and core strength exercises all set to crazy-FUN music. 508-696-8000, workout568@aol.com
Polar Bears MV Celebrate Their 80th Season on 4th July
7:30-8:30 am, Inkwell Beach , Oak Bluffs. The Polar Bears of MV, a historic African American swim/ water aerobics club, open their 80th Birthday Season on 4th July at 7:30 AM at Inkwell Beach. 617-710-9312, jazzze3@aol.com.
Morning Pages Mornings
8-9 am, West Tisbury Library. Meets on the library porch. Writing prompts and inspiration with Kate Feiffer. No sign up required. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org.
Early Birders Walk
8-10 am, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown. The early bird gets the worm, and early birders, the binoculars. Walk with our birders to listen to and observe the sanctuary’s avian residents. 508-627-4850, felixneck@massaudubon.org.
Kaiut Yoga
8:30-9:30 am, Peaked Hill Studio, Chilmark. Kaiut Yoga works through chronic pain and injuries, general aches and stiffness, and is good for the inflexible, hyper flexible and the aging body. 774-563-8282, valerie@peakedhillstudio.com.
Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery
9 am-6 pm, Island Folk Pottery, Chilmark. The enchanting Fairy Sculpture Trail meanders 1/4 mile through a magical wooded landscape populated with whimsical sculptures. 508955-9944, islandfolkpottery@gmail.com.
Kayak & Stand Up Paddle Board Quest
9 am-3:30 pm, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown. Enjoy Sengekontacket on this self-guided kayak tour. Clues lead you through the pond. Call to reserve for up to 3 hours; returning the boats by 3:30. 508-627-4850, felixneck@massaudubon.org.
Balletics
Art Exhibition: London, Kirkpatrick, Howells, Cincotta, Yuan, and Reade
9 am-6 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown. Art Exhibition: London, Kirkpatrick, Howells, Cincotta, Yuan, and Reade 508-939-4092, art@oldsculpingallery.org.
Tennis Morning Clinic Level 3.5+
9-10:30 am, Airport Fitness, West Tisbury. 1.5 hours of group instruction with a focus on strokes, volleying, strategy and drills. Advance registration required, please call to reserve spot 508-696-8000, workout568@aol.com.
Active Arts Preschool Camp
9 am-1 pm, Island Children’s School, West Tisbury. We know that chidlren learn best while having fun... and what better way to do that than outside with your friends! 586-943-5559, activeartsmvy@gmail.com.
Docent-Led Arboretum Tours
9:30-10:30 am, The Polly Hill Arboretum, 9-10 am, Up Island Council on Aging, West Tis- West Tisbury. Learn about the incredible bury. Total body conditioning, learning body’s history, people, and plants that make the strengths & weaknesses, how to prevent injury. Polly Hill Arboretum a local and global coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov, 508-693-2896. landmark. Free with admission! 508-693508-693-2896, coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov. 9426, info@pollyhillarboretum.org.
Artists’s Premiere: Adam Thompson & Traeger di Pietro
10 am-5 pm, Field Gallery, West Tisbury. Artists’s Premiere: Adam Thompson & Traeger di Pietro 508-693-5595, info@fieldgallery.com.
From Field to Clay: A Whimsical Flower Vase Workshop
10 am-1 pm, Morning Glory Flower Farm , West Tisbury. From Field to Clay: Explore Morning Glory’s seasonal flower farming and create your own whimsical flower vase using hand-built pottery techniques! 973-747-9953, workshopsmgf@gmail.com.
Exhibit: Margot Datz: Recreator
10 am-3 pm, THE CARNEGIE HERITAGE CENTER, Edgartown. This exhibition highlights the creative process of muralist Margot Datz, whose work transformed the Old Whaling Church and Flying Horses Carousel. 774-5499107, THECARNEGIE@mvpreservation.org.
29th Annual Vineyard Artisans Summer Festival
10 am-2 pm, The Grange Hall, West Tisbury. Meet island artisans and browse a multitude of mediums, all handmade on Marthas Vineyard. For more information visit our Continued on B12
community & calendar B11
August 20, 2026
American dream: ‘Amerigo’ BY ABBY REMER
A
s we celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, Emmy Award– winning television producer David McCourt poses a probing question to more than 1,000 everyday Americans: How do they feel about the American Dream? His film, “Amerigo: The Search for the American Dream,” screens at the M.V. Film Center on Friday, August 28, followed by a discussion with producers David and Julie McCourt, MV Times Publisher Charles Sennott, and special guests. We follow McCourt as he probes whether today’s 20 million service workers can still achieve the stability and opportunity once associated with the American Dream — a notion that through hard work, anyone, regardless of background, might achieve a better life. Filmed across all 50 states over two years, the program features unscripted interviews with blue-collar workers, veterans, immigrants, students, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
McCourt says that “Amerigo” (named for Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and navigator after whom the country is named) “is not just a film about the American Dream but about America itself. Who we were, who we are, and who we are becoming, and whether that dream has the ability to unite us all.” The conversation is far-ranging, and just a touch of the topics and comments follow. McCourt opens with a montage of people describing what the American Dream is to them. Answers range wildly, from “To be able to go outside without being shot” to being able to “party if you want to.” Many speak about the part money plays. “You have to be a certain type of person to even have access to a dream at this point,” one person states. Another says “I don’t care who you are, money makes you happy if you have it.” The inability to afford a home, or even the prospect of ever doing so, plagues many. McCourt compares his grandfather’s ability, on a janitor’s salary, to buy a house, versus today, when, he comments, many can barely afford to live
alone, let alone own a home. Along the way, we hear from a few key individuals, including Rachel Goslins from the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, who provides a fascinating fact: “When you look at surveys about the American Dream, the people who most fervently believe in it are first-generation immigrants and multimillionaires. The likelihood of a firstgeneration immigrant doing better than their parents is the same today as it was 100 years ago.” McCourt comments, after hearing these sentiments from various immigrants, “New immigrants sometimes believe in the American Dream more than America believes in them.” He contrasts the immigrant responses with those of indigenous people, with one noting, “Here in this country, children were getting killed for speaking their native tongue, and their dads were overseas saving this country.” Healthcare comes under scrutiny, as we learn that 45,000 Americans die annually due to lack of medical insurance. One man, a cancer survivor, tells of having lived as long as he
JOIN CHARLIE SENNOTT INTERVIEWING DAVID & JULIE MCCOURT CO-PRODUCERS OF AMERIGO — A SPECIAL SCREENING AND DISCUSSION
has because of his access to health insurance, while another person he knew without insurance died. Many speak about the role social media plays in exacerbating a climate that is so polarized, leading to a loss of a sense of community. One interviewee says, “Children are inheriting a country more connected than ever, yet more divided than we’ve ever seen in our lifetime. Their sense of belonging lives inside a screen … They’re told to work hard and dream big, but they’ve watched how the game is played, and they know deep down … that the playing field simply is not level anymore. They’re growing up in a world where the American Dream feels like a story someone else used to tell, and all because of one little invention.” The opposite of polarization is community, which McCourt examines in detail — both what threatens it and examples of how local community action has produced positive results. One businessman stands with his wife and states, “When you ask about the American Dream, we are living the American Dream. I can’t think of a better way to describe [it] than a husband and a wife [trying] to help turn a community around.” MV Times Publisher Charles Sennott, who appears frequently in the film, also speaks about the importance of community, including the role local newspapers play, as the number of such newspapers diminishes by the day: “We’re going to have to find a formula that supports local journalism as community service … If the community is going to use it as its trusted source, then the community has to get behind it … When you have what we
“Amerigo: The Search for the American Dream” screens at the M.V. Film Center on Friday, August 28, followed by a discussion with producers David and Julie McCourt, MV Times Publisher Charles Sennott, and special guests. For tickets and more information, visit mvfilmsociety.com. call a news desert, we know three things, discernibly through research: One, communities become more and more polarized. Two, voter participation plummets. People don’t even know who to vote for anymore because no one is telling them who the candidates are. The last one is banks. Their bond ratings in those communities that no longer have a news organization drop, and that becomes a spiral that stresses the community and pulls it further apart.” McCourt zooms out toward the end of the film, telling us, “The general consensus of young people all across the country I spoke to says these are uncertain times for the American Dream, but not all of them have given up. I met young people starting businesses, joining co-ops, organizing local drives, building things that last. They’re skeptical, yes. But also sharper, more awake,
more connected to purpose than my contemporaries.” He also turns to the role of artists in binding us together. People’s comments include, “Art is always going to push the boundaries of what is right and what is wrong and call out the injustices that they see.” Another person speaks about the power of art to move us on a deep level. One man piggybacks on the comment, saying, “I do believe that art has a role in the American Dream, particularly because art gives human beings the most feeling. When you’re chasing the American Dream, I think we’re chasing a feeling.” McCourt stirs that feeling within us by inviting many artists to interpret the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Their personalized renditions send shivers down our spines with soaring lines, leaving us singing along, “Glory, glory, hallelujah, hope keeps marching on.”
ARTS THE
DISTRICT
Stroll
Saturday, August 22, 4 - 7 pm Alison Shaw Gallery
Celebrating the gallery’s 20th anniversary! Music by Sarah Shaw Dawson
Judith Drew Schubert Studio Martha’s Vineyard landscape paintings
The Crossroads Gallery
Inspirational photography by Michael Blanchard
and an *ART YARD SALE*
We invited artists and artisans to sell art and art supplies
M.V. FILM CENTER VINEYARD HAVEN, MA
Sponsored by Galaxy Arts MV www.galaxyartsmv.org
Dukes County Ave, OAK BLUFFS
B12
calendar & community
August 20, 2026
Events
Continued from B10
Roberts' 3-D mixed media art focuses on social issues and explores the concept of comfort. Schule Gallery, Featherstone Center for the Arts. Featherstoneart.org.
website- vineyardartisans.com artisan02557@yahoo.com.
Goat Yoga MV
10-11 am, Native Earth Teaching Farm, Chilmark. Slow Flow Yoga with baby pygmy goats. goatyogamv@gmail.com.
Farmer for a Day – Child Drop-Off Program
Seminar- Chaos in the Streets, Know Your Rights with ICE
1-3 pm, The FARM Institute, Edgartown. Spend the afternoon on the farm with this hands-on program. 508-627-7007, thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org.
10 am-12 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Chaos in the Streets- Know Your Rights with ICE 240-515-5739, nifamserv@aol.com.
Dinosaur Day
Pick Your Own Sunflowers
10 am-3:30 pm, The FARM Institute, Edgartown. Come tour our one-acre sunflower field and pick your own blooms! 508-627-7007, thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org.
Carnegie Heritage Center
10 am-4 pm, the carnegie heritage center, Edgartown. Admission: $5 (ages 12+). vineyardtrust.org/events/ 774-549-9107, thecarnegie@mvpreservation.org.
Origins -Drum Circle with Roots
10-11 am, Milokan Cultural Center and Drum Museum, Chilmark. More than just a jam.. . 774-563-0870, rick@drumrol.org.
Wiggle with the Words Storytime
10:30-11 am, Edgartown Library. Fun props and interactive stories. Geared for ages 1-5, but all are welcome. No sign-up. programs@ edgartownlibrary.org, 508-627-4221.
Connected: Selected Works by Brooke Adams
11 am-4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Vineyard Haven. Connected: Selected Works by Brooke Adams 508-696-6300, boxoffice@circuitarts.org.
Pokemon Club
11 am-12 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Bring your Pokémon cards to show to others! This is a club to talk about Pokémon, look at cards, and draw! No trading allowed. Ages 5-11. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org.
Loïs Mailou Jones: Sphere of Influence 11 am-5 pm, Center of Knowhere, Oak Bluffs. Group Exhibition - Lois Mailou Jones: Sphere of Influence 917-960-9344, info@knowhereart.com.
Summer Show
11 am-5 pm, Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. New works by: Carol Caradimos, Wooley Dutton, Nadia Mahfuz, Joseph McCarthy, Donna Nyzio and Nick Paciorek. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com.
Fault Lines
11 am-5 pm, Knowhere Art Gallery, Oak Bluffs. Group Exhibition: Fault Lines 917-960-9344, info@knowhereart.com.
Paul Beebe & Gwen Marcus Show
11 am-5 pm, Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Paul Beebe, Fellow ASMA, and view his new selection of Vineyard realist oil paintings along with award winning bronze sculptures by Gwen Marcus 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com.
Secret Gardens Watercolor Show
11 am-5 pm, The Moore Family Gallery, Oak Bluffs. Hannah Moore’s Secret Gardens, an exhibit of recent work in watercolor and ink 508-8011052, hannahmooreportfolio@gmail.com.
Tech help
11 am-1 pm, Up Island Council on Aging, West Tisbury. Free tach help 508-693-2896, coa-staff@ westtisbury-ma.gov. Discomfort isn't a Flaw artshow Every day, 12-4 pm through Sept. 6. Allison
2-4:30 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Drop in from 2-4:30 for dinosaur themed games and activities. Great for kids ages 3-8. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org.
Book Signing: ‘The U.S. CONSTITUTION: A ... Guide’ by Melissa Murray 2-4 pm, Edgartown Books Author, podcast host, and legal expert Melissa Murray signs ‘THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader’ info@edgartownbooks.com.
Bison on the Vineyard-Seminar “Voting Rights Under Siege”
2-4 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Voting Rights Under Siege- How to Protect your right to Vote 240-515-5739, nifamserv@aol.com.
Adult Cow Connection at The Farm Institute
2:15-3 pm, The FARM Institute, Edgartown. Come meet, cuddle, brush, and walk with our cows at The Farm Institute! 508-6277007, thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org.
The Great Sheep Heist: Grey’s Raid, 1778 5-6 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Vineyard Haven. British raid on Vineyard devastates economy in dramatic Revolutionary sheep seizure. 508-627-4441, events@mvmuseum.org.
Table Tennis
5 pm, Tisbury Senior Center, Vineyard Haven. Table tennis for all ages and skill levels. 508-728-5898, raeobmv@gmail.com.
Memoir Book Club
5:30-6:30 pm, West Tisbury Library. A monthly memoir book discussion group facilitated by Louise Ponte. For more information, email wt_mail@clamsnet.org. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org.
Maker Café: Live Music in the Garden 6-8 pm, Maker Cafe, Vineyard Haven. Live Music in the Garden at Maker Café 508687-9794, eat@makercafemv.com.
Meditation
6-7 pm, Bodhi Path Buddhist Center, West Tisbury. Group meditation available both in person at Bodhi Path in West Tisbury, and online via Zoom. marthasvineyard@bodhipath.org.
Music in the Square - The Jon Bates Band
6-8 pm, Eisenhauer Gallery, Edgartown. Eisenhauer Gallery presents “Music in the Square” with The Jon Bates Band 508-6277003, eisenhauergallery@gmail.com.
Artful Conversations: EJ Montgomery’s Life as an Artist
Brush and Blooms - A Floral Painting Workshop
6:30-8:30 pm, Center of Knowhere, Oak Bluffs. An Evening Panel Discussion 917-960-9344, info@knowhereart.com.
Community Knitting Circle
6:30-8:30 pm, Knowhere Art Gallery, Oak Bluffs. An evening in the galleries with art, music, and easy conversation. 917960-9344, info@knowhereart.com.
Mojo on the Vineyard
7 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Vineyard Haven. Live Theater: Here There Are Blueberries 508-696-6300, boxoffice@circuitarts.org.
3-5 pm, Morning Glory Flower Farm , West Tisbury. Brush and Blooms: A Unique Floral Painting Workshop Led by MV Local Artist Traeger di Pietro! 973-747-9953, workshopsmgf@gmail.com. 3-4:45 pm, Chilmark Library. Join us for a relaxed afternoon of knitting. Our knitters love to share their knowledge and beginners are welcome! 508-645-3360, chil.programs@gmail.com. 3-6 pm, Strand Theatre , Oak Bluffs. The Roots and Blues: A documentary screening and fireside chat on preserving Black legacy, music, and storytelling. Partnerships@mojomuseum.com.
Strings & Things drop-in club
3:30-5 pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library. Play games with string, including iconic childhood favorites like Cat’s Cradle. Explore our building materials including Legos, Magnatiles, and more. 508-696-4211, vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org.
Circus: Learn with Laughter
3:30 pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library. Fast-paced circus adventure! Humorous challenges featuring juggling, zany balances, and a full cast of audience volunteers. 508696-4211, vhpl_children@clamsnet.org.
Rose Colored Glasses Concert
4-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Join Darby and Sam for a free, public concert at the West Tisbury Library spanning genres from rock, jazz, pop, country, to deep cuts and hits. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org.
Catch and Cook with the MV Shellfish Group and Chef Zachary Graves Miller
5-7:30 pm, The FARM Institute, Edgartown. Join us for a uniquely Martha’s Vineyard summer evening spent in the water and on the Farm! 508-627-7007, thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org.
Knowhere After Dark
Live Theater: Here There Are Blueberries
Author Talk: Richard Russo - Under the Falls
7-8:30 pm, Chilmark Community Center. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo for a conversation about Under the Falls. info@mvbookfestival.com.
JON STETSON: PSYCHIC, MINDBLOWING COMEDY SHOW
7:30-9:30 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. JON STETSON: PSYCHIC, MINDBLOWING COMEDY SHOW LIVE at the MV Film Center 774-392-2972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com.
JON STETSON: PSYCHIC MINDBLOWING COMEDY SHOW.
7:30 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. JON STETSON: PSYCHIC MIND-BLOWING COMEDY SHOW. 774-3922972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com.
Alice Howe & Freebo
7:30 pm, Grange Hall, Vineyard Haven. Alice Howe & Freebo 508-6966300, boxoffice@circuitarts.org.
Learn to Crochet: Granny Squares with Sarah Vail
Chilmark Library. Learn to crochet with Sarah Vail. Open to all ages. Some materials provided. Register on the library website. 508-645-3360, chil.programs@gmail.com.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
Barre Fusion with Kris Martin
7-8 am, Airport Fitness, West Tisbury. Ballet styled flows, barre work, balance and weights incorporating disks, loop bands and Bender balls. Come with sneakers, barre sox, or bare feet. 508-696-8000, workout568@aol.com.
Polar Bears MV Celebrate Their 80th Season on 4th July
M E M B E R S S H OW F E AT U R I N G Harriet Bernstein, Anne Grandin, Karen Morgenbesser, Rebecca Everett, Jeremy Brenner + MVAA Members Reception: August 23 Exhibition Dates: August 22 - 28 / Open Daily 58 Dock Street, Edgartown 508.939.4092 art@oldsculpingallery.org OLDSCULPINGALLERY.org
Across from the Chappy Ferry
7:30-8:30 am, Inkwell Beach , Oak Bluffs. The Polar Bears of MV, a historic African American swim/ water aerobics club, open their 80th Birthday Season on 4th July at 7:30 AM at Inkwell Beach. 617-710-9312, jazzze3@aol.com.
Pumped Up Intervals with Maria McFarland
8:30-9:30 am, Airport Fitness, West Tisbury. A class alternating cardio intervals and weight work intervals using heavier weights, body bars, loops bands, and weighted balls. 508-696-8000, workout568@aol.com.
Kayak & Stand Up Paddle Board Quest 9 am-3:30 pm, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown. Enjoy Sengekontacket on this self-guided kayak tour. Clues lead you through the pond. Call to reserve for up to 3 hours; returning the boats by 3:30. 508627-4850, felixneck@massaudubon.org.
EFF’n Move Series with Tuni
9-10 am, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. EFF’n Move is a mindful, low-impact training approach focused on why you move, not just what you do. info@stillpointmv.org.
Art Exhibition: London, Kirkpatrick, Howells, Cincotta, Yuan, and Reade 9 am-6 pm, Old Sculpin Gallery, Edgartown. Art Exhibition: London, Kirkpatrick, Howells, Cincotta, Yuan, and Reade 508-939-4092, art@oldsculpingallery.org.
Off-site Can You Dig It Quahog Harvesting w/ Edgartown Shellfish Department
9:30-10:30 am, Katama Landing, Edgartown. learn techniques for harvesting shellfish from the constables of the Edgartown Shellfish Department. 508-627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org.
Pick Your Own Sunflowers
10 am-3:30 pm, The FARM Institute, Edgartown. Come tour our one-acre sunflower field and pick your own blooms! 508-627-7007, thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org.
Polly Hill Arboretum Staff-Led Botanical Spotlight Tour
10-11 am, The Polly Hill Arboretum, West Tisbury. Learn more about the Arboretum and its plant collections on guided walks led by PHA collections staff. Free with admission. 508-693-9426, info@pollyhillarboretum.org.
From Field to Clay: A Whimsical Flower Vase Workshop
10 am-1 pm, Morning Glory Flower Farm , West Tisbury. From Field to Clay: Explore Morning Glory’s seasonal flower farming and create your own whimsical flower vase using hand-built pottery techniques! 973747-9953, workshopsmgf@gmail.com.
Bison on the Vineyard 26WHEALTHWELLNESS Seminar
10 am-12 pm, Strand Theater, Oak Bluffs. Our Wealth.. Our Health.. Whealth Wellness 240-515-5739, nifamserv@aol.com.
Artists’s Premiere: Adam Thompson & Traeger di Pietro
10 am-5 pm, Field Gallery, West Tisbury. Artists’s Premiere: Adam Thompson & Traeger di Pietro 508-693-5595, info@fieldgallery.com.
Exhibit: Margot Datz: Recreator
10 am-3 pm, THE CARNEGIE HERITAGE CENTER, Edgartown. This exhibition highlights the creative process of muralist Margot Datz, whose work transformed the Old Whaling Church and Flying Horses Carousel. 774-549-9107, THECARNEGIE@mvpreservation.org.
Seashore Discovery
10-11:30 am, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown. Head to the edge of Sengekontacket Pond to net, catch, and release marine life and discover the coastal creatures that live in local waters. 508-627-4850, felixneck@massaudubon.org.
Kid’s Music Class
10:30-11 am, West Tisbury Library. Sing fun songs and play instruments with friends! Ages 0-5 508-693-3366, hburbidge@clamsnet.org.
Adopt a Stuffed Dino
10:30 am-4 pm, Edgartown Library. Visit the library every Friday and pick up a stuffed dinosaur 508-627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org.
Secret Gardens Watercolor Show
11 am-5 pm, The Moore Family Gallery, Oak Bluffs. Hannah Moore’s Secret Gardens, an exhibit of recent work in watercolor and ink 508801-1052, hannahmooreportfolio@gmail.com.
Paul Beebe & Gwen Marcus Show
11 am-5 pm, Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Paul Beebe, Fellow ASMA, and view his new selection of Vineyard realist oil paintings along with award winning bronze sculptures by Gwen Marcus 508693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com.
Loïs Mailou Jones: Sphere of Influence
11 am-5 pm, Center of Knowhere, Oak Bluffs. Group Exhibition - Lois Mailou Jones: Sphere of Influence 917-9609344, info@knowhereart.com.
ESTATE JEWELRY SHOW
11 am-7 pm, MV TREASURES JEWELRY, Vineyard Haven. ESTATE JEWELRY SHOW 508-338-7768, rawlsvineyard@gmail.com.
Toddler Time
11-11:30 am, Chilmark Library. We’ll read classic and current children’s literature, and sing, move, and play together. Ideal for preschool ages. chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com 508645-3360, chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com.
Online Balance with Kanta Lipsky
11:30 am-12:30 pm, West Tisbury Library. To strengthen our connection to Earth and maintain balance. To sign up, email wt_mail@clamsnet.org. 508-693-3366. Discomfort isn't a Flaw artshow Every day, 12-4 pm through Sept. 6. Allison Roberts' 3-D mixed media art focuses on social issues and explores the concept of comfort. Schule Gallery, Featherstone Center for the Arts. Featherstoneart.org.
Seasonal Crafting
12-4 pm, Oak Bluffs Library Craft projects for ages 3-11. New craft each week! Drop in. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org.
Bison on the Vineyard26-Redistricting/Voter Protection 2-4 pm, The Strand Theater, Oak Bluffs. Redistricting and Black Representation 240-515-5739, nifamserv@aol.com.
Inaugural Martha’s Vineyard Summit 2-8 pm, Edgartown. events.eventnoire.com.
Grace Church Lobster Rolls
3-6 pm, Grace Episcopal Church, Vineyard Haven. Grace Church Lobster Roll Fundraiser 508-693-0332, rector@graceepiscopalmv.org.
Teen Gaming
3 pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library. Switch games and gaming laptops for teens.jrapuano@clamsnet.org.
Brush and Blooms - A Floral Painting Workshop
3-5 pm, Morning Glory Flower Farm , West Tisbury. Brush and Blooms: A Unique Floral Painting Workshop Led by MV Local Artist Traeger di Pietro! 973-7479953, workshopsmgf@gmail.com.
Tabletop Roleplay Group: MonsterSized Summer Road Trip
3-6 pm, Edgartown Library. Throughout the campaign, you’ll experience highs and lows as you roadtrip across the country 508627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org.
Mike Mok and the Em-Tones at the West Tisbury Library
3:30-4:30 pm, West Tisbury Library. Join Mike Mok and the Em-Tones for a free, public rock ’n’ roll concert on the library porch. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org.
Summer Show
Menagerie of Marvels: Paintings by Eleanor Hubbard Opening Reception
Fault Lines
Maker Café: Live Music in the Garden
11 am-5 pm, Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. New works by: Carol Caradimos, Wooley Dutton, Nadia Mahfuz, Joseph McCarthy, Donna Nyzio and Nick Paciorek. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com. 11 am-5 pm, Knowhere Art Gallery, Oak Bluffs. Group Exhibition: Fault Lines 917-960-9344, info@knowhereart.com.
Connected: Selected Works by Brooke Adams
11 am-4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Vineyard Haven. Connected: Selected Works by Brooke Adams 508-696-6300, boxoffice@circuitarts.org.
5:30-7 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Vineyard Haven. Experience rescued animals’ remarkable stories in art at Menagerie of Marvels. 508-627-4441, events@mvmuseum.or.g
Hoy and the Bluefish
6-7:30 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Join us and Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish this summer for Friday night musical performances on our outdoor stage under the trees! 508-693-1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org.
Live Theater: Here There Are Blueberries
7 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Vineyard Haven. Live Theater: Here There Are Blueberries 508-696-6300, boxoffice@circuitarts.org.
THE ODYSSEY
7:30 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. THE ODYSSEY, a film by Christopher Nolan 774-3922972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
Polar Bears MV Celebrate Their 80th Season on 4th July
7:30-8:30 am, Inkwell Beach , Oak Bluffs. The Polar Bears of MV, a historic African American swim/ water aerobics club, open their 80th Birthday Season on 4th July at 7:30 AM at Inkwell Beach. 617-710-9312, jazzze3@aol.com.
Morning Brews & Yoga
8:30-10 am, Island Autism Group, Hub House Porch, Vineyard Haven. Support mental differences, get your yoga on, connect with community and enjoy your favorite morning beverages all in one! 860-682-3753, info@wholesomemv.com.
Dance Fitness with Kris Martin
8:30-9:30 am, Airport Fitness, West Tisbury. A creative blend of rhythmic resistance, cardio conditioning, manageable mobility and core strength exercises all set to crazy-FUN music. 508-696-8000, workout568@aol.com.
Beginner Pickleball Clinic
9-10 am, Airport Fitness, West Tisbury. Curious about pickleball? Join a session to learn the basics! Advance registration is required, call 508-696-8000 or go to our website to register. 508-696-8000, workout568@aol.com.
Chilmark Flea Market
9 am-2 pm, Flea Market Field, Chilmark. 508-645-3100, chilmarkflea@gmail.com.
Greenhouse Soil Therapy!
9-11 am, Community Greenhouse of MV, Oak Bluffs. Get your hands in the soil and help the community greenhouse. Seeding, transplanting, and harvesting; gardening chats and advice are a bonus! 774-563-8417, smiller8690@gmail.com.
Kaiut Yoga
9-10 am, Peaked Hill Studio, Chilmark. Kaiut Yoga is works through chronic pain and injuries, general aches and stiffness, and is good for the inflexible, hyper flexible and the aging body. 774-563-8282, vsonnenthal@gmail.com.
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Sullivan 5K Run/Walk
9 am-12 pm, Washington Park, Oak Bluffs. MV Hospital Sullivan 5K Run/Walk & Kids Dash, Aug. 22, Washington Park, Oak Bluffs. Benefits Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. All ages welcome. rmvargas@mgb.org.
Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery
9 am-6 pm, Island Folk Pottery, Chilmark. The enchanting Island Folk Pottery Fairy Sculpture Trail meanders 1/4 mile through a magical wooded landscape populated with whimsical sculptures. 508-955-9944, islandfolkpottery@gmail.com.
Vinyasa Power Yoga
9-10 am, Edgartown Library, Edgartown. Free and open to the public. Registration is required. Sign up at edgartownlibrary.org. 508-6274221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org.
Barnyard Buddies
9:30-10:30 am, Farm Institute, Edgartown. Spend your Saturday morning exploring the farm and meeting our friendly animals in this program for families! For ages 2-5, pre-registration required. 508-627-7007, thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org
6-8 pm, Maker Cafe, Vineyard Haven. Live Music in the Garden at Maker Café 508-687-9794, eat@makercafemv.com.
Magic the Gathering: Gaming Club
6-9 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. All skill levels are welcome. You can bring food and drink. Under age 14 should be with an adult. mdaniels@clamsnet.org, 508-693-9433.
Friday Nights with Johnny
For events for the full week scan code or visit mvtimes.com/things-to-do.
community & calendar B13
August 20, 2026
BUSINESSDIRECTORY S
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RESTORATION & PAINTING
· KITCHEN & BATHROOM RENOVATION · DECKING · CARPENTRY · ROOFING & SIDING
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Tree Work ISA Certified Arborist Tree & Shrub Pruning Hand & Tree Spade Removal Transplants • Chipping
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Concrete & Masonry
508-560-3234 FENCING
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islandenergyinc.net 508-696-5959
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What’s IN YOUR WATER?
Custom railings, gates, fireplace screens and hardware in wrought iron, bronze and stainless steel
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Island news daily Three Generations of Roofers
OVER 25,000 REFERENCES ACROSS THE SOUTH SHORE AND MARTHA’S VINEYARD. LOCAL REFERENCES AVAILABLE
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B14
community & calendar
August 20, 2026
BOOKS
H
aving read and loved Miciah Bay Gault’s “Goodnight Stranger,” I was thrilled to dig into her newest novel, “The Nobody Code.” The exquisitely crafted book of this Falmouth native, who summers here regularly as the stepdaughter of Flying Elbows band member Tom Hodgson, does not disappoint. Gault takes us on a mysterious journey where imaginative folklore, a possible death, maybe a ghost, and perhaps a touch of haunting weave an engrossing tale. Gault keeps the suspense high with flickers of foreboding, poetic metaphors, and disconcerting happenings that keep us guessing … and turning the page, while the elegance of her prose makes us savor each one. In her author’s note, Gault shares, “I so hope you enjoy ‘The Nobody Code’ and its wild explorations of girlhood and motherhood, lovers and villains, moonlight-streaked rivers and pine forests, talking crows and cats and bears.” This, then, is the world Gault drops us into, beginning her narrative with our protagonist, Dinah, who, at 25, is rushing to meet Rex, her high school boyfriend, whom she just happened to run into after not having seen him for years Odd things start happening right away when she goes to Rex’s apartment to pick him
up for their date. The door is ajar, but there’s no trace of him, not even a comb or toothbrush; only a single blue button-down shirt hangs in the closet — with its pocket cut out. Gault writes, “She held the shirt on its hanger and peered through the empty square of the missing pocket, but even through this frame he didn’t appear.” Upon further inspection of the pristine rooms, there are two overturned little ceramic saltand-pepper ghosts, and a “red blossom the size of a dime.” In an interview, Gault says, “Rex having gone missing becomes the shadow and tangle over her whole adult life.” We then meet Dinah 10 years later, as a new, overwhelmed mother whose marriage is fraying at its edges, made worse by very strange events at work, including her boss’s puzzling behavior and the news that a childhood friend who still lives in the
A mysterious journey “The Nobody Code: A Novel,” by Miciah Bay Gault. BY ABBY REMER
Miciah Bay Gault
Eugene Robinson’s ‘Personal History of America’ n another full house for this summer’s M.V. Author Series, several hundred people assembled on Sunday evening at the Chilmark Community Center to hear Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson in conversation with Henry Louis Gates Jr. about Robinson’s new book, “Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America.” The book is a chronicle of the U.S. as seen through the lens of his own family’s heritage. And Harvard Professor Gates, creator and host of the PBS series “Finding Your Roots,” proved to be the ideal interlocutor in examining what he described as a “double helix” of memoir and history. Originally from Orangeburg, S.C., Robinson had the
LARRY GLICK
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The M.V. Author Series. BY ROBIN RIVERA
Eugene Robinson, right, interviewed by Henry Louis Gates Jr. at the Chilmark Community Center as part of the MV Author Series.
good fortune of encountering a treasure trove of documents — letters, speeches, books, contracts, financial records, and more — in the home that had been in his family for multiple generations, and which still stands. The oral history passed on by his elders also made for valuable contributions, though he expressed some regret at not being able to gather more in that regard. Expanding his
search to local libraries and other nearby institutions, he diligently traced his own roots, beginning with the sale — twice — of his great-greatgrandfather, Henry (“Harry”) Fordham, in the early 19th century. The process delivered an array of what Robinson called “eureka moments,” the first of which was the discovery that the same ancestor had, in 1851, been sold a third time — to himself.
Sunday evening’s discussion began with Robinson’s firsthand experience of a more recent event: The 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, which he watched from his family’s home, built by Henry’s formidable son, Maj. John Hammond Fordham, in 1903. That event, centered around a still-segregated bowling alley, was surely traumatic for young Eugene, but an account he penned while a student at the University of Michigan won an award, and thus served as the launch of his career in journalism. While subsequently enjoying success after success as a reporter, editor, columnist, and international bureau chief, Robinson main-
Vermont town where Dinah grew up was mysteriously injured in a fire. A final fight with her husband sends Dinah back to the town, where, she believes, there is more to the incident than meets the eye, and it has ties to the gang she ran with in high school. Gault alternates between the present day and Dinah’s teenage years with this vigilante group of misfit “invisible” kids — the Nobodys — who live by a moral code by which they perform covert acts of revenge on those who hurt the underdog. As one of the members says, “I guess you could say we help people who can’t help themselves.” Dinah believes what they sowed in youth has come back to haunt them. Gault writes, “She saw so clearly the ways in which the actions of the past had rippled exponentially, had affected all their lives in small and large ways.” Dinah’s ponderings go beyond just the choices made as a youth, but all the ones to the present. “Every moment, constantly choosing. Did she want the life of romance and danger, thorns and crowns and quests and — yeah, loneliness? Uncertainty? Grief. Or did she want the 9-to-5 life, the hot dinners, alarm clocks, savings accounts. Did she want that comfort even if it meant giving up the enchantment? And then of course, there was the question of whether what she wanted even mattered?” The seeds for “The No-
body Code” came to Gault while she was driving her daughter back and forth to daycare. She’d pass an island in a river with a small, abandoned house like the one that becomes the Nobodys’ secret headquarters. Gault started imagining characters and came up with, she explains, “teenagers meeting at night under the moonlight and wondering what they are doing there. They became vigilantes. The story unfurled from there. What happens to me is that I’m not working toward an ending. I’m setting up a mystery that even I don’t know the solution to until I’ve gotten through most of the book, and then I have to figure it out.” First and foremost, Gault hopes “The Nobody Code” is, as she says, “a fun puzzle keeping readers wondering what is happening, whom they can trust, and the solution to the mystery. Beyond that, I want readers to think about their adolescence and the rules they followed, broke, or enforced. By rules, I don’t just mean school rules but also the unspoken rules of a community or society’s code. And to think about what rules they’re living by now, and which ones they want to break and how they rebel in big or small ways — or even if they do so.”
tained a keen awareness of, and curiosity about, the material in his childhood home and the history it represented. Together with Gates, he traced the trajectory of Black people in this country from slavery to the Civil War and Emancipation, to Reconstruction and Southern Redemption, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, and both World Wars. With all that they had endured, said Robinson, “by nature, just remaining in or returning to the South during these times, they were civil rights fighters,” his ancestors among them. Asked by Gates what his ancestors might have thought had they read the book, then seen how the country has
ended up today, Robinson said they would probably be most distressed about the income inequality and, as a consequence, the diminished expectations for and among African Americans. That was simply not how he and his sister had been raised, and there were plenty of documents to show this intriguing point. Still, the conversation, while lively, informative, and thought-provoking (as noted in the questions from the audience about the country’s past, present, and future) only scratched at the surface of Robinson’s exhaustive, yet inspiring, research and truly gifted storytelling in “Freedom Lost, Freedom Won.”
“The Nobody Code: A Novel” by Miciah Bay Gault, available at Edgartown Books and Bunch of Grapes.
Cribbage Club results BY MARY ALICE RUSSELL Eighteen members of the Vineyard Cribbage Club met on to play our favorite game at the American Legion in Edgartown. The results are as follows:
Third, Ed Montesion with a 9/4 +92 card Fourth, Mary Alice Russell with a 9/4 +85 card Fifth, Samantha Burns with a 9/4 +66 card
First, Frank Fenner with a GRAND SLAM 12/6 +77 card! Second, Ed Roman with a 12/5 +80 card
We had four 24-point hands this week! They were played by Merrily Fenner, Sammi Burns, Kathy Kinsman, and
Tim Stobie. Nine people got skunked (a loss of greater than 30)! If you are interested in cribbage, give us a try! We meet at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays — call 508524-1220, or email me at maonmv@mac.com.
community & calendar B15
August 20, 2026
Elizabeth Stahlman, Nemuna Ceesay, and Scott Barrow in the 2024 New York Theatre Workshop production.
Ensemble and Kathleen Chalfant in the 2024 New York Theatre Workshop production.
Scott Barrow in the 2024 New York Theatre Workshop production.
Charlie Thurston and Nemuna Ceesay in the 2024 New York Theatre Workshop production.
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his weekend, longtime Vineyard theater artist Scott Barrow directs the documentary play “Here There Are Blueberries” at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. This project is meaningful to him not only for its compelling story, but because it is a kind of homecoming. Barrow’s relationship to the Playhouse goes back 30 years. Just out of Brandeis, he performed at the Amphitheater in “Twelfth Night,” alongside Vineyard native Brian Ditchfield. Barrow and Ditchfield have been close friends ever since, each continuing in sundry ways at the Playhouse. (The Playhouse has recently merged with Circuit Arts, of which Ditchfield is the executive director.) In 2003, the Playhouse’s then-artistic director, MJ Munafo, cast Barrow in “The Laramie Project,” a flagship play of Moisés Kaufman’s Tectonic Theater Project. Tectonic uses documentary-style theater to dramatize real events; for the “The Laramie Project,” Tectonic had interviewed hundreds of Laramie, Wyo., residents about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay university student who was tied to a fence and beaten to death there. The staged interweaving of those interviews became a worldwide phenomenon. The ethos of that kind of playmaking immediately appealed to Barrow: “After doing a show at the New York Theatre Workshop, I met Moisés, who became my mentor and collaborator. In 2010, I was able to bring ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’ (an epilogue) to the Playhouse. So Tectonic and the Playhouse have always been connected for me.” Before that happened, though, a new Tectonic project came into being.
PHOTOS: MATTHEW MURPHY
A chilling new facet of the Holocaust “Here There Are Blueberries” at the M.V. Playhouse. BY NICOLE GALLAND In 2007, Kaufman read a New York Times article by Neil A. Lewis: “In the Shadow of Horror, SS Guardians Frolic.” The story featured photos from WWII of wholesome-looking, cheerful German families who happened to be employed in systemic genocide. This chilling juxtaposition became the inspiration for “Here There Are Blueberries,” which Kaufman wrote with Amanda Gronich, whose family, like Kaufman’s, were Holocaust survivors. Like all Tectonic projects, it was developed experimentally, with an ensemble of theatre artists that included Barrow. The play’s deceptively innocent title is the translation of a caption from the album. “These SS officers are frolicking and having fun on their days off and eating blueberries, and just outside the frame is the killing of 1.1 million people,” says Gronich. Kaufman calls it “my most American play. It speaks about how we coexist when tremendous injustices are being committed. The purpose of this play is to show in a very specific way that the people who did this were not raised to do this. They were people like you and me, and through a series of very specific things, they learned how to do it. I refuse to believe the Nazis are monsters. The mo-
ment you label them as monsters, you can separate yourself from them. They were regular human beings, which makes it all the more frightening. There’s a line in the play,” says Kaufman: “‘Six million people didn’t kill themselves.’ It’s important that we are also studying the psychology of the people who did this.” Barrow says of the devising process, “We all immersed ourselves in the material. We really focused on criminality, culpability, and bystanderism. One of the great successes of the play is that it really does hold a mirror up to the audience. We study history not to learn what happened, we study history to learn what happens.” For a production like this, actors are cast not in specific parts, but in tracks composed of multiple roles. Barrow had helped create the play, and as well as all developmental workshops, he has taken on
every male track in the script, performing in Miami, La Jolla, Washington, D.C., New York, Princeton, Los Angeles, Berkeley, and London. The eight-person ensemble this weekend features familiar Playhouse faces, including Brooke Hardman, Tsilala Brock, and Chris Roberts, as well as screen actor and seasonal resident Don Wildman, and the star of last year’s summer film festival’s “Familiar Touch,” Kathy Chalfant. While the show is billed as a “very, very staged reading,” Tectonics’ work is so theatrically imaginative that it retains its wonder in reading form. The company’s work toggles between naturalistic and so highly theatrical that “it borders on abstraction,” says Barrow. “And because everything we say is audience-addressed already, it will feel fairly close to what the presentation in its full form would be.” “It feels so right, as an artist fostered and developed and nurtured by the Playhouse, to be bringing ‘Here There Are Blueberries’ back to the Playhouse,” he concludes. “It also feels really important because of how much these issues really resonate with the Island community, both year-round and seasonal. I’d feel incomplete if the Playhouse wasn’t part of this journey, my journey.” “Here There Are Blueberries” at the M.V. Playhouse, 24 Church St., Vineyard Haven, at 7 pm, August 20–22. For more information, go to circuitarts.thundertix.com/events.
"These SS officers are frolicking and having fun on their days off and eating blueberries, and just outside the frame is the killing of 1.1 million people.” –AMANDA GRONICH
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community & calendar
Wild Side BY MATT PELIKAN
Nantucket and the Vineyard went head to head.
BioBlitz was a rousing success
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wrote a month ago about bioblitzes, events that put amateur naturalists into the field for an intensive survey of the biodiversity of a particular place. My goal then was partly to spread the word on a special event: the first-ever Inter-Island BioBlitz, pitting Martha’s Vineyard against Nantucket in a two-week contest to see which island could document the most biodiversity. The event, first proposed by our friends at Nantucket’s Linda Loring Nature Foundation, ran from July 24 through August 7. The winner was announced on Friday, August 14. Nantucket, despite marshaling fewer participants, logged more observations than the Vineyard did: 8,373 to 8,113. But the more important competition for most species, although excruciatingly close, ended with Martha’s Vineyard triumphant after multiple lead changes: 1,706 to 1,677. Regardless of which island won, the event was, in my view, a startling success. Its goals, in addition to a little friendly competition, included encouraging use of the iNaturalist “community science” platform and
generating simultaneous snapshots of the wild plants and animals active on each island. Everybody won big in all of those areas. Across the two islands, an impressive 268 individual observers contributed. Their efforts generated 16,529 observations, and documented a total of 2,835 species. On the Vineyard, iNaturalist activity was about eight times the level seen during the corresponding two weeks last year, suggesting that adding an element of competition inspired many new users to get active, and experienced users to crank up their production. The intensive effort documented many rare and unusual species, including many regional first records. My own experience of the event was intense. Of course, I love observing nature under any circumstance, and do so happily for long hours under any conditions. But while I don’t think of myself as a particularly competitive person, I found myself really, really wanting to beat Nantucket. And as the event progressed, I found myself working ridiculously hard to find as many species as I could, both to
August 20, 2026
add to my team’s list and for my personal tally. Conditions were challenging, with most of the BioBlitz period featuring hot and very humid weather. (Several rainy days during the event period pretty much shut down fieldwork, which at least gave everybody a little rest.) The event hit a flat spot in the year for insect activity, which is my main focus; insect numbers seem low in general this season, and the cusp of late July/ early August is typically a slow period in the best of years. Very few flowers were blooming, making it hard to detect and identify plants. And with flowers being a huge attractant to insects, the paucity of flowers removed one of the most powerful methods I use to find insects. And as always, fieldwork brought frustrations. I saw a target robber fly, Proctacanthus philadelphicus, four or five times, but never managed to photograph it. I completely missed two grasshopper species I felt sure of finding. I accidentally deleted a photo while editing it, depriving my team and myself of the bee species, Halictus rubicundus, that it portrayed. Bonehead move!a In any event, the first 450 or so species came pretty easily, but things got challenging after that. On the last day of the event, a steamy eight hours in the field netted me only 23 additional species, as new ones became harder and harder to find. I finished the event with 624 species, with Rich Couse, a colleague of mine at BiodiversityWorks, close behind at 567. But it took the most sustained, intensive bout of fieldwork that I’ve ever put in to build that total. What did the event show us about the two participating islands? Well, the fact that we tallied a huge number of species came as no surprise, since the biodiversity of both islands is legendary. More interesting to me has been the relatively small amount of overlap in the
Across the two islands, an impressive 268 individual observers contributed. Their efforts generated 16,529 observations and documented a total of 2,835 species.
PHOTOS: MATHEW PELIKAN
Top, the bee fly Exoprosopa fascipennis, found at Long Point. Middle, Megachile pugnata, apparently a first Vineyard record, at Island Grown Initiative. Bottom, a female Efferia albibarbis, a robber fly found on Vineyard beaches, with a prey item.
species that the two islands found: Very roughly, a third of the total species were found on both islands, while about a third were unique to MV and the remainder unique to Nantucket. It is going to take a while to figure out whether that pattern reflects genuine differences in the species
present during the event on each island, or whether it reflects the expertise and interests of the observer corps participating on each island. My guess is that both factors played a role. But for whatever reason, it appears that, for example, Nantucket trounced the Vineyard in marine life,
while we returned the favor for many groups of terrestrial insects. These two islands truly are “the same but different.” So a lot of rumination and data analysis lie ahead. And, of course, an even more important question awaits an answer: Which island will win in 2027?
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