MV Times November 5, 2026 by marthasvineyardtimes

Overcrowded Tisbury home condemned A14

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Division on Brazil’s election felt on-Island B13

THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD TIMES

Volume 43, Issue No. 40

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Big blue wave across America, the state, and the Island Democrats win historic victory, ushering in a sea change in American politics. BY EUNKI SEONWOO AND SARA CREATO

NICHOLAS VUKOTA

Laney Light (No. 10) embraces with teammates after scoring the game-winning goal against Nantucket.

he Island woke up Wednesday to a sea change in American politics brought on by a powerful blue wave for the Democratic Party that will take firm control of Congress in both the House and the Senate. The historic midterm elections unleashed new currents of change, including in Georgia, the nation’s first Black woman elected governor; in New Hampshire, the first gay man elected to the Senate; and in Michigan, the first Muslim American Senator elected. In a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump and a Republican Party that bowed to his will on harsh immigration laws, the gutting of federal programs, and a war in Iran that has driven up gas prices, the midterm elections on Tuesday transformed the political map of the country. And the historic landslide will undoubtedly infuse new optimism throughout the commonwealth of Massachusetts and across the Cape and Islands, where Democrats have long had a strong base and where prominent incumbents, including Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey, and Rep. Bill Keating all won by large margins. Massachusetts was far from a battleground state, and there was not much surprise as incumbent Democrats retained seats at the state and district level. And in local races, like the uncontested races for Dukes County and Martha’s Vineyard commissions, there are a few new faces filling seats. The midterm results were a display of defiance to Trump’s policies, including the federal immigration crackdowns that have particularly hit the Island’s Brazilian community, which represents an estimated 20 percent of the year-round Island population. For some Vineyard voters, each ballot cast counted as a part of preserving democracy and restoring the Constitution. “I needed to be here. It was the most important thing that I could do for the rest of this year,” Carol Bliss Furr told The Times at the Oak Bluffs polls; she cited dissatisfaction over the economy and Trump. On the nine statewide ballot questions, voters decided on issues that resonate powerfully across the Cape and Islands, including affordable housing, environmental protections, transparency in government, gun control, and housing affordability. Elena DeFoe told The Times at the Tisbury polls that she had “never seen a ballot that’s this long,” and it took some time to study before voting. “I mostly came for the ballot questions. I’m not really into the politics of it all,” DeFoe said. “But I felt like it’s important to vote for all of us.” Some down-Island polling stations had long lines of voters eager to cast their ballots, with questions about proposed measures such as election reform and gun control. Continued on A8

Girls’ soccer defends Vineyard pride Nantucket holds onto Island Cup and defeats varsity field hockey and boys’ soccer. BY NICHOLAS VUKOTA

artha’s Vineyard families and fans made the long ferry trek across Nantucket Sound at 7:30 am on Halloween morning to support the Island’s high school fall sports teams in the annual Island Cup

and surrendered their Golden Anchor trophy. Varsity field hockey also fell 1-0. The girls’ varsity soccer team, however, were a shining light, defeating the Whalers Continued on A1

and Battle in the Atlantic, only to watch Nantucket claim most of the day’s trophies. The Martha’s Vineyard varsity football team lost to Nantucket 56-7 in the Island Cup, while the boys’ soccer team lost 2-0

Copeland character wins out Denial of MVC-approved hotel raises questions of what is appropriate in the historic district. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON

Lee Jackson Van Allen stands outside of her Wayland Avenue home.

SARAH SHAW DAWSON

s Lee Jackson Van Allen peered over the railing of a second-floor balcony at her family cottage on Wayland Avenue on a recent fall afternoon, she reflected on the history of the home in Oak Bluffs and the view in front of her. The park and harbor before Van Allen on that day was not so different from the landscape her mother, Doris Pope Jackson, had gazed upon when she bought the home in 1948. But the Island, as a whole, has changed, as development becomes increasingly geared toward seasonal visitors and more yearround Islanders are priced out of the housing market. And when the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) narrowly approved a hotel to be built directly in front of Van Allen’s home, she worried that the three-story building would block the view her family’s witnessed for more than 75 years. “It will affect our lives forever — our historic community forever,” she told The Times.

The Ocean View Hotel, proposed by Boston-based commercial developer Charles R. Hajjar, was approved by the MVC late last year. But in the neighborhood it’s proposed in, the project needed another approval: one from a much smaller district board, which takes the cultural appropriateness of proposals into account in decision-making. And in a divergence from the norm, that cultural district board, the Copeland Plan Review Committee, went over the MVC approval and denied the proposal in October. The decision essentially stalls any progress on the project, at least for now. Typically, even a narrow approval by the MVC holds weight at subsequent town boards. But the decision does point to an ever-present conflict that faces Islanders, regional planners, and developers of whether or not the year-round community is in favor of new construction that’s geared only Continued on A9

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news

November 5, 2026

news in brief Former select board candidate sentenced in rape case A Vineyard Haven resident who was a former Tisbury Select Board candidate was sentenced to five years of probation for two counts of felony rape at the Edgartown Courthouse in October. Macaleer B. Schilcher, 41, was sentenced at a Dukes County Superior Court hearing after he changed his plea to guilty for two of his four counts of felony rape. Schilcher’s two other counts of felony rape were dismissed. According to court documents, Schilcher was released on probation with special conditions to register as a sex offender, to be evaluated for potential sex offender treatment, to have a mental health evaluation, and to comply with a restraining order that prohibits direct or indirect contact with the victim and to stay at least 100 yards away from the victim. At the courthouse on Oct. 5, Schilcher’s attorney Robb Moriarty said the likelihood of a settlement before a trial was “not very good.” But at the courthouse on Oct. 23, Schilcher’s jury trial, scheduled for Oct. 26, was canceled following his change of plea. It marked the end of a two-year-long court battle. Danielle Whitney, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office director of community programs and spokesperson, said in an email to The Times that the victim delivered a powerful and heartfelt impact statement to the court that played a vital role in the outcome of the case. “We are pleased with the resolution of this matter, and grateful that the victim’s voice was heard,” said Whitney. “Their strength, courage, and willingness to speak up were commendable, and played an important role in the outcome.” Schilcher, who ran for the Tisbury Select Board in 2023, was indicted on four counts of rape by a grand jury on Dec. 1, 2023. He pleaded not guilty in February 2024. In June 2025, Edgartown Police arrested him again after in a nearly empty courtroom, he sat behind the victim whom he was ordered to stay 100 yards away from. Victim-witness advocate Stephanie Andrade told police that other seats were available. Moriarty called it an incidental violation. A Falmouth District Court hearing later found he was not in violation. He spent a night at the Dukes County Jail and House of Correction. According to Edgartown District Court documents, the initial incident occurred in August 2019, but a complaint wasn’t filed against Schilcher in the district court until July 2023. Moriarty declined to comment on the sentencing.

Programming possible at the PAC during construction Though there were concerns that programming at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) would be canceled due to the construction of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) building project, which begins next summer, school officials said it could possibly go on, just scaled down and on different dates. The Island’s largest indoor auditorium, located at the high school, the PAC serves as the venue for many large events, including the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (AAFF). The festival, which traditionally takes place during a nine-day period in August, attracts thousands of visitors and high-profile Black celebrities to the Island every year. But due to planned construction of the renovation and addition project, the proposed dates of the festival haven’t been approved to take place at the PAC yet. Scott Eaton, senior project manager for construction management firm W.T. Rich, presented construction plans during a MVRHS Building committee meeting last Tuesday evening. After consulting with Oak Bluffs Building Commissioner Adam Petkus, Eaton said that the PAC could accommodate

Performing Arts Center. MV TIMES

the AAFF as long as the building’s entrances and exits remain mostly the same. The only change that will be made is the creation of a temporary exterior walkway that will go between the construction site and the PAC. “The only way that it would work is if all of its egresses and entrances are exactly the way they are right now,” Eaton said. “We would not be able to impact any of that in order for them to utilize it for that festival in 2027.” Eaton also said that the festival would have to wrap up by July 19 at the latest, so the construction crew can begin the selective demolition portion of the project before the start of next school year. MVAAFF co-founder Stephanie Tavares-Rance, who had said the festival is the reason “August is August” on the Island, also previously said she wanted to confirm the dates of July 30 to August 7. August on Martha’s Vineyard has long been synonymous with the celebration of African American heritage and Black culture through books, films, music, and art events. This past summer’s festival ran from August 7 to 15, but based on Eaton’s presentation, the dates would have to significantly change. “This work needs to be done before the students come back for the fall semester. We may not have to have all the selected demolition done, but we have to have the wall up and any of the fire alarms and egresses … set up,” Eaton said. Amy Houghton, MVRHS committee member, said that the committee would need more information from festival organizers about the event’s logistics before they can make a final decision. “We would need to know how many people they’re expecting, what they are expecting to use in any other part of the overall campus, the timing … are there food trucks, are there tents,” Houghton said. “Quite frankly, I think it needs to be really scaled down for this year because we just don’t have the ability to have a grandiose plan on our campus. The priority needs to be the building.” The building committee approved a motion to make a recommendation to the school committee to consider allowing the festival at the PAC as long as festival organizers present a plan that’s approved by the town and doesn’t interfere with the building project. For next school year, 2027–28, Eaton said that Petkus approved an occupancy limit of 49 people for the PAC. To possibly increase the maximum to 300 individuals, changes such as the addition of another set of double doors would have to be made. The PAC will be closed to the public during the following school year. A group of staff from the school’s performing arts department voiced their concerns about these restrictions at Monday’s MVRHS committee meeting. Abigail Chandler, department chair, emphasized how a 49-person limit and the PAC’s closure would harm students. “The proposed 49-person capacity would throttle these programs Island-wide. We understand that this option is probably the cheapest and easiest for the building project, but we are asking that the 300-person capacity be the goal toward which we are all striving,” Chandler said. “[Music and theatre] are vital to their well-being and sense of self. If a

student is never given a real chance at experience … we are doing them a disservice. Two years in the life of a child is a really long time.” Sam Hart, MVRHS director of operations, emphasized the impact of the occupancy limitations on the school. “We would have a classroom, essentially, for that one year, and then have no use for the PAC at all the second year,” Hart said. The building committee meets next on Dec. 1.

MVC pushes back on proposed census changes The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) decided to lend its voice to the growing opposition against proposed changes to the U.S. Census that would exclude undocumented residents. “It’s a couple of years away, but it is important to make sure that after 250 years, we don’t change the rules because one person is in office and decided to do it,” Adam Turner, MVC executive director, said at last Thursday’s commission meeting. The U.S. Census Bureau began accepting comments last month for proposed procedural changes ahead of the 2030 population data collection. Among these, the one that the MVC views as most detrimental is a proposed change to those who are counted to only citizens and holders of permanent resident cards, more commonly called green cards. The bureau’s proposed changes would alter the record of the demographic portrait of the country, and have raised a slew of questions. A state’s population count impacts how many legislators are in the U.S. House of Representatives, and where federal funds are distributed. In Massachusetts, local lawmakers have criticized the proposals as measures that would cost the state billions of dollars. The proposals have been met by widespread backlash. The plans also introduce a question that asks respondents their citizenship status, which President Donald Trump unsuccessfully attempted to implement during his first term, as well as excluding collection of various demographic data, including race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Concerns have been raised on the implications for research, especially regarding health disparities across racial groups, and the potential of undercounting residents. “Accurate data is essential for towns, cities, states, and the country as a whole to address problems and improve the quality of life,” Turner wrote in a letter to the U.S. Census Bureau. A representative of the bureau was not immediately available for comment. Just over 13 percent of Dukes County’s population is foreign-born, and more than 600 J-1 visa holders live on the Vineyard annually. Under the proposed methodology, there is the possibility they wouldn’t be counted unless they have green cards. And while many of these visa holders are seasonal staff for local businesses, some have decided to make a home on the Island. Turner wrote in his letter that the changes that propose the exclusion of immigrants without green cards “due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance

to the United States” should be removed. “Many noncitizens in the U.S. are devoted members of their communities, pay taxes, provide essential services, etc.,” Turner wrote. “They spend the majority of their time working, raising families, and otherwise residing in a state. By longstanding convention, this should qualify them for inclusion in the Census.” At the meeting, Turner described what he called an “attempt to sanitize the Census” as “outrageous,” and he said the MVC isn’t alone in its opposition. The commission plans to sign a letter by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies in opposition to the proposed census changes, as have many people who submitted comments in regulations.gov. The comment period was open until Nov. 2. Turner said the MVC’s letter will also be available to view on the commission’s website. Ben Robinson, Tisbury commissioner, noted the importance of immigration as an issue in the country, and questioned the bureau’s proposed changes. “Why would you want to not have that data to inform policy?” he said.

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November 5, 2026

obituaries Alma Tilton Lowe

Alma Tilton Lowe, daughter

of Thomas and Alice Tilton, born on the Vineyard on Sept. 3, 1933, has departed the Earth and now resides in Glory, joining the love of her life, Ervin (“Lee”) Lowe Jr., who preceded her. Many fondly knew her as Snookie, a woman who served her community and beyond; played piano at church, hosting the live Nativity, Bible studies, provided childcare for many single moms, started a bottle drive to provide financial assistance to deserving international low-income children, helped lead a Toys for Tots distribution, and so much more. When she saw a need, she found a way to fill it. She always welcomed anyone to come sit at her table, share a cup of tea, and just talk while she listened. She was an amazing wife, mom, grandma, and friend. She was who she was and did what she did because she knew who she was in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She did not just claim to have a faith; she lived her faith. Snookie leaves behind a legacy of acting out a love for others with respect, compassion, and a desire to make a difference one life at a time; not to be recognized or praised, but to receive the blessing of giving — an act that seems to be unknown to too many. Our family is grateful to have been raised by a woman who demonstrated faithfully this ability. She will fondly be remembered and greatly missed by her six children and their spouses, Christopher Lowe and Gwen Goodmanlowe, Brenda and John Pazar, Thomas and Roberta Lowe, Amy Wajda, Damion and Theresa Childs, and Donald Childs; and by her nine grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. She has been reunited with her husband, Ervin (“Lee”) Lowe, and her beloved son-in-law, John Wajda. Snookie remained independent at 93, still caring for her plants, raising butterflies, feeding the birds, and welcoming friends and family for a visit in Florida, where she moved with Lee in 2002. She passed unexpectedly but peacefully at home. A grand celebration of life will happen in June in Florida. A full obituary can be seen at Pinecrest Funeral Chapel website.

Rufus Reid Little Jr.

Rufus Reid Little Jr. of

Vineyard Haven, who for years fought the good fight with dignity and grace, died on Oct. 11, 2026, in hospice care at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. The cause of death was complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 82. Rufus was born in Boston in 1944. His father was a doctor, his mother a nurse; both were early examples for Rufus of lives of purpose and caring. A summer resident of the Vineyard with his family beginning in 1985, Rufus and wife Caroline moved full-time to the Island in 2012. An avid runner, cyclist, and rollerblader, Rufus loved the sweaty, long-distance challenges on the bike trails around the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. Swimming at State Beach and Lambert’s Cove and hiking all over the Island with family and friends were some of his greatest pleasures. He was unfailingly curious and friendly with everyone, which is why he made close friends so easily throughout his life. He was beloved by his Island neighbors. Before retiring to the Vineyard in 2012, he devoted his working life to the welfare of young people at a number of institutions, including North Carolina Outward Bound School, Project Adventure in Beverly, Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., and as the executive director of the Drumm Farm Center for Children in Independence, Mo. Rufus leaves behind an enviable legacy of good works, all of which have his lasting imprint. He was predeceased by his son, Michael Reid Little, and his brother, Thomas Little. He is survived by Caroline Corvelli Little of Vineyard Haven, his wife of 59 years; son John Robert Little and wife Jenny Smith-Little of Cambridge; granddaughters Vivienne and Violet Little; his sister Jane Little; and many nieces, nephews, and close friends. A memorial gathering for family and friends will be held at a later date. Donations may be made in Rufus Little’s name to the VNA hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, online at support.givetocapecodhealth. org/donate, to the Drumm Farm Center for Children, online at bit.ly/DFC_Donate, or to the Parkinson’s Foundation, online at bit.ly/ APDA_donate

Lillian Yvonne Anderson

Lillian Yvonne Anderson, 80,

passed away peacefully at home in Edgartown on June 25, 2026, surrounded by love. Born on Dec. 5, 1945, in Nancy, France, she lived a life marked by creativity, resilience, curiosity, and an extraordinary affection for animals. Lillian spent part of her childhood with her grandparents in France before rejoining her mother. As a teenager, she made the courageous journey to America, arriving in Boston on Valentine’s Day to find a snowstorm and a world where she did not yet speak the language. She eventually made Martha’s Vineyard her home, carrying her unmistakable French accent and independent spirit with her. An accomplished, awardwinning Island artist, Lillian painted and sold numerous works and received many ribbons and honors at Vineyard art shows. She was especially gifted at portraiture, including commissioned paintings of children created from family photographs. Her talents extended to charcoal and pencil drawings, poetry, and writing. Fellow artist Betty Fazio was a cherished friend and mentor. Lillian also had a remarkable eye for treasures, particularly rare and antique books. She delighted in collecting them, discovering their stories, and recognizing something special that others might overlook. Her life was not without hardship. Over the years, Lillian survived three battles with cancer, including two experiences with colon cancer that required surgery, and a hysterectomy when cancer threatened her uterus. She faced these challenges with remarkable determination and strength. Animals held a special place in Lillian’s heart. She adored her dogs and cats, including Friday and Sammy, and even welcomed wild skunks to her doorstep for their nightly meals. To Lillian, every creature deserved kindness. Lillian was predeceased by her son, Donnie, and her longtime companion, Marian Cardoza. She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, Dolores Borza and Sandra (“Sandy”) VanKirk; stepchildren Donna and Bobby Anderson; grandchildren Michael and Amanda VanKirk; greatgrandchildren Bryan, Nolan, Nathaniel, and Amanda’s two children; and many other relatives and friends. A celebration of Lillian’s life will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5, which would have been her

81st birthday, at the PortugueseAmerican Club (P.A. Club) at 137 Vineyard Ave. in Oak Bluffs. Friends and community members are warmly invited to remember her, and view a special display of her artwork. In her memory, the family has organized “Lillian’s Legacy of Love” (32auctions.com/lillianslegacyoflove), an online silent auction featuring original paintings and drawings from her personal collection. Bidding runs Nov. 1–30, with proceeds benefiting Second Chance Animal Rescue of Martha’s Vineyard. Winning bidders may arrange to collect their artwork at the memorial. Before her passing, Lillian learned of the plan to use her art to help rescued animals. The idea brought her tremendous happiness. Her family hopes her art will find new homes while her compassion for animals continues to make a difference.

Elizabeth F. Allen Elizabeth F. Allen, 91, of Vineyard Haven died on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at the Navigator Homes in Edgartown. She was predeceased by her husband, Stewart Allen, in May 2008. She was the mother of Elizabeth Allen, Christopher Allen, and Therese Wheeler, and was predeceased by her son Thomas Stewart Allen. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 7 pm in the Chapman Funeral Home, Edgartown Road in Oak Bluffs. Her funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11 am in St. Augustine’s Church, Franklin Avenue in Vineyard Haven, and burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery, State Road in Vineyard Haven. Visit chapmanfuneral.com for online guestbook and information.

Margaret A. Burke

Bank, Select Appointments North America of Wakefield, Reynolds Rappaport, Kaplan and Hackney Law Firm of Edgartown, and Burke Public Adjusters of Edgartown. Meg was the loving mother of Dylan Burke and Dyana Burke. Meg enjoyed being with family and friends, walking her dog Bailey, and sitting by the fireplace and the pool. She enjoyed traveling, especially with lifelong friend Sherry Santini of Hyannis. She is survived by her mother, Christine Wilkins of Naples, Fla.; her sister, Katrina Patterson and her husband William of Gales Ferry, Conn.; and her cousin, Brian Wilkins and his wife Dawn of Weymouth. Meg’s close inlaws include mother in-law Gail Burke and late father inlaw Richard Burke of Plymouth, Kathleen Carey of Pembroke, Kevin Burke and his wife Alejandra of Fort Lauderdale, Joanne Hajjar of Marshfield, and Richard Burke and his wife Stacy Sanders of Weymouth.

Fella Cecilio

Fella Cecilio died on

Thursday morning, Oct. 29, 2026, at his home in Vineyard Haven. He was 78, and the husband of Jane Cecilio and father of Michael and Kate. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11 am at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury. A full obituary will follow in another edition of this paper. Visit chapmanfuneral.com for online guestbook and information.

Bonnie Scott Bonnie Scott, of Oak Bluffs

Margret A. Silva Burke

(“Meg”), 56, of Edgartown, passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 18, 2026. Meg was born on Oct. 23, 1969, in Boston, and lived with her parents, Christine Wilkins and Jesse Silva, in Melrose and Medford. Meg was married to David M. Burke of Braintree. They settled in Edgartown, and enjoyed 27 wonderful, loving years of marriage. Meg earned her associate’s degree from Fisher College in Boston. She worked at Medford Savings

and Edgartown, passed away on July 26, 2002, at the age of 49. A lifelong Vineyarder, Bonnie was known for her sharp intelligence, quick humor, and the unmistakable charisma that made her unforgettable to everyone who knew her. She carried herself with a natural confidence and independence that shaped her life and the relationships she built across the Island. Born and raised in Oak Bluffs, Bonnie graduated from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 1971, where she was remembered for her lively spirit, her friendships, and her ability to bring energy to any room she entered. After spending several years offIsland, she returned home to the Vineyard, where she remained deeply connected to

the community she loved. Bonnie had a gift for forming lasting bonds. Friends recall her fierce loyalty, her honesty, and her ability to make people feel seen and understood. She moved through life with a rare combination of wit, warmth, and clarity — qualities that made her presence both grounding and electric. She is remembered with deep affection by her extended family, her friends throughout the Island, and all who were touched by her life. A private remembrance was held.

Julie Robinson celebration of life Sunday A celebration of life for Julie Robinson will be held on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 2 to 5 pm at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. Please join us to remember Julie, share stories, and celebrate her life.

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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November 5, 2026

EDITORIAL The Island’s shared future is circling the drain at Five Corners

persistently flooded. This is a clear and present danger, according to climate scientists, including those who have come to our Island to speak on the issues of sea level rise and storm surge that are only projected to get worse. Recently, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) announced a $387,000 grant award from the state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program that may finally begin to address the problem head-on. The town of Tisbury also received $500,000 in state funding to get a project “shovel ready,” though there is currently no project proposed. Separately, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), which owns Beach Road as a state highway, is at work on redesigns of the outfall system, which is supposed to direct groundwater from higher elevation out to the harbor. But as anyone who

The persistent and perilous flooding at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven is no secret. Frustration for years around the lack of visible action is also well-known in the public sphere, especially as a crescendo of voices calling for action continues to increase. More rainfall, propagated by global temperature rises, and an overdeveloped Island with insufficient plans for runoff just mean the problem will continue to stare us all right in the face, as it has for decades. Discussions about flooding and infrastructure and how to handle Five Corners and Beach Road are happening in backrooms of the State House, in county and town offices, and on the street, and all of these rooms seem haunted by the ghosts of the past. Years of research and studies have made no tangible headway. There were workshops conducted, studies done on roads and drainage, vision plans and master plans made, and yet any State Police and Tisbury time there is more than Police direct traffic through an inch and a quarter Five Corners during a flood. of rain, Islanders often find the infamous intersection unnavigable. We’ve heard about projects to fix the area that has bothered to look down Beach Road Extenwere proposed and failed, and some that were sion to the harbor can see, it often doesn’t work. As an Island, we need to come together to even proposed, approved, and yet were never make sure these urgent repairs to Five Corners made a reality. And despite all that effort, actually get done, and that they don’t fall by the officials said that the studies and proposed wayside, as they have so many times before. As projects only looked at near-term solutions. the Island has already seen this year, funds can But now there is no time to dwell on the past, as there is an urgent need to focus on the future. be pulled and disappear, as they were for a project to address Oak Bluffs erosion. In fact, there is a potential public safety threat Finding adequate funding to finally repair Five when the main road leading to the hospital is

Corners is no small matter. Projects of this scale, especially ones that have to look to the future and ponder what Tisbury might look like 50 years or 100 years from now, are challenging. Knowledge costs money, and so the town as well as the MVC has had to vie for state grants just to do the research on what could work here. And there’s already been a lot of that money spent without tangible results. We need to make sure these new grants, which the Island recently received, are used to get a project across the finish line. It was clear throughout discussions over the past month that state officials in Boston and local officials know how bad the problem is, and how important a fix to the integral corridor that connects Islanders to the Steamship Authority’s main ferry terminal and hospital is. But Sakiko Isomichi, climate resilience planner for the MVC, pointed out to The Times a painfully obvious concern: There hasn’t been a dedicated person or team on this problem. And, as she explained, the MVC is a planning body, and much like a lot of places on the Island that are understaffed, doesn’t have the bandwidth to carry out this project all alone. It is crucial for this Island to remember that this isn’t a single-town problem, but an Island-wide priority and urgent public safety matter. It is too big and too expensive for one town to handle. Five Corners, as frustrating as it is, offers the Island a rare opportunity to find new ways to work together. It is in many NICHOLAS VUKOTA ways the perfect, initial test of what impact can be achieved through regionalization. We need to wake up from a gauzy New England pipe dream of the benefits of small towns and their distinctive features, and recognize that towns can keep their character and still work together with country and state officials on a regional basis to solve a problem that should greatly concern us all. To sum all of this up in three words: Fix Five Corners!

LETTERS Derby committee opposes Chappy court decision

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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: For 81 years, the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby has celebrated the Island’s fishing traditions, and brought families, friends, and neighbors together on its shores. The Derby is far more than a fishing contest. It is an annual five-week opportunity for participants to renew long-standing friendships, create new relationships, and enjoy the beauty of the Vineyard. At the conclusion of the 81st Derby, the Derby committee expresses its deep disappointment and concern over the recent injunction issued by Massachusetts Land Court in a lawsuit brought by the Colantonio family, private landowners on Cape Poge, against the Trustees of Reservations. The injunction took effect midway through this year’s Derby. It ended public oversand vehicle access to approximately 2.6 miles of Chappaquiddick shoreline, including some of the Island’s most productive and cherished fishing beaches, which our participants have enjoyed for generations. These beaches have long been part of the Derby. They are where first fish and Derby winners were caught, where experiences and wisdom were passed

from parent to child, and where many of the tournament’s best stories began. This year, in the middle of the very event that honors those traditions, anglers were suddenly shut out. The 81st Derby and its participants were harmed by this closure. Now that the 81st Derby has concluded, we’d say that harm was irreparable. Our greater concern is the future. As legal proceedings continue, these beaches could remain closed to Derby participants and the fishing community forever. The Derby has always supported conservation, responsible stewardship, and respect for private property. But public access is meaningless if the public cannot actually reach the beaches. For remote shorelines like Chappaquiddick and Norton Point, oversand vehicle access is not a luxury or a convenience. It is essential to keeping these historic fishing grounds accessible to generations of fishermen, especially our older and less mobile participants. What is being lost is far more than 2.6 miles of shoreline. It is generations of fishing traditions, opportunities, and memories. We hope a path forward can be found that respects everyone involved and restores responsible public access to these historic fishing grounds. Fishing seasons come and go, but the traditions built along our shoreline should endure. Future Derby partici-

pants deserve the same opportunities as those who came before them. The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby Committee

Don’t overcomplicate fixing Five Corners flooding To the Editor: Hey, I am sorry to harp on this once again (as I have already posted two letters recently), but I think those in charge of dealing with flooding from rain events in Five Corners and near the hospital need to stop devoting so much effort and money to more studies on expensive and complicated infrastructure solutions. It appears from the reporting that yes, road water can be diverted into the harbor. That’s good to know. That being the case, please tell us why a few small catch basins with sump pumps in plastic filtering barrels and backwash hoses pumping the water over the sand via hose to the harbor would not solve the problem. Is this not cheap, portable, easily replaceable, and effective? Can it not be tried? The MV Times might want to look into and explain to us whether this or other simpler, more immediate solutions would be feasible or not. Talk to Servpro, Rapid Recovery MV, Clean Harbors (they have vacuum trucks),

MEMA (Mass Emergency Management Agency), or some plumbers, and let us know what their take on the matter is. We are not impressed with the response to this endless problem that appears to be solvable. Allan Dutton Oak Bluffs

A winning day for mah jong and our Island community To the Editor: What a wonderful day of mah jong, friendship, and community spirit! On Oct. 17, M.V. Center for Living hosted its first annual Mah Jong Tournament at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. Sixty enthusiastic players came together for a sold-out day of friendly competition, laughter, and new connections. Thanks to the generosity of so many, we raised approximately $10,000 to support older adults living with dementia, and the families and caregivers who love them. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who helped make this first tournament such a success. Morning Glory Farm and Black Dog Bakery generously provided delicious baked goods and coffee. We are also grateful to the local businesses that contributed raffle Continued on A5

news A5

November 5, 2026

VINEYARD GALLERY

KRISTOFER RABASCA

ESSAY Violating human rights when DHS sends immigrants to third countries

who now may face dreadful consequences if the U.S. deports them. The question is whether those six justices are sensitive to human rights abuses, especially those recognized in international law. For many generations, jurists, political commentators, and lawyers have debated whether American law is subject to international law and BY JACK FRUCHTMAN norms. Some have said yes, others no. Dean Harold Koh of Yale University Law School once wrote an Among the most striking cases article, for example, titled, “Interbefore the Supreme Court is one national Law Is Part of Our Law.” that may well affect immigrants Justice Antonin Scalia objected, on Martha’s Vineyard. The case, saying that he does “not use foreign Department of Homeland Security law in the interpretation of the v. D.V.D., asks the court to continue United States Constitution.” to allow the Trump administration This case raises the issue of interto send undocumented immigrants national human rights abuses: The to a country where they have no plaintiffs argue that they may well ties, and where they may be in dan- be in danger in some countries that will not recognize their individual ger of torture, imprisonment, or death (known as “third countries”). needs. One plaintiff needs psychiThese removals are often undertak- atric care, and is fearful of being deprived of it should his host counen without a hearing, in violation try ignore his problems. Another is of due process of law. Boston District Court Judge Bri- outwardly gay, and was beaten and an E. Murphy initially ruled against raped in his home country before he traveled to the U.S. A third is a the administration, and placed woman whose husband beat and a nationwide injunction to stop abused her, and she is frightened these removals. Six conservative that he will locate her in a third Supreme Court justices allowed country and kill her. A fourth perthe administration to continue son was severely beaten by local this practice after an emergency police in his own country after he appeal by the administration. The case is terribly troubling and refused to deliver illegal drugs for them. They all fear that they may frightening to the four litigants,

LETTERS Continued from A4 prizes: Beach House, Maggie’s Salon, Miss Mary Boutique Spa, Debbie Hale Pottery, Middletown Nursery, Barbara Reynolds Photography, with framing by Peter Trani, and Black Sheep. A very special thank-you goes to our 15 wonderful “Easts,” who kept the games moving, helped with scoring, and made everyone feel welcome. We appreciate all our players, many of whom were playing for the first time. We also thank our Island libraries and senior centers for helping mah jong flourish across Martha’s Vineyard. Congratulations to our tournament

winners: Vicki Bologna, first place; Stacey Goldfarb, second place; and Michelle Jasny, third place. And congratulations to every player who joined us, especially those experiencing their first tournament! What made the day truly special wasn’t just the mah jong. It was the friendships, the laughter, and the wonderful reminder of what happens when our Island community comes together for a good cause. We are already looking forward to next year! Mary Holmes, executive director Katie Vieira, executive assistant Erica Dinerman, Barbara Reynolds, and Sue Trani, tournament directors M.V. Center for Living

Jordan’s Nursery will damage the land To the Editor: A previous version of this letter was also sent to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC). I’m writing to express my deep concerns regarding Jordan’s Nursery. As an Oak Bluffs resident and water protection activist, I’ve watched with increasing concern the development of that property. Vast numbers of trees were eliminated, the ground was turned into flat, hard dirt, then covered with some sort of “fiber” substance; one by one, plastic-covered greenhouses were erected; and a well was dug without a

be deported back to the country from which they fled. The problem is amplified because Homeland Security officials do not tell immigrants the name of the third country where they’re sending them. Nor do they give them an opportunity to contest their removal to these places. These failings directly violate the Convention Against Torture and Inhuman Treatment and Punishment (known as CAT), to which the U.S. is a party. When President Ronald Reagan submitted the treaty to the Senate for ratification in 1987, he stated that “the core provisions of the convention establish a regime for international cooperation in the criminal prosecution of torturers relying on so-called ‘universal jurisdiction.’ Each state party is required either to prosecute torturers who are found in its territory or to extradite them to other countries for prosecution.” But the Trump administration, in violation of the convention’s provisions, ignores the convention’s key element when it disallows undocumented immigrants to ask Homeland Security officials where they are being sent, and inform them why they should not have to go to these places. These third countries could and may well send the immigrants back to their home country, where they have already

endured persecution and torture. The removal of these four plaintiffs, and others who follow them, also implicates another U.S. law, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act, which President Bill Clinton signed in 1997. The act states that it is U.S. policy “not to expel, extradite, or otherwise effect the involuntary return of any person to a country in which there are substantial grounds for believing the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture, regardless of whether the person is physically present in the U.S.” The bottom line is whether the U.S. has become a lawless nation regarding international human rights in areas that are deeply ingrained in federal law. We won’t know until the Supreme Court hears this case on Dec. 9, but even then, we will have to await the court’s final ruling sometime next year in June or July. Meantime, those living on the Island who are picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may well find themselves suddenly herded off to some foreign country to which they have no ties and where they may find they face horrible forms of persecution. This is not the U.S. we have long believed in.

permit. The two people who did this are long-term business people on M.V., so they should know the rules. Did they choose to ignore them? I find it egregious when business people with deep pockets flaunt guidelines. Donaroma has said his operation is not different from Mahoney’s. I’m not sure what weight that’s supposed to carry, but I certainly don’t see the point. Furthermore, he states that his plants are in containers, and they are watered directly into the container. To that I say: Plant containers have holes for drainage, therefore PFAS chemicals from the containers drain each time they are watered or it rains. One can imagine a significant amount of PFAS is released into

the soil each time it rains. And how do we know the “fabric” covering the dirt is chemical-free? Plus, the plastic-covered greenhouses are leaching chemicals. Please protect our water supply and the Lagoon. Stop this project in its tracks. Make them remove all sources of dangerous chemicals. That piece of land is well on its way to becoming a wasteland. I implore you, MVC commissioners, not to allow Cumming and Donaroma to ruin more land, damage our water, and endanger the health of Islanders by their greed.

Jack Fruchtman, who lives in Aquinnah, taught constitutional law and politics for more than 40 years.

Susan Desmarais Oak Bluffs

news

November 5, 2026

Who will review Edgartown Cove?

tions” for several other boards and departments under the purview of the select board. Members of the select board supported the use of working After the Edgartown zoning board voted to refer the project to the MVC, groups and “focused sessions” a consultant said that might not be possible. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON on wastewater, traffic, site design, and affordability, and asked to participate. 501 West Tisbury Road in Ed- Oak Bluffs that was narrowly possible different approaches he Edgartown zoning “In our view, this approach gartown, is a new Chapter 40B approved with numerous con- than have been done in the board of appeals (ZBA) past, because of some things offers the best opportunity to ditions by the MVC. development by Falmouthunanimously voted to resolve issues constructively that came out of Edgartown The towns’ ZBAs are rerefer the already controversial based developer William Gardens, we are recommend- with the applicant and to arquired to refer projects to the Edgartown Cove project to the Cumming. It includes 30 rive at conditions that support ing that the board continue Martha’s Vineyard Commis- market-rate one- and three- MVC, a regional planning the town,” the letter stated. the review of this Chapter bedrooms that are projected body tasked with reviewsion (MVC) during its first The Times spoke to James 40B project … anticipating ing developments in Dukes to cost between $700,000 review Oct. 28, but a consulthat the applicant may not go Hagerty, Edgartown town County, when a development and $1.1 million each, and tant hired by the town said a administrator, who reiterated 10 affordable units that have proposed is large or impactful. to MVC for a DRI.” state ruling from the spring that in his understanding, As the MVC is currently After zoning board members cost projections between complicates the matter. In a the town will continue their appealing the state ruling voted to refer the project to $157,700 and $186,359, acdivergence from the norm, review of Edgartown Cove from April, Peznola said the cording to materials submit- the MVC during the hearit was ultimately determined until a decision is made in the ing, Joe Peznola, an expert on ZBA should turn to peerted by the developer. that until the state legislastate legislature regarding the reviewed studies on aspects Chapter 40B is a state stat- Chapter 40B developments ture decides the fate of the MVC’s authority over Chapter of Edgartown Cove, at least ute that allows developers to hired by Edgartown officials MVC, this project will be 40B projects. The letter, he as a consultant for the housing for now, instead of relying curb local zoning if a housreviewed by the town. said, is to ensure the select on an MVC review of the proposal, recommended the The uncertain territory ref- ing development includes a board has a voice in the project. The ZBA agreed to town continue its review. erenced at the meeting played quarter of affordable units, ask the applicant (Cumming) town’s review process and Peznola pointed out that out hours prior to the hearing like Edgartown Cove would. the studies on traffic, wasteto complete studies — on But on an Island with limited the MVC was ruled a “local in interviews conducted by traffic, wastewater, and other water, and other specifics board” by the Massachusetts The Times with the MVC and land and a seasonal housing the developer; both disagreed market, Chapter 40B projects Housing Appeals Committee potentially impactful aspects outlined in the ZBA hearing. of the proposal — to present Meanwhile, officials from in April following a lawsuit can be more complex. about the current authority to the board at a later hearthe MVC maintain they Cumming is the largest de- by Cumming after the denial of the regional board over have the ultimate authority of Edgartown Gardens. The ing, scheduled for Dec. 2. this project after a state rul- veloper of Chapter 40B projects on the Vineyard. His past ruling essentially stripped the The studies are slated to cost over the project. ing discredited the MVC. After the hearing, the exproposals include Edgartown commission of its ability to re- around $17,000 and will be Meanwhile, the proposed ecutive director of the MVC, paid for by the applicants. view Chapter 40B projects. Gardens, a 60-unit complex development drew conAdam Turner, told The Times, Less than a week after the Peznola stated that the applanned near Donaroma’s cerns from Islanders and on the night of Oct. 28, that hearing, on Monday, the plicants, Cumming and his Nursery that was unaniabutters, who submitted the town was required to refer Edgartown Select Board attorney Jay Talerman, “do mously denied by the MVC letters before the hearing, Edgartown Cove under the voted to send a letter to the not believe that the MVC has late last year, a decision that about the septic capacity MVC Act. The MVC Act is and environmental impact had unintended consequences jurisdiction on Chapter 40Bs.” zoning board of appeals. The part of the legislation that select board acknowledged “That matter is being adjuon the land and watershed. for the regional board. Green formed the commission and the zoning board’s authority dicated in the higher courts,” Villa, another of Cumming’s Edgartown Cove, which is includes many of its guiding but added that a “project of Peznola said. “But I think, in proposed as a two-story apart- projects, is a 116-unit condoprinciples. Under the act, a this scale has direct implicament building with 40 units at minium complex planned for discussion with regards to

Rose denies hidden camera allegations in civil suit response

ing device. It also states Rose doesn’t know what occurred after the mother left with her children. In the response, Rose states that while he did see the device that looked like a USB charger, he denies that he took the memory chip. The former fire chief was sued in Dukes County Superior Court in August. BY EUNKI SEONWOO The response states the family is not owed compensaThe mother and daughter ohn Rose, the former cident. The family is seeking ted in August states that in left Rose’s home shortly after tion from Rose since he isn’t 2023 the daughter found a Oak Bluffs fire chief at least $1 million in comand later contacted police, responsible for the alleged device that looked like a USB who was at the center of pensatory damages. the complaint reads. actions. It also states the plaincharging device that “cona sexual harassment scandal Rose’s response was filed The daughter has since dealt tiffs may not “recover duplicaat the town’s department, on Oct. 29, and denies his tained a concealed camera with anxiety, fear, and hutive damages … for the same is denying the allegations knowledge of a hidden record- lens with a small opening in miliation, the complaint reads, alleged injury.” made by a teenage girl’s fam- ing device. Both parties are its exterior” in her room in a especially as the case became Rose was arrested on Jan. “position toward the mirror demanding a jury trial. Rose ily accusing him of filming public on the Island. It states 20, 2024, at Boston Loin front of which she reguwas previously criminally the minor in her bedroom that the daughter lost a sense gan International Airport charged with attempts to com- larly changed her clothes.” through a secret camera. of safety in a place where she for the allegations in the Rose was sued in August mit crimes related to the secret According to the complaint, expected privacy. separate criminal case, and this occurred while she and by the girl in a civil case filed camera allegations, to which In the response, Rose denies pleaded not guilty to the her mother, who dated Rose, through her mother in Dukes he pleaded not guilty. He adthat he was in a relationship charges in Edgartown DisCounty Superior Court that mitted to sufficient facts in the were living at Rose’s home in Vineyard Haven. Rose al- with the mother at the time trict Court that August. claimed invasion of privacy criminal case and was given of the incident, as well as After Rose admitted to sufand infliction of emotional legedly took the device and 14 months of probation. any knowledge of a recordficient facts in March 23 of distress over the alleged inThe civil complaint submit- removed the memory card.

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town cannot issue a permit for a referred project until the MVC reviews it. “While the ZBA may decide to proceed with a parallel review under 40B simultaneous with the MVC’s DRI review, ultimately, under the MVC Act, the ZBA cannot issue a comprehensive permit for Edgartown Cove unless and until the MVC approves the project,” Turner told The Times over text. Cumming told The Times on Oct. 28 that “the MVC can be a helpful advisor to the town, just as the Cape Cod Commission is to towns on the Cape. We look forward to receiving any MVC comments and working with the town to address them.” Many specifics about the Edgartown Cove project, such as septic and traffic concerns, were broached at the ZBA meeting, and additional letters of opposition have appeared on the ZBA website this week. The floor was not opened to public comment on Oct. 28, but town officials said it will be at the next hearing in early December. ZBA members acknowledged that the Island community will likely be watching the proposal closely. “We live on a very small island, and there’s a lot of interest in this particular application. And I just think keeping it as public and as transparent as possible is the smart move,” ZBA member Pamela Dolby said.

this year on two counts of attempt to commit a crime, one tied to secret surveillance of a nude or partially nude person and another to an attempt to pose or exhibit a child in a state of nudity, Judge Benjamin Barnes continued the case without a finding, and placed him on 14 months of probation, which lasts through May 22, 2027. According to local attorneys, an admission to sufficient facts means Rose admitted the prosecution had enough evidence to prove his guilt, but wasn’t technically pleading guilty, so no trial was held. As the case was continued without a finding, it will be dismissed if Rose successfully completes the probation. A hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet for the civil case, and it is the latest in years of legal issues that have followed Rose. In 2020, Rose resigned as fire chief after Oak Bluffs settled a sexual harassment claim against him for $97,500. The FBI also probed Oak Bluffs, while he was chief, for overcharging the federal government in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for off-Island ambulance runs. After he resigned as chief in Oak Bluffs, Rose was a part of Tisbury EMS in 2021 before he joined the West Tisbury Fire Department as a volunteer in 2022. He was suspended, however, in December 2023 after a harassment prevention order was issued against him.

news A7

November 5, 2026

Vineyarders call for crackdown on excursion fare ‘abuse’ The Steamship Authority is proposing a $174.2 million budget for next year. BY EUNKI SEONWOO

s the Steamship Authority (SSA) faces what it calls a tight budget for 2027, some Vineyarders say the ferry line should crack down on passengers who are abusing the discount rates available to Islanders in order to mitigate losses. The SSA is looking at a $174.2 million budget for next year, an increase in part due to record-level fuel prices, and the ferry line has proposed increased fares to supplement revenue. The budget also includes staff training for the ongoing changes to the reservation system and increased repair costs. A final version of the budget still needs to be approved by the SSA board. At a budget workshop hosted by the SSA last week at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, SSA treasurer and comptroller Mark Rozum told the audience that expense cuts, such as cutting down to the minimum ferry schedule — a three-boat schedule that’s been in effect in recent years — had already been created to make the proposed budget. “We don’t have a lot of room for what-ifs,” he said. The proposed budget is the tightest he’s worked on so far. At the workshop, Islanders were concerned about whether the budget was too tight, and whether enough was being set aside for long-term projects like the replacement of the aging fleet. Questions were also raised about whether certain expenses could be better utilized, such as the $1.4 million for advertisements. The SSA’s revenue is driven largely by passenger tickets, but Vineyarders were especially interested in changes to the discounted, Islander-only vehicle reservation tickets, also known as the excursion fare. The excursion fare is designed to help Islanders for their off-Island travel necessities, such as medical appointments and family events, and it’s largely subsidized by the more expensive standard fares paid by visitors. The excursion fare, however, was raised in 2025, for the first time in five years, partly because some businesses seemed to have used it to cover their travel expenses, which Rozum said was not the intended purpose. The heavy usage of the excursion fare by some individuals hurts the bottom line of the ferry line’s operations, according to Rozum. Ted Gavin, the Vineyard’s representative on the SSA

board, said one idea is an audit of the excursion program to get rid of the commercial vehicles that shouldn’t be qualified for the rate. Several Islanders said that heavier enforcement was necessary. “Personally, I think there’s a lot of fraud and abuse of the excursion,” Jeff Kristal, who runs Crocker Inn and is a former Tisbury Select Board chair, said. “I would like to see that weeded out

Meanwhile, Kryska expressed disappointment about the progress of the new reservation system, which is behind schedule. The system will be partially launched for only the fast ferry on the Nantucket route in February. The reservation system was originally slated to be launched in the spring, and now it will miss the goal of going live by the end of the year. Extra layers to the SSA’s reservation makeup,

EUNKI SEONWOO

From left, Assistant Treasurer Courtney Oliveira, and Treasurer/ Comptroller Mark Rozum presenting the proposed 2027 budget.

a heck of a lot sooner than a year or two.” Adam Darack, an Island resident, said the SSA should police businesses that are “abusing” the system by “sneaking commercial vehicles” on the boats. He suggested a warning from the ferry line that carries stricter penalties. Beth O’Connor, co-founder of the SSA Citizens’ Action Group, said the ferry line would see “definite gains” between raising the standard rate for non-Island customers and “cracking down on the abuse of the excursion.” Rozum noted that stricter language is underway for the new reservation system but that the ferry line needs to take into account that some people’s personal vehicles also act as commercial vehicles. He also said one way to crack down on the excursion rate was requiring more frequent renewals. Currently, renewals take place every two years. While major changes won’t be implemented for next year, Rozum said potential adjustments will be explored, such as creating a different way to check addresses while taking into account renters, before an amended excursion program is rolled out. (Feedback can be sent to Rozum, whose email is on the SSA website.)

including the excursion fare, contributed to the delays and have been a source of frustration for ferry officials. “To be perfectly honest, we’re not satisfied,” Kryska said. “We should be much farther along.” Kryska said the SSA has entered into a “recovery phase” and plans to bring in an external consultant to assess the IT overhaul. If all goes according to plan, the SSA will have a new functioning reservation system by Nov. 1, 2027. “We can’t unleash it upon the public until it works internally,” he said. In relation to the transition, Rozum said those who need help to book vehicle reservations can still do so by phone. In September, roughly 50 excursion program customers received a letter stating that an email address is required to move their information to the new reservation system. Some Vineyarders without computers reached out to The Times, worried they wouldn’t be able to receive excursion fares anymore. Rozum said this will not be an issue, and people can call the SSA’s reservation office in Mashpee, where staff can make customers an email address specifically for excursion-rate reservations. The number for the Mashpee office is 508-477-8600.

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news

November 5, 2026

SARA CREATO

A long line of voters stretched out of the Oak Bluffs library Tuesday evening.

SARA CREATO

Continued from A1 “People are involved, and the way the money is spent and decisions in the state government affect the way we live,” Bill Glazier said at the Edgartown polls. “Everyone involved should vote and should have a say to it.” And for some voters, some ballot questions felt personal. Priscilla Mensah, a dental hygienist at Island Healthcare, said she was passionate about the gun control reforms in Question 9, and recalled Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy who was fatally shot in New York, and police are searching for three teen suspects. The measure, which includes reforms like adding school administrators as people who can ask a court to require individuals to surrender firearms and a ban on ghost guns and parts, was supported by 67 percent of voters as of Wednesday morning. It also received staunch support on the Island, 7,079 to 2,024. “It’s because firearms are made readily available, and so kids are now available to use that,” Mensah, who is originally from Ghana, said at the Tisbury voting station. “There should be some checks and balances … where it’s not

Voting underway at Oak Bluffs library.

County Commission and Fred Khedouri on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. Katherine Putnam was elected in both commissions. It remains to be seen whether this is the final result for the commissions, as votes were still being counted at press time on The Vineyard also had a non- Wednesday afternoon by town clerks. Several write-in binding 10th ballot question campaigns were launched that was approved 5,846 to 1,224, which asks its state rep- for both races, including by resentative to “vote in favor of incumbent Martha’s Vineyard Commission members legislation regulations to reduce the House speaker’s and because of paperwork lapses. Senate president’s control over Meanwhile, Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury state legislators’ stipends,” re-elected three incumbent and whether this extra pay members of the Up-Island should be given only to legRegional School Committee. islators who do a significant Throughout Election Day, amount of additional work there were people who enthat is publicly “transparent couraged Islanders to get to and accountable.” the polls to shape the AmeriMeanwhile, there were no surprises for who won the Is- ca they wanted to live in. “Being a Wampanoag land’s votes at the state level. woman, I think having a All incumbents, including voice in your government Attorney General Andrea James and State Auditor Di- and what happens is imporana DiZoglio, who appeared tant. I encourage all people to vote and get involved in on Vineyarders’ ballots, sepolitics as much as they can, cured re-election. no matter what side,” Jada On the Island, the inRandolph, who voted Tuescumbents handily won. Healey beat Minogue 7,166 day in Oak Bluffs, said. Beth O’Connor and Jonato 2,013. Andrea James, an than Chatinover, a couple independent and a partwho hosted a watch party at time Oak Bluffs resident, their Edgartown home on received 260 votes across Question 2 (allow employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to engage in collective bargaining with their employer) • 5,903 to 3,285 in favor of Question 4 (allow voters to change their addresses on the day of elections)

Big blue wave across America, the state, and the Island

“The housing situation is big, but I don’t think we can build our way into affordable housing. There’s other alternatives, like housing banks, getting people with money involved. The banks have money. I think there’s plenty of housing on the Island, but it’s how to afford it.” of only 388 votes. Only two Island towns voted in favor of the proposed measure (Tisbury, 1,160 to 883, and Oak Bluffs, 1,256 to 924), while the other four towns voted it down (Aquinnah, 151 to 101; Chilmark, 397 to 350; Edgartown, 1,127 to 1,057; West Tisbury, 890 to 885). “The housing situation is big, but I don’t think we can build our way into affordable housing,” Charlie Ashmun said at the Edgartown polls. “There’s other alternatives, like housing banks, getting people with money involved. The banks have money. I think there’s plenty of housing on the Island, but it’s how to afford it.” The issue was also divided between the two candidates for the ninth congressional district, which includes the Vineyard: Keating expressed support for Question 7, while his Republican challenger, R. Tyler Macallister, was against it. While the proposal was pitched as a way to tackle the housing crisis by allowing building homes on smaller lots, critics have called it a one-size-fits-all measure that ignores community needs and cedes local control to the state. On the Vineyard, it raises questions about feasibility, considering finite resources like available land

Thomas Moakley campaigning at Five Corners.

Liz Cosgrove advocating for Ballot Question 6.

Voting underway at Edgartown Town Hall.

and the preservation of the Island’s character and environment. The measure also comes at a time when overdevelopment concerns have been raised on the Island due to large housing proposals. The results of the remaining statewide ballot questions on the Island are as follows: • 7,874 to 1,215 in favor of Question 1 (have the governor’s office and state legislature subject to Massachusetts Public Records Law) • 6,330 to 2,636 in favor of

SARA CREATO

revenue the state can collect (narrowly voted down on the Island, 3,888 to 3,806), and Question 7, which proposes amendments to the minimum lot size to build a home, are still undetermined, although the no votes are leading by about a percentage point so far. Question 7, which seeks to address a formula for more affordable housing, emerged as an area where there seems to be a schism forming among the Vineyard towns. The ballot question proposes a law that would allow singlefamily homes to be built in residential zones if the lot is at least 5,000 square feet, has at least 50 feet of land bordering the street, and has public sewer and water services. It also allows cities and towns to regulate some aspects of the homes, like the dimensions of the building, open space, parking, and, perhaps most important to the Island, whether it can be used as a short-term rental. As of Wednesday at 10 am, more than 2 million ballots have been counted across Massachusetts, and the state is split nearly in half on Question 7, with the nay voters leading by more than 15,000 votes. On the Vineyard, the no votes won by a sliver: 4,342 to 3,954. That’s a difference

SARAH SHAW DAWSON

as accessible to kids to be able to use recklessly.” And for some voters, Question 6, which proposes the creation of a natural resources conservation fund, presented a bit of hope for the next generation of Americans concerned about the environment. Islanders approved it, 6,411 to 2,584. “There has to be more hope for the younger generation,” Cathy Ashmun said in Edgartown. “Our children are late 20s, early 30s, and they’re discouraged. The outlook of where we are globally, environmentally, politically — I don’t think they see a lot of promise, and, you know, hope with the direction of war, environmental changes.” Of the ballot questions, the only two that have failed to pass so far are Question 3, which proposed to replace political party primaries in state elections with a ballot that features candidates from all parties and advances the top two candidates in each race to the general election, and Question 8, which proposed to prohibit the sale of recreational marijuana. And the Island aligned with the rest of the state, voting against Question 3 by 4,120 to 3,774 and Question 8 by 7,413 to 1,866. Question 5, which proposed to limit the amount of

NICHOLAS VUKOTA

—CHARLIE ASHMUN ON HIS THOUGHTS OF BALLOT QUESTION 7

the Vineyard. Markey beat his closest rival, Republican John Deaton, 6,971 to 1,857. And Keating beat Macallister, 7,407 to 1,795. There were uncontested races, like for State Sen. Julian Cyr and State Rep. Thomas Moakley. The Island also re-elected five incumbents to the Dukes County Commission and three incumbents to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. New candidates include Michael Bellissimo on the Dukes

Tuesday night, highlighted why they wanted to share in watching “a great blue tsunami” through election cycle nerves. “It’s good to commiserate with other folks. So share the joy, share the pain when you know it doesn’t go your way. It’s always good to be with other folks,” Chatinover said. Hayley Duffy and Sarah Shaw Dawson contributed to this report.

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November 5, 2026

Copeland character wins out Continued from A1 toward seasonal visitors. More than 60 percent of homes on the Vineyard are seasonally owned. And the affordability gap between the average income of an Island resident and the cost to purchase a home, in a booming local housing market, grows every year. The Ocean View Hotel was proposed in the middle of the Copeland District, a neighborhood known for its historic homes. The district spans roughly 75 acres between Circuit Avenue and the Nantucket Sound, and was laid out in the mid-19th century by architect Robert Morris Copeland when the town was newly geared toward tourists and a seasonal economy. The buildings of the district feature Victorian and Carpenter Gothic architecture, which has roots in European stone buildings but is made of wood. The architecture often features design markers like scalloped gingerbread trims, pointed-arched windows, and one-story verandas, such as Van Allen’s balcony. The Copeland District is one of six districts of critical planning concern in Oak Bluffs. These districts are designated by the MVC and have been protected since 1991. Each district has its own set of zoning regulations and processes. Any new construction in the Copeland District has to go through a strict approval process that takes proximity to parks, viewscape blockages, and the historic roots of the area, which trace back to the Oak Bluffs Methodist camp meetings during the 19th century, into consideration. The hotel needed approval from the Copeland Plan Review Committee, a six-person hyper-local group that reviews the appropriateness of projects proposed in the district and evaluates them based on how they fit into the existing neighborhood. Hajjar and abutters, like Van Allen, presented at four hearings in front of that board, and on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Ocean View Hotel was found by members of the committee to be not appropriate for the district and was denied in a 3-to-1 decision. Not all members were present at the meeting. To continue to move forward with the permitting process, Hajjar will have to reapply with a new plan or appeal the decision. “We believe the hotel fits the district, and we are reviewing our options. We remain committed to bringing a historic hotel back to this site,” Hajjar told The Times two weeks after the denial, on Oct. 27. Hajjar, who owns several boutique hotels in Edgartown, including the Edgartown Inn and the Richard, purchased the land in 2023 after a fire demolished the previous building, the Ocean

View Restaurant, in 2022. The restaurant was a one-story building and didn’t block Van Allen’s, or her neighbor’s, second-story view.

Hajjar stated to The Times that his proposed design aligned with the zoning in the town as well as the past iteration of the hotel, which the MVC debated during their review that ended in a split 8–7 final vote. In terms of viewscape and architectur-

the denial. Board chair Gail Barmakian said that the new proposal was too dissimilar to the older renderings and photographs. She said the Copeland District is “all about community” and “about being in harmony with where you are.”

A sign protesting the Ocean View Hotel stands near the parcel of land it's proposed for.

Oak Bluffs developments … The design meets zoning. The design is for a Victorian hotel on the location where a Victorian hotel had stood for more than 60 years.” He added that he adjusted the proposal during the MVC’s review to remove a pool and fire pit and turned the structure to reduce the impact on the Van Allen home. “We’ve gone through quite a few versions of this in order to try and accommodate and minimize the impact that it’s going to have on the folks who already live there. But at the end of the day, it is a B1 lot,” Luskin said. Copeland Plan Review Committee member Scott Slarsky agreed with Luskin and Hajjar’s claim that the hotel fit in with the district and its history. “The Ocean View Hotel clearly exhibits the Victorian style of architecture prevalent within this district at the turn of the 19th century, specifically targeting the date of 1900,” Slarsky said. When it came down to a

The view from Lee Jackson Van Allen’s balcony, which a three-story hotel would completely block.

vote, however, concerns about the proposed Ocean View Hotel on the viewscapes and character of the district were more significant than support for the project. “Its impact on the character of the community as well as the viewscapes, it’s just too much,” committee member Shelley Christiansen said. For Van Allen, the view from her balcony on Wayland Avenue holds the memory of multiple generations of homeowners. The cottage is the second in Van Allen’s family to commemorate that legacy; Shearer Cottage, on Morgan Avenue in Oak Bluffs, is the first. Shearer Cottage is the oldest African American– owned inn on Martha’s Vineyard, purchased by Charles Shearer, a formerly enslaved man and Van Allen’s greatgreat grandfather. Through the seasons in the last 60 years since her mother built the balcony, many landmarks have remained the same — the glistening harbor with boats secured to moorings, historic cottages, and oak trees standing tall in the park. Van Allen, though not part of the Copeland Plan Review Committee, told The Times that she opposed the Ocean View Hotel through letters and advocacy to protect the next generation of homeowners in her family. “The Island has to start watching and paying close attention to development,” Van Allen said. “We have to make a stand and say we are going to preserve some of our historic neighborhoods, so they can be there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy in the future.”

PHOTOS: SARAH SHAW DAWSON

“Its impact on the character of the community as well as the viewscapes, it’s just too much.” –COPELAND PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBER SHELLEY CHRISTIANSEN Hajjar originally planned to create housing, but changed his proposal to a hotel soon after. The parcel of land housed a hotel in the late 19th century, constructed during a boom of resorts built to accommodate new waves of tourists. Hajjar said he designed his new building in line with the character of the original structure. (That structure also burned down.) “The site is in Oak Bluffs’ Copeland District, which exists to protect the neighborhood’s Victorian character,” Hajjar stated in a text. “We designed the hotel with that purpose in mind, in the tradition of the hotel that came before it.” The Ocean View was proposed as a 26-room, three-story hotel spanning more than 18,500 square feet. It featured three employee housing units in the basement and a hotel bar and restaurant limited to hotel guests, and was slated to absorb part of an adjacent parking lot.

al design, however, the MVC found the Ocean View Hotel fit into the Copeland District when considering other developments that could be proposed in its place. A Victorian-style hotel, they wrote in their decision, was better than other potential futures, though there were no other proposals for the parcel. “In the wake of the destruction of the Ocean View Restaurant by fire in 2022, a wide range of prospective commercial structures other than a Victorian-style hotel could be erected on the site, and while subject to Copeland Plan Committee review, these potentially could be less stylistically in accord with the neighborhood and could be more impactful,” the MVC decision states. But, over the course of four hearings, the majority of Copeland Plan Review Committee members cited the architectural design, viewscapes that would be affected, and hugeness of the proposed hotel as reasons for

“I’m seeing this as a new structure,” she said of the Ocean View Hotel and its comparison to the 19thcentury version. “I don’t find it appropriate.” Barmakian cited architecture, siting, and massing, which refers to the general shape and size of a structure, as her main concerns with the Ocean View Hotel. And the majority of the board agreed with her. The parcel of land the Ocean View Hotel was proposed on, though surrounded by residential lots with historic homes, is zoned as a business lot, which raised complications on Oct. 13. “Some of the tension that we’re dealing with is that we’ve got a B1 lot surrounded by residentially zoned lots,” Hajjar’s representation, Cass Luskin, said at the meeting. “That tension is not peculiar here. It’s not strange. It’s not a reason for the plans to be changed, altered, diminished. That tension is the tension inherent in these

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November 5, 2026

CLASSIFIEDS To browse new ads online or to place yours, visit mvtimes.com/classifieds.

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For assistance, advertising rates or to find out more, email mvtclassifieds@mvtimes.com or call 508-693-6100 ext. CLASSIFIED LINER AND DISPLAY ADS MUST BE PLACED BY NOON TUESDAY PRIOR TO THE THURSDAY PRINT PUBLICATION.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES BOOKKEEPER WANTED – HIRING ASAP The Great Put On, a high-end retail clothing boutique in Edgartown, is seeking an experienced Bookkeeper. Responsibilities include accounts payable/receivable, bank reconciliations, payroll assistance, invoicing, and maintaining ﬁnancial records. Must be organized, detail-oriented, reliable, and experienced with bookkeeping software (QuickBooks preferred). Please send résumé to thegreatputonmv@gmail.com or call 508-560-9821. DENTAL ASSISTANT Part time year round, 2-4 days a week. Salary commensurate with experience, willing to train the right applicant. 508-693-9682

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

BUILD YOUR CAREER WITH STERLING INSURANCE GROUP. Full-time, in-person Insurance Account Manager in Vineyard Haven. Experienced professionals and career changers welcome. Training provided. Starting at $62,400; higher pay based on experience. Beneﬁts include PTO and 401(k) match. Apply at insurewithsterling.com/careers.

Jobs

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

EDGARTOWN YACHT CLUB IS SEEKING A FULL-TIME, EXPERIENCED, SELF-DIRECTED LEAD FACILITIES & MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN To keep our clubhouse, docks, grounds, vehicles, & equipment safe and maintained for staff and members year-round. 3-5 years of hands-on facilities maintenance experience; Ability to work independently and manage bids. $45-55/hr. alleyne_hughes@ edgartownnyc.org

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Education Manager Join the PHA team as our Education Manager! This position is responsible for the strategic growth of adult and youth education at the Arboretum and the day-to-day operations of PHA’s education programs, including planning, implementation, and evaluation. This involves the development of curricula and supporting materials for our youth education program and the development of a yearly schedule of educational events for adults. Application deadline is 11/16/26. More info at pollyhillarboretum.org/get-involved/ employmentopportunities/. FELIX NECK IS HIRING Love nature and want to share it with others? Lead Education Coordinator & Camp Director. Full time, year-round. We are seeking an experienced educator who is enthusiastic about working with youth and staff developing and leading nature-based education programs. For detailed job descriptions and application: www. massaudubon.org/jobs ISLAND GROWN INITIATIVE HIRING FULL-TIME FIELD MANAGER FOR REGENERATIVE VEGETABLE FARM. $70K–$75K plus beneﬁts. 5+ years farming, tractor experience. Send resume, cover letter: tim@igimv.org

JOB OPPORTUNITIES ISLAND GROWN INITIATIVE HIRING FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANT MANAGER, OAK BLUFFS. $28–$30/hour. English/Portuguese preferred. Send cover letter and resume: merrick@igimv.org MARTHA’S VINEYARD MUSEUM IS HIRING A CURATORIAL ASSOCIATE! Do you love history, culture, and bringing stories to life? Join our team as a Curatorial Associate and help preserve, interpret, and share the stories that connect our community to its past. Interested in being part of something meaningful? We’d love to hear from you! Visit mvmuseum.org/careers for the full position details and how to apply. MARTHA’S VINEYARD SHIPYARD IS SEEKING AN ORGANIZED AND DEPENDABLE FULL-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT TO JOIN OUR TEAM. Your prime focus will be managing employee timecard data to ensure our customers are billed accurately and on time. Key responsibilities will be to collect & review daily employee timecards for completeness: enter hours & work data into our billing system, verify accuracy and identify & resolve discrepancies quickly and help the office team with other basic admin tasks as needed. If you have great attention to detail & love keeping things organized, have provenexperience in data entry, office admin and strong time-management skills, we can teach you how to do the rest. This is a full-time, benefited position. Please send your resume & a brief note about your availability to jhale@mvshipyard.com with the subject line “Office Admin”.

Join the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Team! Martha’s Vineyard Bank, a local community bank has some exciting opportunities available. If you are seeking a career with an organization that has a strong commitment to the communities we serve then we want to hear from you!

AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITIES: • Executive Assistant to the President & CEO • Financial Advisor Please visit www.mvbank.com for detailed information or to apply. We offer an exceptional benefits package including both 401k and pension plan, growth opportunities and competitive compensation. Equal Opportunity Employer: Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

DUKES COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DUKES COUNTY TELECOMMUNICATOR-INSHERIFF’S OFFICE TRAINING TELECOMMUNICATOR-IN$500 Monthly Housing Stipend for TRAINING Full Time Island Residents $500 Monthly Housing Stipend for Looking to kick-start a rewarding Full Time Island Residents career while serving the Island Looking to kick-start a rewarding community? career while serving the Island Duties include, but not limited to community? receiving, processing, Duties include, but notand limited dispatching and to receiving,emergency processing, and non-emergency calls for police, dispatching emergency and ﬁre, emergency medical, public non-emergency callsand forother police, safety services. medical, and fire, emergency other public safetyoral services. Requires effective and written Requires effective oral high and written communications skills, communications integrity, positive skills, high positive attitude, and sound aintegrity, ttitude, sound judgement, the judgement, and conﬁdential the ability to ability to handle handle confidential material and adapt tomaterial and adapt to changing environments changing environments and and priorities. Essential functions priorities. Essential functions include rotating assignment include rotating assignment toto the day,day, evening andand night, weekend, the evening night, weekend, and holiday shifts. Paid on-site and holiday shifts. Paid on-site training, plus offisland Academy training, training.plus off-

Full-time position with a generous island benefitAcademy packagetraining. including paid leave, insurance, state pension Full-time position with a generous and deferred compensation beneﬁt package including paid leave, matching. Full time Telecommuinsurance, state nicator-In-Training pay range is pension and deferred compensation $73,986.64$81,687.06 annually, matching. time stipend. plus $500 Full monthly Telecommunicator-In-Traini ng Candidates must pass skillsbased aptitude testing, interview, is $73,986.64$81,687.06 pay range background and postcondiannually, pluscheck, $500 monthly stipend. tional-offer medical and audiology Candidates evaluations. must pass skills-based aptitude Apply today! Download appli- check, testing, interview, background cations and post-and job descriptions at dukescountysheriff.com/careers VINEYARD CONSERVATION conditional-offer medical and SOCIETY SEEKS PART-TIME audiology evaluations. ADVOCACY & PROGRAMMING Apply today! Download applications COORDINATOR and job descriptions at Environmental advocacy, community organizing, events and dukescountysheriff.com/careers communications. 20 hrs/week, $35/hr. Deatils & how to apply: https://vineyardconservation.org/ career-opportunities

WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD TO OUR TEAM! • Experienced Deisel Mechanic • Site Supervisor / Experienced Machine Operator • Laborer • CDL Class A or B Truck Driver These four positions are yearround and include excellent benefits! Please call our office at 508.693.5975 or email us at office@johnkeene.com

TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD EMAIL VALERIE@MVTIMES.COM.

classifieds A11

November 5, 2026

Jobs JOB OPPORTUNITIES PLANNING BOARD ADMINISTRATOR TOWN OF TISBURY SEEKS INDIVIDUAL TO PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES Administrative support for the activities and operations of the Planning Board. Some duties include Answering phones, Review applications, minutes, accounts receivable and payable. Full-time (40 hrs/weekly) year-round, starting pay $38.40/hour, Grade 5 step with generous beneﬁts pac age under union contract including retirement. Application available on website under Human Resources. Union employee should submit application, resume and cover letter by October 30th Town of Tisbury is EOE.

SEEKING A FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND RENTAL AGENT. The ideal candidate holds a Massachusetts real estate license and has experience in vacation rentals or real estate sales on the Island. This is a commission-based position. To apply, please send your interest to info@sandpiperrental.com.

SEEKING THERAPEUTIC COMPANION. $25.00 - $35.00 per hour. Daily pay approximately $600 - $1000 per day. Love supporting others through life's toughest moments? We're looking for compassionate, calm, and discreet companions to provide livein mental health support to aging clients in their homes. Apply at: intentclinical.com/careers or hiring@intentclinical.com.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

SUN ISLAND DELIVERY Delivery Driver / Truck Driver Non CDL on Martha's Vineyard We are offering a full-time posiition for a reliable and motivated delivery driver to join our team. This position involves operating a company vehicle to deliver freight. CDL license is not required but would be a plus. We offer a competitive pay rate and full benefits package. Please contact Tony at 508-6931036 or email mvsis355@gmail.com APPOINTMENTS DUKES COUNTY Commissioners are accepting applications for representatives to the following boards: arthas ineyard ommission Dukes County Retirement board More information at www.dukescounty.gov under News. Deadline for applications: 5PM NOVEMBER 30, 2026 WANT TO WRITE FOR OUR AWARD-WINNING COMMUNITY AND CALENDAR SECTIONS? If you are an Islander with a desire to write feature articles profiles and about community events and issues, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned writer, we want to hear from you for assignments. Payment per published article. Contact Perry arfin el at perry m times.com.

Classifieds JOB OPPORTUNITIES

THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD AIRPORT HAS AN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FOLLOWING FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND DUKES COUNTY BENEFITED POSITION: BUSINESS MANAGER Duties include: Coordinating administrative operations, procurement/ purchasing activities including contracts, asset inventory, airport insurance coordination and claims, employee onboarding and offboarding, and airport and federal compliance requirements, Title VI, ACDBE. Reports to the Airport Director and Assistant Airport Director. Strong internal candidate. Starting wage is $52.08/hour based on experience. Application and job description available online at www.mvyairport.com/employmentopportunities, or at Airport Administration O ce/ General Aviation , 71 Airport Road, West Tisbury, MA 02575, (508) 693-7022 or gfreeman@mvyairport.com. E xperience preferred. The Martha’s Vineyard Airport is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applications must be received by Monday, November 9th at 12:00 PM.

PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE, SCAN HERE OR VISIT MVTIMES.COM/ CLASSIFIEDS

BargainBox ARCHERY 2 COMPOUND BOWS Great Condition. With Sights and Quivers. $55.00 Each. 774-563-8473 CASE (300) 4 OZ CLEAR PET LOW PROFILE COSMETIC JARS $100.00. Case (520) 89/400 smooth, black lids $100.00 Denise 508-496-5986 NINJA CREAMI MACHINE WITH PINT CONTAINERS $100.00 PowerBlock sport 24 pair of free weights. 2.5 - 24 lbs each. $100.00 denise 508-496-5986. dblair1451@gmail.com FREE DECK Built in two pieces 10’x10’

Total size 20’x10’ In good condition. A trailer would be best to take it away. 508-404-5776. JIGSAW PUZZLES SCRABBLE, PARCHEESI, ETC. Good/Excellent condition. $3-$12. 508-693-7472 -Call anytime, 7:30am-12:30pm is best. MAPLE BUNK BEDS AND MATTRESSES IN PERFECT SHAPE Lightly used. Edgartown. $100.00 or best offer. Call Donna 617-240-4560 CLAWFOOT BATHTUB White, original, $100. 508-369-5023.

STAY WARM WITH THIS CROCHET HAT AND MITTEN SET, Perfect gift Only $15 Hats $10 Call 866-258-1484 for info

GENTLY USED WOOD FRAME BUNKBED FROM VINEYARD DECORATORS $75. Aquinnah pickup, cash only plkosa@yahoo.com

AUTO SALES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

1996 40R CLASIC RANGE ROVER Runs & looks great. Only 100,000 miles. Must sell—leaving the area in 5 days. $3,800. Call 508-221-8066. 2016 Land Rover LR4 125k miles, dark green, tan interior. Goes anywhere. Never wrecked; scratches, needs work to pass inspection. $3,000 OBO. sellingthebeast@yahoo.com FOR SALE - 2005 MERCEDES E-320 SEDAN 4 door great shape. Recently Inspected. $5100. Call 508-733-5549.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

"LA STRADA" ESTABLISHED LOCAL ITALIAN RESTAURANT AND DELI FOR SALE A Turnkey Business Opportunity An exciting opportunity to own a well-established Italian restaurant with a strong reputation among both local residents and tourists. This beloved local establishment offers the perfect foundation for a new owner looking to step into a thriving restaurant business without starting from scratch. Business Highlights: Established Reputation: Well-known and recognized by locals and visitors alike. Turnkey Operation: Fully equipped, furnished, and ready for immediate operation. Fully Staffed: An existing team in place to help ensure a smooth transition. Secure Lease: Current lease with two years remaining. Year-Round Liquor License: A valuable asset offering additional business potential. Established Customer Base: A recognized destination with an existing presence in the local community. Whether you’re an experienced rest aurateur or an entrepreneur ready to enter the hospitality industry, this is a rare opportunity to take over an established business with its essential operations already in place. Step in, take the reins, and make it your own. SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY italplat.inc@gmail.com

WINTER RENTALS SECLUDED CHILMARK HOUSE FOR RENT $1600/month plus ulities. High speed internet. Winter rental: 11/1 to 5/15 or 5/30. 2 bedroom/1 bath. Heated by wood. First, last & security. References. 617-868-3018.

SALVATORE’S RESTAURANT ESTABLISHED LOCAL ITALIAN RESTAURANT FOR SALE A Turnkey Business Opportunity An exciting opportunity to own a well-established Italian restaurant with a strong reputation among both local residents and tourists. This beloved local establishment offers the perfect foundation for a new owner looking to step into a thriving restaurant business without starting from scratch. Business Highlights: • Established Reputation: Well-known and recognized by locals and visitors alike. • Turnkey Operation: Fully equipped, furnished, and ready for immediate operation. • Fully Staffed: An existing team in place to help ensure a smooth transition. •Secure Lease: Current lease with three years remaining. •Year-Round Liquor License: A valuable asset offering additional business potential. •Established Customer Base: A recognized destination with an existing presence in the local community. Whether you’re an experienced restaurateur or an entrepreneur ready to enter the hospitality industry, this is a rare opportunity to take over an established business with its essential operations already in place. Step in, take the reins, and make it your own. Serious inquiries only. italplat.inc@gmail.com

APARTMENTS/ROOMS

ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT IN OB No pets, no smoking. $3k/ month. First/last. Move in November 1st. 508-939-0087. WINTER/YEAR-ROUND Beautiful one-bedroom plus ofﬁce. One person preferred. ery spacious. Washer, dryer and patio. Utilities included. Lambert’s Cove area. $3,000/per month. Text or call (508)939-1414. YEAR ROUND RENTALS Simple accommodations. $800/ month. Text 310-213-5472

PETS & LIVESTOCK

HORSE FOR HALF LEASE TO GOOD RIDERS ONLY. tunning oating gaits Lovable, valuable 18 hand gorgeous chestnut Enzo: Dressage/jumperfamous sire in Olympics! Indoor arena- Text Lisa 310-213-5472.

YARD SALES

INDOOR YARD SALE 105 Spring Street, Tisbury Corner of Look Street Saturday, November 7th 10am to 2pm. One day Only. Rain or shine. ash or enmo. hina furniture toys and tools. Something for everyone!

LOST & FOUND

LOST 2 KAYAKS 2 Wilderness System 12 ft Pungo kayaks, blue / black/ gray missing from Red Beach Aquinnah between Oct 11-16th. Any info, please call 508 645 3667

SERVICES

COMMERCIAL RENTALS

COMMERCIAL RENTAL $6,000 to $12,000 includes 2 bedroom apartment. Or $4000 to share with position. Best building on the island. Option to purchase as a well, $2.5 million. Text Lisa 310-213-5472.

WINTER RENTALS

DOWNTOWN OB 2 BDRM / 2 BATH 15th Nov to Mid May 15th - $2500 per month. Max 4 pp. Email : c21island@aol.com NEW LISTING BEAUTIFUL DISCOUNTED WINTER RENTAL IN WEST TISBURY Rental. $3300. Huge two bedroom apartment utilities, trash, internet. Nov 1 move in or after. Out May 31 or more for year round if get along well - dog ok possibly, no smokers of cigarettes - grab it! Text 310-213-5472. WEST TISBURY FURNISHED 3 BEDROOM 2 BATH. Clean and bright. Available Nov.1May 1. $2,000 + utilities. Contact Rich 916-215-1915.

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 CLEANP K A PO WASHER, ROOFS, BASEMENT/ A A A P ertiﬁed old Inspector & Remediator, TENNIS COURT CLEANING, French Drain Installation. 508-684-0242., RENATO myhandymaninmv@gmail.com

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24 words maximum • Maximum sale price is $100 • Prices must be listed with each item. BUSINESSES MAY LIST FREE ITEMS ONLY. NO LISTINGS FOR ANIMALS. LISTED FLOWERS, GARDEN PLANTS, FIREWOOD, AND MANURE MUST BE FREE.

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A12 classifieds

November 5, 2026

Real Estate REAL ESTATE WANTED

HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS

#2 WINEMACK ST, OAK BLUFFS FOR SALE $1,095,000 CALL OR TEXT Rene Ben David, Cell 508-847-4864 OCEAN PARK REALTY INC.

$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.

$1,450,000 MARILYN MOSES 617-462-0381 4 LAGRANGE AVENUE Tucked away on a dead-end road in Oak Bluffs Enjoy the best of Vineyard living from this beautifully renovated Oak Bluffs home, ideally located just a short walk from a private Lagoon beach—perfect for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and all your favorite water activities. The inviting living area features a dramatic vaulted ceiling and gas ﬁreplace, creating a warm and spacious gathering space. The thoughtf ully designed layout offers a private ﬁrst- oor primary suite, while the second- oor features two additional spacious bedrooms and a full bath. Step outside to a spacious back deck, ideal for outdoor dining, entertaining or relaxing after a day at the beach. Beautifully updated for today’s lifestyle, this home offers a wonderful blend of comfort, coastal living and Vineyard charm.

$925,000 Marilyn Moses 617-462-0381 67 Hudson Avenue Oak Bluffs ALL OFFERS REQUIRE COURT APPROVAL in multiple jurisdictions and may be somewhat lengthy. A straightforward offer is encouraged and may help expedite the required court approvals in multiple jurisdictions. Located in a convenient Oak Bluffs setting, this 2-bedroom, 2-bath home offers approximately 1,000 square feet of living space on a generous .69-acre lot. Built in 2014, the property presents an excellent opportunity for a year-round residence, vacation getaway, or investment. The property is being sold as is. Buyers and their agents are encouraged to perform their own due diligence and verify any potential for expansion or additional improvements with the Town of Oak Bluffs. All buyer’s agents must submit proof of funds with a ny offer. The Court approval in multiple jurisdictions is required and may result in a longer than usual acceptance process.

$2,490,000 MARILYN MOSES 617-462-0381 ALAN SCHWEIKERT | 508-221-1708 OCEAN PARK REALTY, INC. Located in the desirable Hidden Cove Association, this beautifully renovated home offers over 2,800 square feet of living space and waterfront access for boating, swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, clamming, and ﬁshing. Explore Major’s Cove, Felix Neck, Sengekontacket Pond, and beyond to Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds.Meticulously maintained and renovated throughout with a contemporary air, the home enjoys a tranquil setting overlooking meadows, marshland, and ponds, with abundant wildlife and everchanging scenic views. The spacious open living and dining area features a wood-accented vaulted ceiling, expansive glass, southfacing sliders, and a remotecontrolled propane ﬁreplace. A thoughtfully designed kitchen complements the inviting living spaces, ideal for entertaining and everyday comfort.The second- oor primary en-suite offers breathtaking vistas, a exible loft with built-ins, and a walk-in closet. Additional above-grade bedrooms enjoy picturesque pond views, including a second en-suite. An outdoor shower adds the perfect Vineyard touch.Sophisticated yet comfortable, this exceptional property offers a wonderful opportunity to embrace the Vineyard coastal lifestyle. Ocean Park Realty, Inc.

OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 21 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 38G REDUCED, NOW $389,000 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 co urts, outdoor 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 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.

OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 27 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 10C $287,500.00 Call or text Rene Ben David 508-847-4864 Ocean Park Realty Inc. Welcome to 27 Island Inn, Unit 10C, a comfortable one-bedroom, onebath 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, 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. 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.

ISLANDER SEEKING HOME FOR SALE BY OWNER (OB PREFERRED). Budget of $1-1.2M. Text/call 508727-0027 with opportunities.

LAND-CHILMARK

CHILMARK, GRANDFATHERED LOT FOR SALE ON NORTH ROAD Has BOH approval for septic system. $750,000. Call Bob at772-584-9481

HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS

$1,475,000 Marilyn Moses 617-462-0381 Renovated Cape style home in the desirable East Chop neighborhood of Oak Bluffs, offering the perfect combination of coastal charm, modern updates and an exceptional location. This bright and inviting 3bedroom, 2-bath home features a spacious open oor plan, coastalinspired décor throughout, and comfortable spaces designed for relaxed Vineyard living and entertaining. A ﬁrst- oor bedroom provides added exibility, while the enclosed 120-square-foot sun porch creates a wonderful extension of the living space. Outdoor living shines with a newer mahogany outdoor shower, bluestone patio and beautifully designed walkway, all surrounded by a private setting. An unﬁnished basement provides approximately 720 square feet of additional space for storage and fu ture possibilities. Walk or bike to Jetty Beach and the East Chop Lighthouse, enjoy the nearby East Chop Beach Club, or stroll to Oak Bluffs Harbor, downtown restaurants and shops. With a proven rental history and a desirable East Chop location, this move-inready property is equally suited as a Vineyard retreat, year-round home or investment opportunity

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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 in 1988, the home offers approximately 1,456 square feet of living area, with prefinished wood ooring in the living room and bedroo ms. 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 small, manageable yard with off-street parking, along with a classic Vineyard outdoor shower—a favorite feature after a day at the be ach 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. Prequalification letter from your lending source or proof of funds required. Owner and tenants currently occupy the home; 24-hour notice for show ings is preferred.

Real Estate Transactions Oct. 26 – 30, 2026

Aquinnah Oct. 27, Daniel Brudney, Mary Ann Lazarus, Richard J. Lazarus, and William B. Lazarus, trustees of Straight Toe Realty Trust, sold 1 Oil Field Road to Tory Field for $360,000.

Edgartown Oct. 27, Marie T. Hunt sold 87 Whalers Walk to Laudiceia Amaral, trustee of Amaral Family Trust, for $585,000. Oct. 27, Louis Litchison and Krista H. Sweetser, trustees of Litchison-Sweetser Living Trust, and Torrey R. Sweetser sold 40 Crocker Driver to Aren Gallagher and Charlotte Stabler for $965,000. Oct. 28, Laurence Neal and Natalya Naidoo sold 2 Noras Lane to Darren Joseph Langis and Rebecca Anne Langis, trustees of Rebecca Anne Langis Revocable Trust 2021 and Darren Joseph Langis Trust 2021, for $7,350,000. Oct. 30, Darren J. Langis sold 128 West Tisbury Road to William Blake and Margaret Arquit, trustees of William Blake Revocable Trust and Margaret S. Arquit Revocable Trust, for $3,650,000. Oct. 30, Geoffrey T. Tragemann sold 0 Harborside Inn Condo Unit 359

Week 20 to Jon Fairchild and Jaylyn Fairchild for $5,000.

Oak Bluffs Oct. 28, Mark E. Gerhard and Michelle S. Gerhard Jasny, trustees of Muriel M. Gerhard Revocable Trust, sold 89 Pond View Drive to Michelle Gerhard Jasny and Maximillian D. Jasny, trustees of Michell Gerhard Jasny Revocable Trust, for $550,000.

Tisbury Oct. 28, Laurie J. Hagerty sold 136 Franklin St. to Melinda A. Sansoucy for $600,000. Oct. 28, Ann Cochrane, trustee of Ann Cochrane 2022 Revocable Trust, sold 72 Moonstone Way to Patricia Jean Loferski and Robert R. Seal II for $1,080,000. Oct. 28, Christine H. Hart, also known as Christine Hart, sold 60 Beach Road Unit 4 to John M. Amaral and Connie Amaral for $175,000.

West Tisbury Oct. 30, Nancy A. Sartori sold 145 Vineyard Meadow Farms Road to Danubia Prata and Eliedson Ribeiro for $1,230,000.

YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUILD ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD Save 1/3 off convention building methods. New homes and additions. High-end home shells are custom designed, constructed in a controlled environment, and delivered to your MV site for about $135/sq.ft. (Estimated price for ﬁnished house: $550/sq.ft.) Packages include: Custom design, post and beams, roof and walls, doors and windows, siding and trim, insulation and ﬂoors. The preconstruction wall and roof panels go up in about 3 weeks. View model in Aquinnah by appointment. (508) 645-3572 Broker participation invited Posner@MVPostAndBeam.com

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OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 33 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 25F $260,000.00 CALL OR TEXT RENE BEN DAVID 508-847-4864 OCEAN PARK REALTY INC. Welcome to 27 Island Inn, Unit 25F, 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 personal use and rental income. Showings during turnovers only, 10AM–3PM. Proof of funds required.

classifieds A13

November 5, 2026

Real Estate HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS

HOUSES-OAK BLUFFS

LAND-OAK BLUFFS

SALE PENDING 46 KENNEBEC AVENUE OAK BLUFFS, MA $1,350,000 CALL OR TEXT CATHY GARGIULO 203-530-1008 OCEAN PARK REALTY This exquisite Victorian home, lovingly preserved by the same family for over a generation, stands in outstanding condition and is perfectly situated in the vibrant heart of Oak Bluffs Center. Enjoy the convenience of being just steps away from the Public Beach, Steamship Authority, Oak Bluffs Harbor, a supermarket, and a variety of charming restaurants and shops that contribute to Oak Bluffs' allure as a premier summer destination on Martha's Vineyard. This delightful three-season cottage has been carefully modernized over the years, offering a rare investment opportunity. Located within the highly sought-after B1 Zone, this residence has been cherished as a family home while a lso providing the potential for commercial endeavors. The property features a welldesigned oor plan that includes four bedrooms-one conveniently located on the ﬁrst oor-along with a full bathroom, two half bathrooms, a laundry storage area, an eat-in kitchen, and a cozy living room. The home is adorned with stunning wood ooring throughout, bright and airy rooms with original windows, a new hot water on demand system, and a charming front porch, perfect for leisurely afternoons. With its four bedrooms and prime in-town location, this property offers substantial rental potential, making it an exceptional opportunity for both personal enjoyment and investment.

OAK BLUFFS CONDO FOR SALE 27 ISLAND INN RD, UNIT 9C $310,000.00 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 Vineyard getaway, investment, or combination of personal use and rental income. Showings during turnovers only

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.

SOLD BY MARILYN MOSES $380,000 AT 124 SKIFF AVE B12 THINKING ABOUT SELLING I HAVE CASH BUYERS LOOKING TO PURCHASE AT THE CAUSEWAY $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 s wimming 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 investors seeking both lifestyle and return an affordable gem in a highly desirable location.

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.

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.

SOLD $1,375,000 ALAN SCHWEIKERT 13 BEACH ROAD OAK BLUFFS OAK BLUFFS Beach Road: VINEYARD HAVEN OUTER HARBOR WATERFRONT WITH DOCK… 1860’s Beach House with substantial 60’ dock built in 2004, is situated on OUTER HARBOR in private waterfront setting. Enjoy all variety of watersports, dramatic sunsets every evening, refreshing swims, or just relax on your back porch and watch the colorful boating activity unfold. Property features 2 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, attached garage, open kitchen/dining/living area with stone ﬁreplace, hardwood ooring throughout and plenty of space to work with for your own design. Location is convenient to shopping, restaurants, and ferry. Requires restoration and renovation.

SOLD $2,394,000 12 SAMOSET AVENUE OAK BLUFFS YOUR IN-TOWN ADDRESS COULD BE OUR NEXT SUCCESS CONTACT MARILYN MOSES 617-462-0381 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.

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HOUSES-WEST TISBURY

SALE PENDING WEST TISBURY $1,349,000 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.

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A14 A14 classifieds news

November 5, 2026

Tisbury home condemned for alleged overcrowding Complaints about the home on Lake Street span three years. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON

home in Tisbury was condemned by town officials Oct. 27 after an inspection revealed alleged overcrowded conditions, which town records indicate had been a pattern for more than three years, and tenants have since moved out. The condemned home on 182 Lake St. is owned by Khanh and Quynh Tran, who also go by the first names John and Selena, and allegedly housed more than the 10 approved occupants. The couple owns the local business Hollywood Nails on Circuit Avenue as well as several other residential properties in Tisbury and Oak Bluffs, according to real estate records. They purchased 182 Lake St. in 2010, and it’s unclear how long they have rented out the property. Board of health and building department records state the couple is based in Falmouth. Overcrowded homes on the Island are even more common than health reports suggest, especially in workplace housing and within the Brazilian community, according to health officials, regional data, and past reporting by The Times.

According to data collected by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and other sources regarding population and housing conditions, the number of non-family households on the Vineyard has risen by 40 percent in the last decade. In the same time frame, the number of local households with more than four people has grown by 29 percent. It’s uncertain whether this is a last resort or whether landlords charge lower rent in these conditions, though The Times has reported on overcrowded accommodations where the cost for rent was comparable to or higher than average rents on the Vineyard. Many of these homes go unreported. The Lake Street home is an example of what occurs when town officials cite landlords for overcrowding: The tenants have to leave. This fear of displacement often prevents tenants from reporting conditions in their own accommodations, according to past reporting by The Times. While landlords are required to rehouse tenants for a short time after a home is condemned, it’s not a long-term solution.

At a Tisbury board of health meeting on Oct. 27, health agent Drew Belsky presented a report on the condemned home. Board members said they recognized the home as a property with many cars in the front yard. “I was originally supposed to attend housing court tomorrow, for an injunction on this property. But the owner complied to allow us to go do an inspection there [Monday, Oct. 26],” Belsky said in the meeting. “After the inspection with the building and fire department and town administration, the building department did condemn the building.” There were no cars in the driveway the morning of Oct. 28, the day after the meeting. Instead, an old boat was propped up on the lawn and a purple bouncer for a baby was on the porch. A bright red condemnation notice was attached to the door. The home looked abandoned. The Trans, whom The Times tried to reach through Hollywood Nails and through a personal number, didn’t respond for comment. They are representing themselves in court.

S T O R Y

The first complaint that referenced overcrowding at the Lake Street home was in 2023, when Maura Valley was the health agent. Valley wrote a letter to the Trans that said the board had received “complaints of severe overcrowding.” She wrote that the location of the home on the Lagoon Pond watershed, one of the most sensitive watersheds on the Island to increased nitrogen, made adherence to the septic capacity of greater importance. Valley noted that the maximum capacity of the home was 10 occupants across five bedrooms. But floor plans and records of the property from this year show eight bedrooms listed for the home, which is located on a parcel of more than 16,000 square feet. “Overcrowded living conditions impact septic systems, and, under current board of health nitrogen regulations, your system will need to be replaced with an advanced nitrogen removal system should it fail,” Valley wrote in 2023. Lagoon Pond has been a part of Tisbury’s denitrification efforts of local watersheds. Based on reports from this August, that observation from Valley came to pass. On August 3, the town issued a notice to the Trans that their sewage disposal system had failed. After two pump-outs were conducted on the property within 30 days in July and early August, Belsky conducted an inspection of the home. Health officials found additional bedrooms in the basement and attic.

SARAH SHAW DAWSON

182 Lake St. in Tisbury

S PA C E ?

In the attic, there were “clear signs of occupancy by a family” observed by Belsky. This included a living room space, bathroom, small closet, and three beds. After the notice of septic failure, the homeowners filed a complete septic system repair permit application. It was filed on August 13 and cited the applicant’s intention to upgrade to a nine-bedroom capacity. The request was approved by the town. Still, the town is enforcing the condemnation and seeking “injunctive relief” in Southeast Housing Court, according to court documents. The town’s original complaint was filed Sept. 25, and the next hearing was at 10 am on Nov. 4. That hearing wasn’t held virtually, and The Times made an audio request that wasn’t completed until after the print deadline. Action through the courts is not the first course for town officials; it usually occurs if a property owner has not complied with previous warnings or orders. “The town seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief requiring

that defendants immediately remedy the outstanding violations that exist on the property,” the complaint reads. “The ongoing violations present potential health and safety hazards to the occupants of the property, abutters, and the general public.” It’s unclear how many occupants were staying in the home prior to condemnation, but they moved out within 48 hours, according to health officials. “The condemnation gave 24-hour notice of vacating the premises, which we followed up on at noon today,” Belsky said at the meeting on Oct. 27. Belsky told the board that the chain of events with 182 Lake St. is setting a precedent for how they handle similar situations in the town. “This one we were fortunate to get our foot in the door with a failed septic, and I got a walk-through that initiated all of the urgency with all of this, but we are at least setting a blueprint for how we handle this going forward,” Belsky said.

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LEGAL NOTICES TISBURY

LEGAL NOTICES W. TISBURY

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Wampanoag Tribe (Aquinnah) request for bids to install an HVAC Air conditioning system in the Wampanoag Tribe Community Center gymnasium. Submit bid by hand or email to #MAI2027-01, WTGHA Maintenance Director, 20 Black Brook Road, Aquinnah MA 02535. Due 11/5/2026 by 4:00 PM. For more information jday@wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov Wampanoag Tribe (Aquinnah) Request for Sealed Bids to replace a 14 Foot tall Elevator Lift and replacement of surrounding staircase and elevator shaft. Replacing electrical and mechanical controls of the existing lift. Replace paint, drywall and staircase support structures. Submit a sealed bid; Bid #MAI2027-02 WTGHA Maintenance Director, 20 Black Brook Road, Aquinnah MA 02535 by 4:00 PM on Thursday November 5, 2026. For More info jday@wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov

consider the request of CBN America LLC, who is responsible for installing new ﬁber-optic cable within certain public rights-of-way located in Tisbury with a goal to deliver modern, high-capacity broadband infrastructure to income-restricted properties while ensuring minimal disruption to the community. The public can attend in person or participate in the hearing by joining zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/j/87813842013 Meeting ID: 878 1384 2013 Passcode: 433764 Full proposal available upon request in the isbury elect oard ofﬁce 115 High Point Lane. Contact jgatchell@tisburyma.gov for a copy.

the Affordable Housing Committee in the initial stage of all Planning Board applications that include an affordable housing component. For more information and/or to review the application please contact or isit the Planning oard ofﬁce on the second oor of the own all. Please address any comments to: Leah Smith Planning Board P.O. Box 278 West Tisbury, MA 02575 Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/85922405615?pwd=b6bmYb7jAYGAbNY3o3yIboxKXzCRAf.1 • +1 305 224 1968 US • +1 309 205 3325 US Meeting ID: 859 2240 5615 Passcode: 018504 TOWN OF WEST TISBURY FISCAL YEAR 2027 TAX RATE CLASSIFICATION HEARING The West Tisbury Select Board will hold a public hearing to consider the levy allocation and adopt the minimum residential factor on Wednesday November 18, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. at the West Tisbury Town Hall. The Board will consider a residential exemption.

Taxpayers may present oral or written information on their views. Written comments can be sent to townadmin@westtisbury-ma.gov . The meeting will be hybrid (in person and on zoom) Zoom link here and on our website: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom. us/j/89331591667 Meeting ID: 893 3159 1667 Dial by your location • +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Join instructions https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/89331591667/invitations?signature=WJaxEQzoZpdA5bQjr77 _UeyJcm1G4vvIHLZBXh4X3Ws WEST TISBURY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING On Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 5:45pm the ZBA will hold a public hearing at the O A - nd oor meeting room on an application for a Special Permit from Wesley Nagy to install a ground-mounted solar array requiring 30 feet of side yard setback relief at 72 Rogers Path, Map 15 Lot 29.2 under Section 4.2-2D4 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 508-696-0107 for information on the application.

56 School Street, on the application of the referenced petitioner seeking: A reduced setback to the property line for a proposed 14’x30’ pool in the R1 District under Oak Bluffs Zoning By-Law 4.4.5 Relevant documents and/or proposed plans will be available on the Town of Oak Bluffs’ web site: https://www.oakbluffsma.gov/443/ ZBA-Regular-Meetings Written correspondence can be addressed to the Board of Appeals via email: zbaadmin@oakbluffsma. gov or mailed to: PO Box 1327, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

Electronic copies of the ENF are also being sent to the Conservation Commission and Planning Board of Edgartown (Municipality).

LEGAL NOTICES W. TISBURY

PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE The West Tisbury Planning Board Tisbury Public Hearing Notice will hold a virtual public hearing on UTILITY EASEMENT Monday, November 16, 2026 at The Tisbury Select Board will hold 5:30 pm, on a request from the West a town wide utility easement public Tisbury Affordable Housing Commithearing on Wednesday tee to add speciﬁc language to the November 18, 2026, at 4:30 pm at the Rules and Regulation Governing the Tisbury Emergency Services Building, Subdivision of Land, Section 4.5-4A1, 215 Spring Street. to require the Planning Board include This Public Hearing will review and

LEGAL NOTICES TISBURY

MARTHA’S VINEYARD

DISTRICT COURT REPORT Oct. 23 Justin C. Dodge, 44, West Tisbury; larceny over $1,200, receiving stolen property over $1,200, possession of class E drug, arraigned and held, bail set at $250, continued to pretrial hearing.

liquor, negligent operation of motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, speeding in violation of special regulation, arraigned and held, bail set at $200 with potential for bail revocation, continued to pretrial hearing.

Ronaldo Dasilva, 47, Vineyard Haven; operating under the influence of

Luca Eduardo O. Dasilva, 22, Vineyard Haven; operating under the in-

fluence of liquor, possession of open container of alcohol in motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, operating under the influence of drugs, arraigned and held, bail set at $500 with potential for bail revocation, conditions to not drive and remain alcohol-free, continued to pretrial hearing.

LEGAL NOTICES OAK BLUFFS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING RE: Ashe Appeal Gena and Mason Ashe 12 Isaac Ave Map 22 Parcel 77 The Oak Bluffs Zoning Board of Appeals will hold an In-Person Public Hearing on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 6:00PM in the Oak Bluffs Town Hall Downstairs Meeting Room,

PUBLIC NOTICES

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs MEPA Office 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 Telephone 617-626-1020 PUBLIC NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROJECT: Chappaquiddick Salt Marsh Restoration LOCATION: Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Edgartown PROPONENT: The Trustees of Reservations The undersigned is submitting an n ironmental otiﬁcation orm (“ENF”) to the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs on or before November 2, 2026. This will initiate review of the above project pursuant to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (“MEPA,” M.G.L. c. 30, ss. 61-62L). Copies of the ENF may be obtained from: Mary Rimmer, Rimmer Environmental Consulting LLC 57 Boston Rd. Newbury MA 01951 mrimmer@rimmerenv.com or 978463- 9226 (Name, email address, phone number of proponent or proponent’s agent)

The Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs will publish notice of the ENF in the Environmental Monitor, receive public comments on the project, and then decide if an Environmental Impact Report is required. A site visit and/or remote consultation session on the project may also be scheduled. All persons wishing to comment on the project, or to be notified of a site isit and or remote consultation session, should email MEPA@mass.gov or the MEPA analyst listed in the Environmental Monitor. Requests for language translation or other accommodations should be directed to the same email address. Mail correspondence should be directed to the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, Attention: PA Office referencing the abo e project. By Alejandra Narvaez - Coastal Project Manager for The Trustees Tennis/Pickleball Anyone? You’re Invited! The Vineyard Haven Tennis Foundation (VHTF) invites you to enjoy the Reade Courts on Boxberry Avenue in Vineyard Haven. The courts are available to the public during the fall, winter and spring. Access is a ailable on a first come basis, free of charge. The primary funding source for the annual maintenance and operational expenses of the Reade Courts are charitable contributions to the VHTF, a registered not for profit organi ation. If you have enjoyed the use of these courts we hope that you will consider making a tax-free charitable donation. To make a gift, please scan the QR code. Thank you, The Trustees of the Foundation

news A15

November 5, 2026

fishing report

o fish or not to fish? Honestly, is that really a question? For some of us, the only question is when to fish. And alongside the 141 entries in this year’s 34th annual Octoberfish, hosted by Larry’s Tackle Shop, there were also the topics of who was catching and where the fish were hiding. Unlike in previous years, the 2026 competition saw few fish weighed in during the last two weeks of the month, and only three changes in award standings. The competition takes place throughout the month of October, so if you’re on-Island, it can help anyone going through Derby withdrawals. Octoberfish offers the same main divisions as the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, with the addition of the After Derby leader awards for the largest bluefish, bonito, and false albacore caught after the close of the Derby. There is also a key ceremony. Fishermen gathered at noon on Halloween to cheer on the winners and to win a few treats of their own in the generous raffle organized by owners Melissa and Peter Sliwkowski. The event began with lunch and plenty of fish stories and laughter. Peter called up Ralph Peckham, who “[had] all his fingers,” for the After Derby Bluefish award. Last year, Ralph caught the winning After Derby blue (10.55 pounds) but got his thumb chomped on. He stopped at Larry’s to weigh in the fish before continuing on to the hospital. This year, Ralph caught a bigger blue and accepted his prizes bandage-free. Ralph was fishing at sunset on Oct. 20 when he caught the blue. He’d been spending many hours at Lobsterville but chose to be on Chappy that day. “I felt the wind was right on Chappy, and there wasn’t a crowd of people,” said Ralph. “I was just blind-casting.” After reeling in a striper, Ralph continued casting until he felt another tug on the line. He reeled in a chunky 15.90-pound blue. “It was the only one I’ve caught. I’ve been back and haven’t gotten another one,” said Ralph, who won a pair of Premio pliers. Ralph’s bluefish didn’t make the top three, which were all caught during the Derby. Ben Ciciora won the Shore Bluefish with his 19.69-pound blue that finished second in the Derby. Bob Bottary finished second (16.67 pounds) with Dave Balon third (16.33 pounds). Ben’s bluefish was the third-heaviest blue weighed in throughout the Derby’s 81 years. Unfortunately for Ben, the second-largest bluefish in Derby history was also caught this year, Bruce Dew’s winning 19.91-pounder. Abe Williams holds the Derby record with a

It’s all treats at Octoberfish

his second time entering Octoberfish. In addition to the $700 check, Marc won a Bull Bay BOLT 7’6” rod and a customized Abe Pieciak print. “The win is unexpected,” he LISA BELCASTRO said, “and I didn’t expect these prizes.” For the first time in the history of Octoberfish, there were zero albies weighed in. As in zero, nada, zilch. Not one from shore. Not one from the boat. Without albie awards, the crowd inside Larry’s stepped closer to the reel cabinet for the Key Ceremony. Inside the cabinet sat a Tsunami SaltX 3000 AT spinning reel and a Daiwa Saltist SD conventional reel. Peter called the shore winners: Ben and Cam. Matt Strem stood in for Cam Maciel, who was off-Island for work. Matt went first, unlocking the cabinet, and winning the Tsunami Salt for Cam. David and Marc were given keys for the boat divisions. David put his key in the lock, turned, and the lock remained closed. Marc won the Daiwa Saltist. “It’s a little awesome,” said Marc, holding all his swag. The Key Ceremony ended, and raffle mania began. Melissa spends two months collecting donations from vendors. “Abe surprised us with these beautiful trophies, COURTESY OF BEN CICIORA and we had a new vendor, Indigo, who gave Ben Ciciora celebrates his giant 19.69-pound winning bluefish with son Will, brother-in-law Jeff us 10 gift cards,” said Melissa. Cavanaro, and Jeff’s son Cam. “We collected well over 300 items,” said vid Gerhardt (21.01 pounds) and second-placed Larry’s manager, Julian Pepper. 20.58-pound shore bluefish caught in 1998. The raffle is free. Every person who walks Lilly Gwin (18.74 pounds). “I got to the Rip, and nothing was going The Shore Bonito division looked exactly through the door for the Octoberfish party on. We moved down around the corner,” said receives an entry that is guaranteed to win. My as it did at the Derby awards. Cam Maciel Ben. “We were chunking. It was my first bait raffle prize included a tote bag, a fabulous lure, and first fish. When I put it on the scale, it was (9.13 pounds) and Alex Bettencourt (8.10 pounds) took first and second, respectively, and a gift card to Indigo, located on Upper bouncing around 20 pounds.” with their Derby fish, while Lenny Beford, Main Street in Edgartown, which I can’t wait Ben wasn’t sure his scale was accurate. to use: My family loves Indian food. Everyone who finished third in the Derby with a The fish was the same length, 37 inches, got treats sweeter than candy. It was a wonder7.61-pound bonito, bettered his third with as the 15-pounder he’d also weighed in a 7.90-pound bone that also took first place ful conclusion to the festive event. during the Derby. He placed his fish in Then — just like that — it’s November. in the After Derby Bonito division. a cooler, put another piece of bait on his The Boat Bonito category saw the only Af- We turned the clocks back; the days already hook, and cast his line. “My friends started feel shorter and darker, and most of the fish ter Derby change in the top three. On Oct. yelling, ‘You gotta go now.’” have begun their migration south. Fish26, Todd Steckbeck caught a 6.45-pound Ben left the beach, drove to morning bonito to move into third, bumping Andrew ing isn’t over. There are tautog to be jigged, weigh-in, and soundly moved into second Jacobs off the leaderboard. Christian Fisher, stripers to be caught, and a few bonito and place. “Seeing the 19 pounds on the scale, bluefish still swimming around. being so close, it was definitely a little disap- the only junior in any of the top three placThat said, the days of outdoor showings, earned second (6.64 pounds). Marc pointing. That fish would’ve won the other ers, fresh-caught fish, and equally freshly Fairstein secured top honors in the boat 80 years,” said Ben, who froze his blue and picked garden vegetables are limited, bonito division with a 7.91-pound bone he plans to have it skin-mounted. which makes every cast, every vegetable, caught in early October that also picked up Ben took home $700, a 2027 Trustees of and every outdoor shower all the more a first-place daily in the Derby. Reservations OSV pass, and a fin-tastic cusMarc was fishing near Tarpaulin Cove. “I precious. tomized print from Abe Pieciak. Second- and I hope to see you on the beach, perhaps saw a small break and got over there just in third-place winners in each division collected bundled in scarves, hats, and mittens, time,” said Marc. The bonito gave Marc his prize checks for $420 and $280, respectively. breathing in the salt air, tasting the promfirst-ever Derby Triple Crown. Marc lives David Kadison won first for Boat Bluefish ise of stripers, blues, bones, and albies with the blue he caught on Oct. 10 and finished in West Tisbury and works as a photograreturning. pher and videographer. This year is only third in the Derby behind Grand Winner Da-

Martha’s Vineyard tide table Edgartown

Gay Head

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A16

news

sports

November 5, 2026

sports@mvtimes.com

Girls’ soccer defends Vineyard pride

1 1. MVRHS girls’ soccer team secured the Golden Anchor win with a 1-0 victory. 2. The boys’ football team lost in dramatic fashion. 3. Kenny Martinez showed his dribbling skills in a 2-0 loss versus Nantucket. 4. Hailey Smith defended a Nantucket player in the field hockey contest.

PHOTOS: NICHOLAS VUKOTA

Continued on A1

1-0 in the final moments on Nantucket’s Nobadeer Field to keep their Golden Anchor for the fourth consecutive season and remain undefeated against Nantucket in the Battle in the Atlantic series. When it was over, the girls were greeted with a hero’s welcome at the Vineyard Haven docks around 9 pm by Island supporters and emergency officials who blared sirens in celebration. The girls’ soccer game was quiet for most of play, but in the final moments, Laney Light (No. 10) rushed the ball toward the Whalers’ net and let off a desperate last-ditch shot with pressure on, sliding into the ball, and scoring low on the far side. The girls’ team held the Whalers for the remaining five minutes, and secured the Golden Anchor trophy for another year. Light said it felt “so good” to score the game winner and beat Nantucket on their home field. Light said as she approached the ball in the final minutes of the game, all she was thinking about was that she was going to give it her all. “Time was running out, and I just used everything I had and hoped for the best,” Light said. Senior captain Leah Thomson said the Vineyarders came out strong in the second half after a scoreless first. “We had a lot more chances too,” Thomson said. Thomson said she was proud to leave an undefeated legacy for the Battle in the Atlantic series, alongside her three other senior teammates. The girls’ varsity soccer team played on Nobadeer Field while the rest of the Vineyard teams competed at Nantucket High School.

“[We felt that] if we are going to play on a field away from everyone else, then we are going to do our best,” Thomson said. “It feels good. Nantucket played great. That was the tightest match we’ve had with Nantucket in a while,” Head Coach Matthew Malowski said. “I’m just happy to see the seniors get to go out with another Golden Anchor.” Malowski said he is excited for the future of the girls soccer program, and added that they have a promising young squad who will continue to improve.

Laney Light kicks the game—winning goal.

Their 1-0 win extended a run that began with the inaugural Golden Anchor in 2023 (a 4-1 victory) and continued with a 2-0 retention in 2024 and a 5-0 shutout in 2025, which also clinched the program’s first Cape and Islands league title since 1999.

Eleswhere on the Island, Vineyard teams, including the varsity football team vying to take back the Island Cup, didn’t have as much success. The Island Cup rivalry, between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, dates back to the 1950s, though the trophy itself wasn’t introduced until 1978 by Vineyard Coach John Bacheller and Nantucket Coach Vito Capizzo. This year’s game was a highly anticipated match for the Island after Nantucket won 22-14 in overtime at Fenway Park in 2024, which tied the rivalry series at 2222, and then, the 2025 matchup was canceled when the Vineyard forfeited due to injuries and disciplinary issues that left the roster too thin to safely compete. The game on Saturday marked the rivalry’s return to the field.

Kickoff was at 3 pm, and the Whalers senior David Guillen (No. 5) opened the first quarter with more than 200 rushing yards. Before the second quarter, the Whalers were up 42-0, and the Vineyarders had a deep hole to climb out of.

“Time was running out, and I just used everything I had and hoped for the best.” –Laney Light In the second half, the Vineyard’s sophomore quarterback Adam Parchment (No. 8) rushed the ball from the pocket roughly 10 yards for the first Vineyard touchdown of the night. But the Whalers scored until the buzzer ran out, finishing the game at 56-7. The varsity boys’ soccer team fell 2-0 to the Whalers. They had an even matchup, but in the first half, a call didn’t go Vineyard’s way, granting the Whalers a penalty kick, which they buried to go up 1-0. The Vineyarders tried to respond with some promising chances of their own, but could not capitalize on anything. In the final minutes, a scrum in front of the Vineyard’s goal resulted in the ball finding the back of the net. The game finished 2-0. Junior varsity results were mixed. The J.V. boys soccer team won 2-0, and the J.V. girls’ soccer team won 5-1, while J.V. field hockey lost 4-0. The middle school football team shut out Nantucket, 12-0.

T H E P EO P L E , TOW N S, A N D STO R I E S O F I S L A N D L I F E + R E STAU RA N TS, GA L L E R I ES & E N T E RTA I N M E N T

T H U R S D AY, N OV E M B E R 5 , 2026

CROCHET AS

MINDFULNESS M E DI TAT ION Working in various forms, Ronni Simon's style reflects her inner passions.

DENA PORTER

GRAPEVINE SEE B2

SEE B14

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community & calendar

November 5, 2026

Vineyard foliage is worth the wait.

lthough the first day of fall is technically on Sept. 22, to me, Nov. 1 feels like a much bigger shift in the season. Within the hospitality industry, the big wedding and events season has come to a close, most seasonal eateries have shut their doors, and those who serve us year-round have felt that notable deceleration in business. Our last Grapevine was sent on the heels of a literal whirlwind in the form of a late-September nor’easter, which served as a testament to supporting local business in all industries, but specifically events, because we Vineyard vendors knew how to pivot quickly and execute miracles. It also served as my annual reminder to get in touch with whoever planned for wedding season and hurricane season to occur at the same time here, because I’d love to kick them out of the planning biz altogether. October granted us a reprieve with sunshine and an altogether dreamy end to a wildly busy season. And the Island gave us plenty of reasons to enjoy it, from the Vineyard Artisans Fall Festival and the Film Society’s eighth annual Women in Film Festival to the Agricultural Society’s Harvest Festival, complete with pumpkin carving, local food, live music, and a little friendly competition. These gatherings are part of what I love about this stretch of the year: After months of helping other people celebrate, those of us in hospitality finally have a little room to join in ourselves. There’s something especially lovely about catching up with a familiar face when the conversation doesn’t involve a timeline or delivery window. November has plenty in store, beginning with a chance to enjoy the Island at a slower pace, just before the holiday season picks that pace right back up again. Our libraries continue to give us reasons to gather, with an opening reception for Sarah Moore’s “Farm and Sea” paintings at the West Tisbury library on Nov. 6. Nov. 7 brings the Toe Jam Puppet Band to Vineyard Haven, an Elaine Weintraub book talk to Oak Bluffs, and a screening of “Anne Packard: An Artist’s Resolve” at the Film Center. For those of us finally finding a little free time, the hardest part might be deciding where to spend it. That same Saturday, Nov. 7, the Agricultural Society celebrates the community effort that built the Ag Hall in 1994. Barn Raisers Day invites all ages to build miniature versions of the hall from 1 to 2:30 pm, followed by the annual Barn Raisers Ball that evening, from 7:30 to 10 pm. Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish will provide the music, guests are invited to bring something for the dessert potluck, and a $10 donation is suggested at the door. Dancing and dessert in celebration of neighbors building something together feels like a particularly good use of a November evening. The Barn Raisers Ball always ends up being one of my favorite events of the year, an unofficial reunion after the busy season, and a celebration of the Island settling back into the hands of those who call it home year-round.

Fall on an up-island farm. PHOTOS: MICHAEL BLANCHARD

Fall at the Field Gallery.

Between beach chairs and beanies Changing season brings changing lifestyles. BY JENNA SYLVIA

Nov. 7 also marks the opening of Featherstone’s annual Holiday Gift Show, running through Dec. 16, with shopping from noon to 4 pm daily, except Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Handmade pottery, jewelry, paintings, knitwear, and other creations offer an opportunity to get ahead on holiday gifts while supporting Island artists. Over in Vineyard Haven, the Playhouse’s “Harvest” group exhibition is listed for Nov. 5 to 28, helping to keep the season’s bounty in view a little longer.

For those whose preferred outing involves something tangy and delicious, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum hosts “Friends in Ferment” on Nov. 13. Morgen “the Fairy Cheesemother”

evening worth planning ahead for. The middle of the month also brings a workshop production of “DOG PARK! The Musical” to the Playhouse, Nov. 13 through 15, and an encore screening of the Metropolitan Opera’s “Carmen” at the Film Center on Nov. 14. On Nov. 18, the museum will hold a discussion about the Coast Guard’s 1999 search for John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane, while Arnie’s Poetry Café gathers at the Playhouse that evening. The Vineyard Haven library’s open mic follows on Nov. 19, offering another opportunity to enjoy or contribute to the Island’s talent. If a little fresh air is more your speed, Felix Neck’s Full Moon Owl Prowl on Nov. 24 offers an evening wildlife walk before the holiday bustle begins. Thanksgiving morning brings the Oak Bluffs Turkey Trot, a 5K run benefiting the Oak Bluffs School eighth grade. For the runners among us, a festive start to the day; for the rest of us, a very good reason to cheer. The celebrations continue on Friday, Nov. 27, with Felix Neck’s Fall Festival, a free gathering from 10 am to 2 pm, featuring hayrides, live music, wildlife demonstrations, wreathmaking, and crafts. The Vineyard Artisans Thanksgiving Weekend Festival also returns to the Ag Hall Nov. 27 and 28, from 10 am to 4 pm both days, making it easy to turn a holiday outing into a little local shopping. With Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28, there is another invitation to spend some time in our shops and put our holiday dollars to work close to home. After a season spent welcoming so many people to the Island, November gives us a little more room to enjoy it ourselves, and plenty of opportunities to show up for one another. And although I started this piece saying it feels like fall has only just begun, by the time the next Grapevine lands in your inbox on Dec. 1, the holiday season will be in full swing — a fact I can hardly wrap my head around. That said, my beach chair usually leaves the car once it’s time to make room for Christmas in Edgartown shopping bags, so perhaps I’m not the most reliable judge of the season. So whether you’re gleefully pulling your beanies out of storage or holding out for one more dip in the ocean, enjoy November, and we’ll catch up here just in time for the most wonderful time of the year! Editor’s note: Grapevine contributors Jenna Sylvia and Marnely Murray also work in the Island's hospitality and business community. Sylvia is co-founder and owner of Coastal Events MV, a local event coordination and production company. Murray owns Shored Up Digital, a local digital marketing agency. For transparency, further information about their businesses is available at coastaleventsmv.com and shoredupdigital.com. These professional roles inform their firsthand perspectives on the industry. Their contributions to the Grapevine are exclusively editorial, and are subject to The Times' oversight.

November brings local reunions, fall festivities, and a holiday season approaching faster than some of us would like. Schroeder and research librarian Bow Van Riper will pair beer and artisan cheeses with stories about the Island’s brewing and dairy history. With only 15 seats available, this is one

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November 5, 2026

healthy food practices. “Looking at the state of our food system, we knew that there are so many major challenges that are going to take generations to solve, and we need to start engaging young people in thinking about food differently and having real literacy around food,” Taylor said. “We need to do food differently. We wanted to start with kids, and we wanted to start in the schools.” When the program first launched, Taylor said that each school’s garden program was tailored to their particular interests. The Oak Bluffs School, for example, implemented its first school garden. Now, Island Grown Schools works with all seven of the Island’s public schools and 11 preschools. “Some schools started by putting in school gardens. Some schools wanted to start in their cafeteria around local food sourcing. Some wanted to start in the classrooms with food education,” Taylor said. “But within the first two years, we had learning gardens installed at all of our

Program gives ‘Food for Thought’ a whole new meaning Island Grown Initiative and Island Grown Schools turn 20 this year. BY SARA CREATO

A first grade class from the Oak Bluffs School went on a field trip to the Island Grown Initiative Farm.

irst-graders from the Oak Bluffs Elementary School gathered in a circle at Island Grown Initiative’s (IGI) farm in Vineyard Haven. All bundled up in their coats, the children listened as Astrid Tilton, a gleaning manager, explained how the nonprofit collects all extra, or surplus, crops to avoid creating food waste. “Gleaning means gathering food that we’re not going to sell. We’re just going to share it for free with people,” Tilton said. “Our job is going to be to pick up the potatoes, get the dirt off of them, shake off any big clumps, and put them into containers.” The group then traipsed over to a field with lengthy beds of unearthed potatoes. Tilton advised the students to avoid the potatoes with “yucky spots,” and the eager gatherers began scooping up the potatoes from the soil and tossing them into buckets. “Look at what happened to my knees,” first-grader Elizabeth Kuester said about her soil-covered jeans. Chase Holenko uncovered a heart-shaped potato, a com-

mon occurrence during the glean. He then held up another find: a soil-covered earthworm. “It’s a huge worm,” he excitedly pointed out. Instead of putting her potatoes in the buckets, Everly Foster found a new way to store her crops: stuffed in the pockets of her jacket. “Pocket potatoes!” she exclaimed. When it was time for the students to leave, several buckets were filled to the brim with the gleaned potatoes. The field trip for the Oak Bluffs students earlier this month is one of many organized by Island Grown Schools — IGI’s farm-toschool program serving Island youth from preschool to high school. This year marks the 20th year for both IGI and its school program. And the nonprofit, which now serves around 700 students a year through these field trips, plans to expand the program with a new education center. On that same day, students from Leigh Fairchild-Coppoletti’s global studies class at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, toured the farm later in the afternoon. Earlier in class, the students had read a story by The Times

Cribbage Club results BY MARY ALICE RUSSELL Nineteen members of the Vineyard Cribbage Club meet to play our favorite game at the American Legion in Edgartown. The results are as follows:

First, Collin Evanson with an 11/5 +87 card Second, Ed Montesion with a 10/5 +83 card (Happy anniversary to you and Donna)

Ollie Goeckel found a heart-shaped potato. He was one of many students who went looking for hearts in the soil. PHOTOS: SARAH SHAW DAWSON

First-graders Amira Coleman and Clare Rodenbaugh collect potatoes during a field trip.

“Now, an entire generation of Island kids have grown up with food education as a regular part of what they experience in their school day.” —NOLI TAYLOR about the “Food Is Medicine” model and about a partnership between IGI and Island Healthcare that exemplifies that model. Noli Taylor, IGI co-executive director, spearheaded Island Grown Schools after re-

ceiving a M.V. Vision Fellowship Award in 2007 to launch a farm-to-school program. Due to prevalent issues such as food insecurity and dietrelated disease, Taylor said that she launched the initiative to educate Island youth about

Third, Byram Devine with a 9/4 +51 card Fourth, Frank Fenner with an 8/4 + 16 card Fifth, Jack Silvia with an 8/4 +8 card

the skunk pot, which has not seen a 28 in the club since January. We had six 24-point hands again this week, played by Mary Alice Russell, Byram Devine, Andria Jason, Suzanne Cioffi, Mary Giodarno, and Jack Silvia. Two flush cribs were played by Frank Fenner and Suzanne Cioffi, and six

We had a rare hand played — Alecia Knight was dealt the amazing 28-point hand! She will score half of

schools. It was the start of what has become this incredible 20 years of developing a really comprehensive community food education program for our children. Now, an entire generation of Island kids have grown up with food education as a regular part of what they experience in their school day.” And when school cafeteria directors expressed interest in incorporating more produce from Island farms, IGI was inspired to launch their gleaning program in 2009 to prevent surplus crops from going to waste. Taylor estimates that roughly 700 students from the Island’s seven public schools — including all K-12 schools — and 11 preschools take field trips to IGI’s farm every year

people got skunked (a loss of greater than 30 points). If you are interested in cribbage, give us a try! We meet at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays for potluck, and start play at 6 pm sharp! Please call or text me at 508-524-1220, or email me at maonmv@mac.com.

during the fall and spring. To facilitate field trips during the winter, IGI is fundraising to construct an education center featuring classrooms and a kitchen space to be operational by next fall. “You can learn so much from visiting a regenerative farm like ours about climate change, soil, water cycles, and now also about nutrition and cooking,” Taylor said. A major component of Island Grown Schools is its Curriculum Toolkit, an online and searchable database consisting of curricula for all ages and grade levels. The curricula covers a myriad of topics, such as food systems, gardens, healthy eating, and soil through project-based learning. Some of these activities include organizing plant sales, buttermaking, and foraging. Taylor emphasized how the curriculums teach “through the lens of food.” “Every subject can be taught through the lens of food in a hands-on way that supports different kinds of learners and helps every kid feel successful in their learning,” she said. Emily Armstrong, Island Grown Schools education director, said she hopes that students leave the program with both better culinary skills and knowledge about food from various cultures. “Our goal is when they go off into the world, they have an understanding about how to read a recipe and how to feed themselves,” Armstrong said. “There’s so much rich food history content that we are able to connect with … through that historical lens.” Armstrong, who launched the program’s preschool branch, also aims for Island Grown Schools to educate children about soil. “There’s such a misunderstanding that it’s dirt, but it’s really this alive thing … that is our responsibility to protect and take care of and steward,” Armstrong said. “Getting kids really passionate about that topic is something that we really love to do.” Armstrong compares the evolution of Island Grown Schools’ to a garden. “We started out as a seed 20 years ago. Now we have this robust garden, from my perspective, of kids that are thinking more critically about environmental issues and what their role is in that,” Armstrong said. “That has come out of them having this access to high quality, experiential placebased education.”

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community & calendar

Tisbury By Taylor Stone tisburycolumnist@gmail.com

have somehow been labeled a big Halloween lover in recent years, despite my complete ineptitude for all things scary. But alas, with such expectations set, I once again checked off many traditional Halloween boxes: carving a jack-o’-lantern with friends, shrieking through the M.V. Screenprinting Haunted House, crafting a fire for my oversize witch’s cauldron (seen on Main Street on Halloween day), and visiting each Charter School scarecrow around town. And with that, another Halloween has come to a

close. Thank you to Bella for another incredible Halloween Puppet Parade, with her beautiful, larger-thanlife puppets, accompanied this year by the Upis Land Band. Thank you to the volunteers that made another VisitVH Costume Contest successful, DJ Smooth B for keeping the party going until after dark, and everyone who put so much work into their incredible costumes and showed them off trick-ortreating through our town. Last week I made it to “The Museum of Unnatural History,” a group show

Edgartown By Marnely Murray marnely@gmail.com

ovember is here, and for that I am thankful, and at the same time, a bit confused as to how this year flew by so quickly. It seems to happen quicker and quicker as I grow older, so this might be my own personal reminder to enjoy the present a bit more. I’m one to try to capture everything on camera because my memory is that of a goldfish. One thing I do remember constantly is the phrase “memento mori”, Latin for “remember you must die.” I’ve taken this to heart, a philosophy that in two words reminds me that this is not forever, so let’s enjoy it to the best of our abilities.

It’s good to start appreciating life early on, and the Edgartown library is doing just that with a “Letters of Gratitude: Kids’ Letter Writing Workshop” on Mondays in November from 3 to 4 pm. No registration is required, and your children will learn how to address an envelope, where to place a stamp, and practice writing from the heart. If

November 5, 2026

C running at the Workshop Gallery at 32 Beach Road through Nov. 29. Reporting back: it lives up to the hype. Led by local stained glass artist Liz Ragone, this exhibition features well-known Island artists alongside first-time creators. Traditional price tags are replaced with specimen labels, and all sorts of unexplained curiosities are on display for this limited time. Open Thursday through Sunday, with new artwork still arriving each weekend. A new show is opening

at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse this week. With hopes of becoming a new annual tradition, this group exhibition explores the theme of what “harvest” means to each artist and our community. The reception promises the spirit of Friendsgiving celebrations, so gather for a potluck, live music by Mark & Molly, and great art this Friday, Nov. 6 from 6 to 8 pm. Also this Friday at the M.V. Hebrew Center is the Shabbat dinner with conversations around “Celebrating the Harvest

By Joanne Lambert joannelamber@gmail.com Joanne's column will return next week.

BIRTH A NNOUNCEMENT Sofia Dos Santos Flores

in Wampanoag and Jewish Culture.” Brad Lopes from the Wampanoag tribe and Rabbi Caryn Broitman will be in conversation about the meaning of the harvest, and sharing harvest rituals and celebrations in their cultures. The community climate discussions continue with the next segment on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Oak Bluffs library. Focusing on managing our forests for climate resilience, this event is hybrid, so if you can’t make it in person, join the Zoom from 1:30 to 3 pm.

Last week I made it to “The Museum of Unnatural History,” a group show running at the Workshop Gallery at 32 Beach Road through Nov. 29. Reporting back: It lives up to the hype. anyone from the library is reading this, please consider doing an adult version of this workshop! Quickly after that, on Nov. 5 at 2 pm, Chef Chris Look will be presenting a salad symposium, starting with a Thanksgiving chicken salad. Register online for this delicious-sounding event! This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Edgartown Free Public Library. If you’ve read this column enough, you know my love for our local library is deep, but I recognize there’s so much more happening in town, so here are some Edgartown updates you need to know:

* Juniper is having a pop-up shop Fridays through Mondays from 10 am to 4 pm, running through Dec. 21; * Harbor Homes has reopened its annual winter shelter at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; * Morning Glory Farm has started its winter hours, 9 am to 5:30 pm; * Edgartown Police Department hired their second Portuguese-speaking officer, Officer Miguel Jarillo, on Oct. 19; * Indigo Martha’s trivia night on Wednesdays starts at 6:30 pm, with Ryan and Doug as your hosts; * Town Bar & Grill has a new fall/winter menu, de-

It’s good to start appreciating life early on, and the Edgartown library is doing just that with a “Letters of Gratitude: Kids’ Letter Writing Workshop” on Mondays in November from 3 to 4 pm.

Oak Bluffs

veloped by yours truly, so go check it out and let me know what you think; * Edgartown’s recreational scallop season began on Oct. 1 for dip net only, in the ponds, and commercial begins on Oct. 26 for dip net and dragging, Rob Morrison, Edgartown shellfish constable, said. Scallop drags are used only in and around Cape Poge, and there is no dragging allowed in Sengekontacket. Family shellfishing limits for Edgartown are one bushel per week for recreational shellfishing, and commercial limits are three bushels per day. Some things to keep in mind as November rolls in: First up, don’t forget that Veterans Day is Nov. 11, and I’m asking Edgartown businesses to consider a Veterans Day special for those who have served our country so honorably. Next up, Thanksgiving is now just three weeks away, and

S Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 7 pm at the V.H. library, join the Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District as it shares upcoming plans for the December First Friday VH, ’Tis the Season events throughout December, and this year’s First Night event on New Years’ Eve. Another seasonal closure is added this week, with Mad Martha’s ice cream now hibernating until next spring. Biggest bunches of birthday balloons to Alex Wright this Saturday on Nov. 7, and to M.V. Potluck Prints creator M-C Lamarre on Nov. 9. 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.

there’s plenty of options in town if you plan on getting assistance partially or fully from an outside source that’s not your own kitchen. Harbor View Hotel is hosting a Thanksgiving buffet meal; Edgartown Meat & Fish Market will have turkeys, prime rib, and expertly made sides; Morning Glory Farm is taking orders for turkey from their friends at Out Post Farm in Holliston. Let me know who else is doing something special for Thanksgiving! I’m still unsure if we’ll be cooking at home or getting some sort of delicious takeout, but I’m glad to see all the options. I’ll leave you with one last request: I’m looking to interview island locals about their December holiday traditions for the upcoming Grapevine. If you have a unique or special friends and/or family tradition, send me an email and let’s chat. As a reminder, it’s marnely@ gmail.com. Thanks!

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Layse Vicente Flores and Lindolfo Coelho Dos Santos of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Sofia Dos Santos Flores, on Oct. 28, 2026, at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Sofia weighed 7 pounds, 14.2 ounces.

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community & calendar B5

November 5, 2026

Aquinnah By Kathie Olsen aquinnahcolumn@gmail.com

t’s the Sunday morning before the midterm election. I have just returned from a filled-with-love but painful 10 days with family in California. Faced with the sudden death of a beloved nephew, the impending death of a cousin, and the growing brain cancer faced by one of my sisters, I had to be there. I am grateful that I could. Flying back into Massachusetts, I looked down at a sea of the greens and golds and rusts of fall, while approaching landing at Logan, the Atlantic sparkled below. A quick ride back to Woods

Hole, and I was on the ferry. It was time to exhale. I was home again, my heart comforted by the sea air, the thrum of the ferry engines, and the memories of hugs from sisters, cousins, grandsons, and old familiars. As we docked in Vineyard Haven, the tears flowed that I had held back in deference to the needs of those in California. They were tears of love and gratitude, and the overwhelming relief of being back to what has truly become my home place. Meanwhile, folks back

Chilmark By Claire Ganz cganz@live.com

he beautiful weather and fall color continues. Halloween in Chilmark was wonderful. Thanks to everyone who decorated, dressed up, and got out. The costumes were fabulous. Thank you, Beetlebung Farm, for the sweet carrots. On the crossroad we had bowls of candy, and Pastor Janet Stoddard offered quarters. Thank you, Katie Carroll, for organizing. And for everyone who participated. It was a magical evening with interactive experiences,

lots of yummy treats, and creative costumes including a sweet calf wearing antlers, a bird lady, glowing skeletons, dogcatchers, butterflies, a peacock fairy, a family of daffodils, and a lobster. Next year many are offering to help with the traditional start with pizza for kids at the Community Center. Happy birthday week to Ed Sussman. On a sad note, Rebecca Gilbert and Randy Ben David of Native Earth Teaching Farm report their pet Boris died last weekend

West Tisbury By Hermine Hull hermine.hull@gmail.com

t has been a beautiful autumn week followed by a perfect weekend for Halloween festivities. The Charter School students’ scarecrows appeared all over town last week, a prelude to Halloween itself, which was an all-day event this year. I tried to attend everything, and I did a creditable job until running out of steam after the library party. First on my agenda was the party at Woodbe Farm. Iyla rides there, so I couldn’t miss it. Horses and riders were dressed in costumes representing favorite books. Iyla’s Enzo was dressed like the broom in “Room on the Broom.” Kids competed in

games; the tables of snacks were overflowing with decorated cookies and cupcakes. The sun shone overhead. I was too early for Rusty’s party at Ghost Island, but I walked around to look at the set-up bandstand, tables of pumpkins and refreshments, and games. I loved being greeted by bubbles blowing across the road from this year’s tableau; Rusty, exuberant celebrator of Halloween, outdid himself. Next was the party for dressed-up dogs and their owners at the Ag Hall. The yard was decorated with ghost dogs in the trees, and on tables holding baskets of dog toys and accoutrements,

here have been busy planning for what promises to be an increasingly busy few months. The Aquinnah library is offering a free felting workshop on Saturday, Nov. 7, from noon to 2 pm. Intended for adults and kids ages 10 and up, this will give you a chance to learn how to sculpt your very own wool felted pumpkin. Felting is a process where you needle-shape colorful wool into realistic ridges, seams, and textured details. It's a perfect craft for beginners. Space is limited, so please register by emailing Callie at cbrust@clamsnet.org. Then on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 3:30 pm, the library offers a free Zine Workshop. Join them at the library to learn about zines and create your own. All ages are welcome at this one.

NaDaizja Bolling of the Aquinnah Cultural Center and I have taken on the happy task of organizing the Aquinnah Artisans Holiday Fair. Set for the first weekend in December, this is a gathering of talented artists and artisans from our upIsland communities, kicking off the holiday season and selling their goods at the Aquinnah Town Hall. If you are a local artist and want to participate, please let me know by Nov. 8, and I’ll send

during the night. Boris was an enormous, pie-loving and prize-winning Berkshire boar who delighted visitors of all ages. Rebecca wrote, “He was a great pig, and he had a good life, but we will miss him terribly, and so will his many fans, because he was a character and a half. “Pigs were considered sacred in the Celtic pagan traditions, and are intermediaries between the living and the dead, between the surface and the underworld. They were especially associated with the

goddess Ceridwen, stirring her cauldron of rebirth. “Feeding your Halloween pumpkins to farm animals is a tangible way of honoring these cycles of life, death, continuation, and return.” The annual grief ceremony at Native Earth Teaching Farm will be held on Nov. 14, from noon to 5:30 pm. This important work is difficult, rewarding, and empowering. For more info, and to reserve a spot in the circle, contact Rebecca at 508645-3304 or nativeearthteachingfarm@gmail.org.

you the particulars. The rest of you, please put this event onto your calendar so you can come join the fun. There will be a vaccination clinic for adults and children older than 6 months, on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 10 am until 2 pm. Being held at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, they will have vaccines for COVID-19 and flu. For registration information, contact the Aquinnah Board of Health. There is also a flyer with a

registration link available, posted on the bulletin board at Town Hall. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Up-Island Council on Aging is holding a free luncheon for seniors at the Chilmark Community Center at noon. You can call 508-693-2896 to RSVP. Nov. 5 is the day for happy birthday wishes for Nanawusuwee Vanderhoop Powell. Let me know if I’ve missed anyone. Be well.

Constance Messmer reminds us of the importance of understanding our intuition in her workshop, “Inner Guidance Decoded,” at the Natural Living Expo in Marlborough on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 3 pm. Details are available through her website, constancemessmer.com. “Family Craft: Fall Decorations” with the M.V. Garden Club is on Saturday, Nov. 7. Come and create decorations with supplied materials that celebrate the beauty of autumn. Registration is

Rebecca Gilbert wrote, “Boris was a great pig, and he had a good life, but we will miss him terribly, and so will his many fans, because he was a character and a half.” all very festive. I brought home a scarf decorated with bats and pumpkins for Abby. When I arrived at the library, families were lined up in the parking lot waiting for the hayride to return from its route. I always love that party. Seeing families all wearing coordinated costumes, many parents holding new babies, toddlers and older siblings dressed as favorite storybook characters. One little girl had a pattern of green jewels across her cheeks, complementing the blue and green tulle costume that she, her sister, and their mom were wearing. Dinosaurs, superheroes, witches, and princesses were all in attendance. Back at home, I decorated my porch and set out chocolate chip cookies for the children I expected later. They are all children of the trick-or-treaters Mike and I welcomed a generation ago. If that isn’t a reason to celebrate, I don’t know what is.

I had a similar feeling working at the polls the previous Saturday. Some of the voters who came in were kids I watched grow up. They came home from college for the weekend to vote early in West Tisbury. I know that many of us hope the election will go smoothly all across the country. I want to reassure West Tisbury voters that Tara Whiting-Wells, our town clerk, has checked our voting machines to assess any possible problems, in accordance with state laws and procedures. There were none; they are in perfect working order, ready to reliably record our votes on Election Day. By the time you are

reading this, we will know how our votes turned out. There will be an artist’s reception at the West Tisbury library this Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, 3 to 4:30 pm, for Sarah Moore. Her exhibition, “Martha’s Vineyard: Farm and Field,” will be displayed in the Program Room through November. The Model Railroad Group will meet on Saturday from 3 to 4 pm. Two concerts this week: Second Sunday Jazz with the Scott Avidon Quartet at 2 pm; and a piano concert by Bobby Alfaro on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 4:30 pm. Don’t forget the library will be closed for Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

encouraged, but drop-ins are welcome. This activity is appropriate for all ages; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. We can join the discussion and learn about “Managing Our Forests for Climate Resilience,” including wildfire mitigation, on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 1:30 to 3 pm, at the Oak Bluffs library, 56R School St. The speaker is Robert Perschel, a professional forester who lives in Chilmark. Also joining will be Josh Nigro, forest fire warden (Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties) for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Josh and his team will talk about wildfire prevention and mitigation, prescribed burns, and the help available to assess our homes for external fire safety and wildfire risks.

The Oak Bluffs library will host a community climate discussion this Saturday, Nov. 7, 1:30 to 3 pm, “Managing Our Forests for Climate Resilience,” including wildfire mitigation. New England forester Robert Perschel will lead the program. Linda Vadasz and I took a walk at Sepiessa last week. As we parked the car, a pheasant stepped out from the woods, resplendent with plumage glowing in the sun. Linda tried to take a photograph, but by the time she got out of the car, got her phone out, and lined up her shot, the pheasant had disappeared as quickly and silently as he had appeared.

Horses and riders were dressed in costumes representing favorite books. Iyla’s Enzo was dressed like the broom in “Room on the Broom.”

community & calendar

oday marks the beginning of an ongoing series exploring the origins of Island names and places you may have taken for granted for many years. It seems natural, therefore, to start with some of the oldest names here, those in the language of the original inhabitants, the Wampanoag people. Names like Squibnocket (Msquepunauket), Sengekontacket (Sanchiacantacket), and Tashmoo (Kehtashimet) abound throughout Martha’s Vineyard (Noepe). In this first one, we asked Brad Lopes, the tribe's education director and the Aquinnah Cultural Center's education and public program manager, to explain the meanings in English of some of the more well-known ones, with others to follow soon. The conversation offers an important and nuanced explanation that explores far more than etymology.

ABBY REMER: You told me, “Our language is meant to relate to the land and the waterways. It’s meant to communicate that relationship like a GPS. The words are very descriptive, but sometimes set in time.” Could you elaborate on the latter?

November 5, 2026

W H AT ’S I N A N A M E ?

historicization and romanticization occurring in these fixations, more often than not. But [for us] it never changes the meaning of that place. It’s not so much about what the name means, but the fact that it’s home. That you belong there, and you want to [keep giving] it names that are appropriate for it over time, reflecting that relationship.

The etymology of common Island Iocations

AR: Can you explain what you mean about an assumption and privilege of access to native languages? BL: Non-native people assume they

A conversation with Brad Lopes. BY ABBY REMER

This is complicated by the fact that over time, aspects of some words have been dropped, lost, or corrupted. But I don’t think any of these names were ever meant to reflect a fixed name across hundreds or thousands of years. The Island’s changed since some of these names were brought forward by our ancestors. So in some ways, if you’re talking about multiple generations ahead, the Aquinnah they know now might appear

much different from the one that brought about that name, depending on how ferocious the sea continues to be. At that point then, is somewhere else the end of the Island? So when we are having these conversations [about meaning], these words have become somewhat static, a consequence more often than not of the relationship the non-native public has with tribal nations and citizens. And that’s not how they’re supposed to be.

AR: Can you expand on this idea of the challenges with a name locking a place in time? BL: Squibnocket refers to a red cliff, or with Menemsha Creek, we’re talking about a winding river. But what if Menemsha Creek dries up? Or the clay erodes into the sea? I think at times, non-native people end up more fixated on names that in other circumstances, our ancestors might have changed and given a new name. There’s a strange

Brad Lopes

AR: What is essential to understand about what a name of a location means?

BRAD LOPES: It’s tricky, because

you have names like Aquinnah (Aquenut/Âhqunah) or Squibnocket (Msquepunauket), which might be translated into “the shore or end of the island/the place where land ends” or “the place of the red cliff or bank,” but there’s more to it. They are all very descriptive. When translated, a lot of the deeper, intimate meaning is lost in that process, though. The true meaning seems to be partially lost in translation.

Seed Library events return Martha’s Vineyard Community Seed Library events return to the West Tisbury library this November, offering free monthly opportunities to sort, save, and exchange seeds ahead of the next growing season. Events run Saturdays through May 2027, beginning Nov. 14 with Seed Sorting and Tea. Highlights include: • Saturday, Nov. 14, 12-2 pm: Seed Sorting and Tea. Come chat, sip some tea, and process seeds for the next growing season. All are welcome to bring plant material to save seeds from or help process what we have. Seed

should have a certain level of access to the language. I think what bothers a lot of native people is that it’s not just translating, which is problematic in its own right. It ignores the fact that for many tribal nations, our language is a sacred thing. [Meaning] is not something that is handed out. And in a lot of cases, tribal nations have been further harmed working with non-native people in this process. For example, many of the Oceti Sakowin (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota) communities first collaborated with the Lakota Language Consortium, founded by two non-native scholars, before discovering the use of copyrighting of materials to essentially sell the language back to them. But it was “owned” by the Lakota people — if we’re going to use that word, “owned.” This can open the door for the same kind of extraction we are pushing back against. It’s about respecting our wishes around language. It’s about understanding, for instance, why we have language classes that are just for us. At the end of the day, it’s about letting our community decide what occurs with the language. How these place names are shared and understood.

AI ILLUSTRATION

envelopes and labels will be provided. Local seed-saving experts will be on hand to answer questions. • Saturday, Dec. 12, 12-2 pm: Seed Sorting and Tea • Saturday, Jan. 16, 12-2 pm: Seed Sorting and Tea • Saturday, Feb. 13, 12-2 pm: Annual Seed Swap! Plus Sorting and Tea. Bring your saved open-pollinated/ heirloom seeds to share, swap, and help restock the Seed Library cabinet! From 12 to 12:30 pm, join our seed circle to chat about the seeds you brought or the plants you’re excited to grow. From 12:30 to 2 pm, drop in anytime for seed sorting and germination testing, and learn about the benefits of creating and using leaf mold.

• Saturday, March 13, 12-2 pm: Seed Sorting and Tea • Saturday, April 10, 12-2 pm: Seed Sorting and Tea • Saturday, May 22, 10 am-12 pm: Seedling Swap. Bring heirloom and openpollinated vegetable, flower, and fruit seedlings or cuttings to swap and share. Come talk to local gardeners and seed-saving experts, and help us grow and develop locally adapted varieties for our seed cabinet. Please remember to save your seeds after the growing season and “return” them to the seed library. All events are free and open to the public. The Seed Library is a collaboration between Island Grown Initiative, the West Tisbury

library, Whippoorwill Farm, and local home gardeners. For more information, email wt_mail@clamsnet.org, or visit the West Tisbury library website.

‘Away to See: Martha’s Vineyard’ Painter Paul Norwood and writer and editor Liz Norwood have released “Away to See: Martha’s Vineyard,” the first in a series of artful gift books. Featuring 46 original works, the book celebrates the Island’s natural beauty, coastal landscapes, community spirit, and quieter pleasures. Designed as a meditative escape for art lovers, travel-

BS: A name means what it holds as a value, as a belief, not how it translates. For instance, nutômas means we are from this place, and this place is a part of us. Our blood, our bones, our very being. You’re never unrooted. You’re always a part of this place. It’s a part of you. I think that concept is hard to communicate in English. I don’t think there are English words that capture it.

ers, and Island residents, the book invites readers to rediscover Martha’s Vineyard through art and reflection. A second book highlighting the California Coast is in the works. While the Island is wellknown for its celebrities and storied history, “Away to See: Martha’s Vineyard” focuses instead on its natural beauty, simple pleasures, and deep connection to land and sea. The Norwoods, longtime summer residents, share their favorite Island experiences and illuminate its slower side. Paul is a painter known for his expressive coastal scenes and gestural style. After a successful career as a creative director, he has

devoted the past 25 years to painting full-time, exhibiting nationally from Boston to San Francisco. His work is represented by galleries including the Eisenhauer Gallery. Liz Norwood is a freelance editor and writer specializing in sustainability, wellness, travel, and culture. “For us, painting and putting words to our travels ushers us into another state of mind,” said Liz Norwood. “‘Away to See’ is our exploration of that ‘away’ state, where creativity, curiosity, and presence come together.” For more information about the book, visit awaytosee. com, and on Instagram at away.to.see.

calendar & community B7

November 5, 2026

Event spotlight for the week of 11•5 — 11•11

THU 11/5

FRI 11/6

A Gallery art pop-up

Gallery Contemporary Art is hosting a holiday art pop-up at its former location in the Log Cabin building on State Road in West Tisbury. The exhibition features work by local contemporary artists in a variety of mediums, along with small art gifts at a range of prices. The pop-up is open Thursdays through Sundays, 11 am to 6:30 pm, through the season.

‘Harvest’ reception and potluck

he Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse will host a free opening reception for “Harvest,” its first annual fall group exhibition featuring work by Island artists exploring the theme of harvest and what the community gathers,

nurtures, and shares. The Friendsgiving-style celebration will take place from 6 to 8 pm, with a potluck, live folk and sea chantey music by Mark & Molly, and an opportunity to meet the artists. Guests are welcome to bring a dish to share, but it is not required.

SAT 11/7

Featherstone's ‘Holiday Gift Show’

eatherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs will host its annual “Holiday Gift Show,” featuring handmade work by local artists and craftspeople. The free-admission show offers a range of gifts, including

paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, knitwear, clothing, ornaments, cards, calendars, and stocking stuffers. Visitors can shop while supporting Island artists and Featherstone. The show runs daily from noon to 4 pm.

EVENTS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Wiggle with the Words Storytime

10:30-11 am, Edgartown Library. Fun props Kaiut Yoga 8:30-9:30 am, Peaked Hill Studio, Chilmark. Kaiut and interactive stories. Geared for ages 1-5, but all are welcome. No sign-up. programs@ Yoga works through chronic pain and injuries, general aches and stiffness, and is good for the edgartownlibrary.org, 508-627-4221. 508627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org inflexible, hyper flexible and the aging body. Tech help 774-563-8282, valerie@peakedhillstudio.com 11 am-1 pm, Up Island Council on Aging, Balletics West Tisbury. Free tach help 508-6939-10 am, Up Island Council on Aging, West Tisbury. Total body conditioning, learning body’s 2896, coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov strengths & weaknesses, how to prevent injury. A Gallery Art Pop Up 11 am-6:30 pm, Log Cabin building, West coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov, 508-693-2896. Tisbury. Art and Art Gifts : Local Contemporary 508-693-2896, coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov Artists in all mediums and price ranges for Free Fairy Sculpture Trail the holidays. Thurs - Sun through December at Island Folk Pottery 30th. 508-939-0518, Agallerymv@hotmail.com 9 am-6 pm, Island Folk Pottery, Chilmark. Science & Nature Book Club The enchanting Island Folk Pottery Fairy Reads “A Most Remarkable Sculpture Trail meanders 1/4 mile through Creature” by J. Meiburg a magical wooded landscape populated 2 pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library. For with whimsical sculptures. 508-955-9944, more information and to be added to the islandfolkpottery@gmail.com email list, please contact the library at Little Naturalists vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org. 508-6969:30-11:30 am, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctu4211, vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org ary, Edgartown. Let curiosity lead the Chef Look Cooks - Salad Symposium: way in this playful program for young Thanksgiving Chicken Salad children. Explore nature through free play, 2-3:30 pm, Edgartown Library. we’ll make a sensory activities and time outdoors. sweet and savory salad that will go great on 508-627-4850, felixneck@massaudubon.org top of thick sandwich bread or mixed greens. Costume drop off for 508-627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org 2027 costume swap 10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your Creator Club gently used costume today through November 3-4:30 pm, Edgartown Library. Each week we’ll have a different hands-on craft to try 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org 508-627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org Painting Still Life with Liz Taft Community Knitting Circle 10 am-1 pm, Featherstone Center for the 3-4:45 pm, Chilmark Library. Join us for a reArts, Oak Bluffs. This class is about learning laxed afternoon of knitting. Our knitters love to to see things simply and translating that share their knowledge and beginners are welinto a painting. Open to anyone who has come! 508-645-3360, chil.programs@gmail.com done a little bit of painting! 508-693-1850, Corn Husk Doll Workshop for Kids featherstone@featherstoneart.org 3-4 pm, Chilmark Library, Chilmark. Corn Exploring Color and Design: Working husk doll workshop for kids 508-645with Acrylics with Donna Straw 3360, chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com 10 am-2 pm, Featherstone Center for the Ukulele Jam Arts, Oak Bluffs. In this two day workshop we 3:30-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. All ages will explore how to work with a range of values through color mixing in order to create and abilities. The library has ukuleles to borrow, or bring a guitar or banjo, or come to contrast and areas of emphasis. 508-693sing. wt_mail@clamsnet.org, 508-693-3366. 1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org Drop-in Mah Jongg At Stillpoint // Naptime 10:15 am-12:15 pm, Vineyard Haven Public with David Stanwood Library, Vineyard Haven. Drop in for a pick-up 3:30-4:30 pm, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. Experience game or two of American Mah Jongg on the calming effect of harmonic vibration, Thursday mornings this fall! No instruction with pianist and acclaimed piano technician provided, so best for experienced players. David Stanwood. info@stillpointmv.org 508-696-4211, vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org

Kids Crafts & Crunch - Paint a Donut

3:30-5 pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library, Vineyard Haven. Celebrate National Donut Day by painting a plaster or ceramic donut while enjoying snacks provided by MV Community Services. 508-696-4211, jrapuano@clamsnet.org

Pokemon Club

3:30-4:30 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Bring your Pokémon cards to show to others! This is a club to talk about Pokémon, look at cards, play the game and draw! For ages 5-12. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org

COLORS OF TIME — at the MV Film Center

4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. A group of strangers, all descendants of a woman named Adèle Meunier, are gathered in Normandy. 774-392-2972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com

Edgartown Old Westside Graveyard Walking Tour

4-5:15 pm, Old Westside Graveyard, Edgartown. Gravestones are a window into the past. Walk through Old Westside graveyard with historian Elizabeth Villard. Fee $20. Information. Text 508 627 2529 508-627-2529, evillardmv@gmail.com

‘CLAYFACE’ at the Edgartown Cinema

4 pm, Edgartown Cinema. Rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity. 508-627-8008, yourneighborhoodtheatre.com

Table Tennis

5 pm, Tisbury Senior Center, Vineyard Haven. Table tennis for all ages and skill levels. 508-728-5898, raeobmv@gmail.com

Metabolic Brain Retreat

5-9 pm, Vineyard Arts Project, Edgartown. Understanding the deep connection between how your metabolism works and how clearly, calmly, and vigorously your brain functions. Allinclusive 508-360-4491, jan@janbuhrman.com

At Stillpoint // Another Way: A Creative Writing Workshop

5:30-7 pm, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. Writers Moira Convey Silva and Sarah Carey introduce a different kind of writing workshop. info@stillpointmv.org

Margot Datz: Here to Stay!

5:30-7:30 pm, The Carnegie Heritage Center , Edgartown. Celebrate Margot Datz: Recreator and its permanent home at The Carnegie and hear about the artist’s upcoming public art projects across the Island. 774-549-9107, sissy@mvpreservation.org

‘YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING’ at the Edgartown Cinema

5:30 pm, Edgartown Cinema. Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, notorious Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. 508-627-8008, yourneighborhoodtheatre.com

manifestations from the city of Rotterdam to hidden places on Martha’s vineyard 508-560-2648, alidamv@comcast.net

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Metabolic Brain Retreat

8 am-5 pm, Vineyard Arts Project , Edgartown. Understanding the deep connection between 6-7 pm, Bodhi Path Buddhist Center, West how your metabolism works and how clearly, Tisbury. Group meditation available both in calmly, and vigorously your brain functions. person at Bodhi Path in West Tisbury, and online All-inclusive 508-360-4491, jan@janbuhrman.com via Zoom. marthasvineyard@bodhipath.org Pilates Mixed Apparatus Class Jazz piano at the Sweet Life 9-9:55 am, Vineyard Pilates & Bodywork, Vineyard with Jeremy Berlin Haven. This group equipment class using Re6:30-9 pm, Sweet Life Cafè, Oak Bluffs. join former and/or Tower and/or Chair is designed for us for dinner, drinks a some live jazz piano. those with some experience on the Pilates AppaJeremy Berlin plays every Thursday at 6:30 ratus. 508-696-6452, pilates@vineyardpilates.com 598-696-0200, erin@sweetlifemv.com Acrylic Painting with John Holladay Live Blues Music with The Blues Trio 9 am-12 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Perfect your painting techniques at The Pawnee House 6:30-8:30pm during this intermediate/advanced class. 6:30-8:30 pm, The Pawnee House, Oak Bring an image for inspiration and learn to Bluffs. Live Blues Music on Thursday improve your composition. 508-693-1850, Nights at The Pawnee House 508-338featherstone@featherstoneart.org 2770, thepawneehouse@gmail.com

Meditation

‘CLAYFACE’ at the Edgartown Cinema

6:45 pm, Edgartown Cinema. Rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity. 508-627-8008, yourneighborhoodtheatre.com

WICKER — at the MV Film Center

7:30 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. WICKER is a 2026 romantic fantasy comedy-drama. On the outskirts of a village by the sea lives a Fisherwoman: smelly single and perpetually ridiculed. 774-392-2972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Oak Bluffs. Island sculptor, master potter, and published arts columnist Juliet Ehrlich’s diversely themed Clay Wall Reliefs can be seen by appointment by calling 502-936-3599. 502-936-3599, juliet.ehrlich@gmail.com

Small works Show

Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Start your holiday shopping early with new works by Gallery artists. Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com

Alida O’Loughlin Photography Show “WATER”

The Photography Gallery at the MV Television Center, Oak Bluffs. A Show of Photographs by Alida O’Loughlin on WATER in its many

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

Costume drop off for 2027 costume swap

10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your gently used costume today through November 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.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

Friday Crafting

10:30 am-4 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Craft projects for kids ages 3+. New craft each week! Drop in. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org

Drop-in Play-Doh Group

10:30 am-12:30 pm, Edgartown Library, Edgartown. Create and play using our collection of Play-Doh and sculpting toys 508-6274221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org

A Gallery Art Pop Up

11 am-6:30 pm, Log Cabin building, West Tisbury. Art and Art Gifts : Local Contemporary Artists in all mediums and price ranges for the holidays. Thurs - Sun through December 30th. 508-939-0518, Agallerymv@hotmail.com

Toddler Time

11-11:30 am, Chilmark Library, Chilmark. We’ll read classic and current children’s literature, and sing, move, and play together. Ideal for preschool ages. chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com 508-645-3360, chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com

Online Balance with Kanta Lipsky 11:30 am-12:30 pm, West Tisbury Library, West Tisbury. To sign up, email wt_mail@ clamsnet.org or call 508-693-3366. 508693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

Artist Reception: Sarah Moore

3-4:30 pm, West Tisbury Library, West Tisbury. Join Sarah Moore for a free, public art reception at the West Tisbury Library. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

Self Care Club (ages 8+)

3:15-4:15 pm, West Tisbury Library, West Tisbury. Self Care Club for Kids 8+. Crafts, skin care, reading, and more! 508-6933366, hburbidge@clamsnet.org

WICKER — at the MV Film Center

4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. WICKER is a 2026 romantic fantasy comedy-drama. On the outskirts of a village by the sea lives a Fisherwoman: smelly single and perpetually ridiculed. 774-392-2972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com

Celebrating the Harvest in Wampanoag and Jewish Cultures with Brad Lopes 5:30-7:30 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, Vineyard Haven. Brad Lopes of the Wampanoag Tribe & Rabbi Caryn Broitman in conversation about the meaning of “Harvest” over a sit-down dinner. Registration required. 508-693-0745, diane@mvhebrewcenter.org

HARVEST Art Reception & Potluck

6-8 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Vineyard Haven. HARVEST Art Reception & Potluck at Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse 508-696-6300, boxoffice@circuitarts.org

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Small works Show

Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Start your holiday shopping early with new works by Gallery artists. Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com Continued on B8

calendar & community

November 5, 2026

SAT 11/7

SUN 11/8

MON 11/9

Barn Raisers Day and Ball

he Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society and West Tisbury library will celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the community-built Agricultural Hall with two events on Saturday. From 1 to 2:30 pm, the free, all-ages Barn Raisers Day invites visitors to build miniature models of the hall using cardboard, Lego, PlayDoh, and other craft materials. The creations will be displayed at the evening’s Barn Raisers Ball, where attendees can vote for their favorites.

The ball runs from 7:30 to 10 pm, and features live music by Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, a dessert potluck, and BYOB dancing. Admission is open to all, with a suggested $10 donation at the door. Winners of the miniature barn contest will receive a free 2027 Agricultural Society membership.

DENA PORTER

eatherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs will offer a “Glaze 101” workshop with Sabrina Kuchta on Sundays, Nov. 8 and Dec. 6, from 1 to 4 pm. Designed for experienced potters, the $70 workshop covers glaze application techniques, glaze chemistry, and experimentation. Participants should

Alida O’Loughlin Photography Show “WATER”

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

The Photography Gallery at the MV Television Center, Oak Bluffs. A Show of Photographs by Alida O’Loughlin on WATER in its many manifestations from the city of Rotterdam to hidden places on Martha’s vineyard 508-560-2648, alidamv@comcast.net

10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your gently used costume today through November 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Metabolic Brain Retreat

8 am-5 pm, Vineyard Arts Project , Edgartown. Understanding the deep connection between how your metabolism works and how clearly, calmly, and vigorously your brain functions. All-inclusive 508-360-4491, jan@janbuhrman.com

Social Media Strategy for Small Businesses: Workshop

10 am-1 pm, Haven, Vineyard Haven. Create a three-month content plan, and learn practical tools 508-693-9222, info@acemv.org

Children’s Saturday Crafting: Gratitude (6+ ) with Helen Hall

10 am-12 pm, Featherstone Center for the 9-10 am, West Tisbury Library. Join Rachel Baird Arts, Oak Bluffs. Come have fun in the for free Hatha yoga classes at the West Tisbury Children’s Art Studio during these weekend Library. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org crafting workshops - this month, we’ll be exploring gratitude! All materials included. Vinyasa Power Yoga 508-693-1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org 9-10 am, Edgartown Library. Free and open Saturday Storytime to the public. Registration is required. 10:15-10:45 am, Oak Bluffs Library. Join us Sign up at edgartownlibrary.org. 508-627for a fun-filled storytime with stories, songs, 4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org scarves, and shakers. There will be interacFree Fairy Sculpture Trail tive board books and a story picture book as at Island Folk Pottery well. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org 9 am-6 pm, Island Folk Pottery, Chilmark. Community Dance Class The enchanting Island Folk Pottery Fairy 10:30-11:30 am, West Tisbury Library. Join Sculpture Trail meanders 1/4 mile through instructor Jesse Keller Jason for a fun, a magical wooded landscape populated adaptive adult dance class. Free and open to with whimsical sculptures. 508-955all. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org 9944, islandfolkpottery@gmail.com

Free Hatha Yoga Series

The MV Film Society • Now celebrating 28 years • 1999-2026

4:00 PM COLORS OF TIME LAST SHOWING 7:30 PM WICKER Fri WICKER 4:00 PM 11/6 ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM 7:30 PM 4:00 PM ANNE PACKARD: Sat AN ARTIST’S RESOLVE with in-person 11/7

Thurs 11/5

discussion with executive producer Judith Richland.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM 7:30 PM Sun ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM 4:00 PM 11/8 WICKER 7:30 PM MONDAY & TUESDAY NOV. 9 & 10 · FILM CENTER IS CLOSED

WICKER BEHIND THE LINES

4:00 PM 7:30 PM

In honor of Veterans Day

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM 4:00 PM WICKER 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

At Stillpoint // Pilates Flow with Camille Beauzile

10:30-11:45 am, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. This upbeat Pilates class blends preventative medicine, mind-over-matter focus, and joyful movement info@stillpointmv.org

Costume drop off for 2027 costume swap Toe Jam Puppet Band

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

Thurs 11/12

bring two to three bisque pieces to glaze and work on.

CE MV will host a free “Construction Careers Seminar” from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.

MV TIMES

The session will introduce Vineyard residents to careers in construction and the technical and building trades, with industry leaders discussing topics including building codes, energy specialists, and HERS. Participants can also learn about training pathways, and opportunities to receive up to $2,000 in scholarship support. Registration is required at acemv.org

EVENTS

Continued from B7

Wed 11/11´

‘Construction Careers Seminar’

‘Glaze 101’ workshop

scan code for complete schedule

mvfilmsociety.com

508.69 6.9369

10:30 am, Vineyard Haven Public Library, Vineyard Haven. Toe Jam Puppet Band perform across the region to rave reviews! 508-696-4211, vhpl_children@clamsnet.org

Managing our Forests for Climate Resilience, including Wildfire Mitigation 1:30-3 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Climate Discussion – Managing our Forests for Climate Resilience, including Wildfire Mitigation 508-693-9433, cphelan@clamsnet.org

Creative Movement for Birth

Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery

2-3:30 pm, West Tisbury Library. A free, supplimental birthing class for pregant people & Costume drop off for partners 508-693-3366, birthwithjesse@gmail.com 2027 costume swap All Ages Chess Club 10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. A Gallery Art Pop Up 2-3:30 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Join us Drop off your gently used costume 11 am-6:30 pm, Log Cabin building, West in a fun and welcoming environment. today through November 14th 508Tisbury. Art and Art Gifts : Local Contemporary oakb_mail@clamsnet.org, 508-693-9433. 693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org Artists in all mediums and price ranges for 508-693-9433, oakb_mail@clamsnet.org “Art and Spirit: Why We Create” the holidays. Thurs - Sun through December Children’s Ceramic 10 am, Unitarian Universalist Society 30th. 508-939-0518, Agallerymv@hotmail.com of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard HaExploration (ages 7+) HARVEST Art Exhibition ven. Please join us in person or online 2-4 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak 11 am-4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, on Sunday! uu.society.mv@gmail.com Bluffs. In this class, students will explore hand Vineyard Haven. Harvest: Circuit Arts’ first annual building. From decorative planters to dragons Meditation fall group exhibition brings Island artists to to mugs, children will learn and experiment! 10-11 am, Bodhi Path Buddhist Center, West Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse this November. 508-693-1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org Tisbury. Group meditation, both in person at 508-696-6300, artspace@circuitarts.org Bodhi Path in West Tisbury and online via Model Railroad Group Lighting the Trail – Book Talk Zoom. marthasvineyard@bodhipath.org 3-4 pm, West Tisbury Library. Share ideas, 11 am-12 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Lighting the Trail tips, projects, and more! This group is led Softening Into Stillness – Book Talk 508-693-9433, cphelan@clamsnet.org by long-time model railroad enthusiast 11 am-12 pm, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. Storytime Rick Fischer. Free and open to the public! Somatic meditation practice. Soften 11-11:30 am, Chilmark Library. We’ll read 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org awareness into the body to release tension, classic and current children’s literature, and Magic Show and Lesson with Daniel Jay cultivate resilience, and connect to presence. sing, move, and play together. Ideal for ages awakeningthewildheart@gmail.com 3 pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library. Watch 3-6. adubno@clamsnet.org, 508-645-3360. a close up magic show followed by a short A Gallery Art Pop Up 508-645-3360, chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com lesson! 508-696-4211, jrapuano@clamsnet.org 11 am-6:30 pm, Log Cabin building, Ballroom/Partner Dance Class West Tisbury. Art and Art Gifts : Local At Stillpoint // Sound Bath 11:30 am-12:30 pm, West Tisbury Library, West Contemporary Artists in all mediums with Anna Marden Tisbury. No experience necessary, no need and price ranges for the holidays. Thurs 4-5 pm, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. Experience a to bring a partner. All ages and abilities sonic journey featuring the ambient percussive - Sun through December 30th. 508are welcome. Free and open to the public. 939-0518, Agallerymv@hotmail.com sounds of multiple gongs, crystal singing 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org Featherstone’s Annual bowls and more info@stillpointmv.org

Featherstone’s Annual Holiday Gift Show

12-4 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Celebrate the holiday season while supporting Island artists and Featherstone! The perfect holiday shopping destination with gifts for everyone! 508-693-1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org

Exploring Printmaking with Allison Doherty

12-3 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Explore techniques such as linoleum block printing; dry-point etching; monotype; and mixed-media processes in these one day workshops. 508-693-1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org

Mah Jongg Group

12:30-2:30 pm, West Tisbury Library, West Tisbury. Weekly gameplay at the library. Email gwilbur@clamsnet.org to reserve your spot or for more information. 508-693-3366, gwilbur@clamsnet.org

4th Annual Barn Raisers Day

1-2:30 pm, Agricultural Hall, West Tisbury. Build models of the Agricultural Hall from craft materials and legos! 508-6939549, programs@mvagsoc.org

32nd Annual Barn Raisers Ball

Holiday Gift Show

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Small works Show

1-3 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Join us for Open Writing Hours every Sunday! Writers are welcome to gather and work in Featherstone’s Library. 508-6931850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org

7:30-10 pm, Agricultural Hall, West Tisbury. Dance the night away to celebrate our 1994 community barn building! 508693-9549, programs@mvagsoc.org Oak Bluffs. Island sculptor, master potter, and published arts columnist Juliet Ehrlich’s diversely themed Clay Wall Reliefs can be seen by appointment by calling 502-936-3599. 502-936-3599, juliet.ehrlich@gmail.com

Open Writing Hours

Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Start your holiday shopping early with new works by Gallery artists. Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com

Glaze 101 Workshop with Sabrina Kuchta

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8 Metabolic Brain Retreat

8 am-10:30 pm, Vineyard Arts Project, Edgartown. Understanding the deep connection between how your metabolism works and how clearly, calmly, and vigorously your brain functions. All-inclusive 508-360-4491, jan@janbuhrman.com

1-4 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. This workshop will cover details of glaze application, different techniques, and the science of glazing, plus it’s an opportunity to simply talk shop! 508-6931850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org

Second Sunday Jazz: The Scott Avidon Quartet

2-3 pm, West Tisbury Library. Join the Scott Avidon Quartet for a jazz concert. Free and open to the public. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

At Stillpoint // T’ai Chi Ch’uan with Ty Romijn

2-3 pm, Stillpoint, Vineyard Haven. Ty draws from his Five Element Acupuncture and Zero Balancing practice experience to teach chi kung and t’ai chi ch’uan info@stillpointmv.org

Between the Oaks Outdoor Church

4:30-5:30 pm, First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, West Tisbury. Intergenerational gathering to connect with the natural world through readings, prayer, and song. 508-693-2842, wtiscong@comcast.net

MARY MAGDALENE COMMUNITY

5-6 pm, UUSMV, Vineyard Haven. Mass conducted by Roman Catholic Woman Priest Rev. Mary Leahy at UUSMV, VH on Sunday at 5pm. Prayer service at 4:30 for elections safety. ALL WELCOME! 781-929-2833, newseeds28@gmail.com

WICKER — at the MV Film Center

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Small works Show

Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Start your holiday shopping early with new works by Gallery artists. Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Pilates Mixed Apparatus Class

9-9:55 am, Vineyard Pilates & Bodywork, Vineyard Haven. This group equipment class using Reformer and/or Tower and/ or Chair is designed for those with some experience on the Pilates Apparatus. 508-696-6452, pilates@vineyardpilates.com

Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery

Costume drop off for 2027 costume swap

10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your gently used costume today through November 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Moving Stories Dance Class

11-11:45 am, West Tisbury Library. Free, Creative Dance Class for ages 2-6 WT Library 11-11:45 on Mondays 508-6933366, hburbidge@clamsnet.org

calendar & community B9

November 5, 2026

TUES 11/10 WED 11/11

THU 10/12

Homegrown Club meeting

he Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society’s Homegrown Club will hold its monthly meeting from 5 to 6 pm at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School in West Tisbury. The

free gathering welcomes backyard growers of all experience levels to discuss seasonal gardening best practices, share resources, and troubleshoot questions about everything from seed varieties to pests.

Free English classes

he Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will offer free basic conversational English classes on Wednes-

days, Nov. 11, 18, and 25, from 7 to 8 pm, at its Vineyard Haven location on Merchants Court. To register, text 774-563-0460.

Dino dioramas

he Vineyard Haven library will celebrate Dinovember with a free Kids Crafts and Crunch session on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 3:30 pm. Young dinosaur fans can create their own dinosaur dioramas while enjoying snacks provided by Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.

EVENTS Online Balance with Kanta Lipsky 11:30 am-12:30 pm, West Tisbury Library. To sign up, email wt_mail@ clamsnet.org or call 508-693-3366. 508693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

Featherstone’s Annual Holiday Gift Show

Switch Games for kids and teens

3-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Switch club Mondays from 3-5pm in the Community Room 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Letters of Gratitude: Kids Letter Writing Workshop

3-4 pm, Edgartown Library. Join Rachel for a letter-writing workshop complete with fun stationary and beautiful pens 508-6274221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org

Sound Bath

5-6 pm, The Red House PRSC, Vineyard Haven. Meditative sound experience using bowls, gongs, and chimes for relaxation. 508-693-2900, jtau@mvcommunityservices.org

Construction Careers Seminar

5:30-7:30 pm, MVRHS, Oak Bluffs. Hear from leaders in the construction industry. hollis@acemv.org

Writers Read

7-8 pm, West Tisbury Library. Join us for an evening of sharing original prose work. Free & open to the public. Email Niki to sign up: gaia1muse@ gmail.com. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Oak Bluffs, . Island sculptor, master potter, and published arts columnist Juliet Ehrlich’s diversely themed Clay Wall Reliefs can be seen by appointment by calling 502-936-3599. 502-936-3599, juliet.ehrlich@gmail.com

Small works Show

Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Start your holiday shopping early with new works by Gallery artists. Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com

Alida O’Loughlin Photography Show “WATER”

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 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

At Stillpoint // Pilates Flow with Camille Beauzile

9-10:15 am, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. This upbeat Pilates class blends preventative medicine, mind-over-matter focus, and joyful movement info@stillpointmv.org

Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery

Costume drop off for 2027 costume swap

Drop in for our Teen and Tween Art & Craft Class

3:30-4:30 pm, West Tisbury. Teen and Tween Art & Craft Class at the library-meets every Tuesday, from 3:30-4:30pm. ages 10-18, supplies provided. 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Community Sound Bath

4:30-5:30 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Community Sound Bath 508-693-9433, cphelan@clamsnet.org

ASL Practice Group

4:45-5:45 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Learn, connect and have fun through sign language! 508-693-9433, cphelan@clamsnet.org

Knitting Group

Play Kitchen and Store

5-6 pm, West Tisbury Library. Creativity and conversation. Use supplies provided or bring your own. Adults and teens. No sign-up. wt_mail@clamsnet.org, 508-693-3366. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

Assisted Knitting Open Studio

5-6 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, West Tisbury. The Ag Society’s monthly meetup for backyard growers! 508-693-9549, programs@mvagsoc.org

10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your gently used costume today through November 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org 10 am-12 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. Come enjoy watching your kids be creative and solve problems as they play ‘kitchen and store!’ For ages 2-6. Drop in. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org

Homegrown Club Meeting

10 am-12 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Join us for open knitting studio with assistance from Helen Hall and Zoe Thompson. Enjoy company and conversation as we work on our own projects! 508-6931850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org

Table Tennis

Seasonal Storytime with Rachel

10:30-11 am, Edgartown Library, Edgartown. Come celebrate fall with stories and hands-on fun inspired by the season. 508-627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org

Work From Home, From The Library 11 am-12 pm, West Tisbury Library. Support for working from home with kids, Email hburbidge@clamsnet.org for your spot. 508-693-3366, hburbidge@clamsnet.org

HARVEST Art Exhibition

11 am-4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Vineyard Haven. Harvest: Circuit Arts’ first annual fall group exhibition brings Island artists to Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse this November. 508-696-6300, artspace@circuitarts.org

5 pm, Tisbury Senior Center, Vineyard Haven. Table tennis for all ages and skill levels. 508-728-5898, raeobmv@gmail.com

Barre Fusion with Kris Martin

5:30-6:30 pm, 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

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

Chilmark Church Pizza Nights 6 pm, Chilmark Church, Chilmark. Tuesday Free Pizza Nights 508-6453100, pclarkgoff@comcast.net

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Oak Bluffs, Oak Bluffs. Island sculptor, master Featherstone’s Annual Holiday Gift Show potter, and published arts columnist Juliet 12-4 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Ehrlich’s diversely themed Clay Wall Reliefs can Oak Bluffs. Celebrate the holiday season while be seen by appointment by calling 502-936supporting Island artists and Featherstone! 3599. 502-936-3599, juliet.ehrlich@gmail.com The perfect holiday shopping destination Small works Show with gifts for everyone! 508-693-1850, Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Hafeatherstone@featherstoneart.org ven. Start your holiday shopping early Lego Club with new works by Gallery artists. 2:45-4 pm, Chilmark Library. Kids Lego Club Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-645-3360, chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com

After School Club

Alida O’Loughlin Photography Show “WATER”

3-5 pm, Aquinnah Library. Fun activities, board games, and crafts! Kids of all ages are welcome. The Photography Gallery at the MV Television Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied Center, Oak Bluffs. A Show of Photographs by an adult. 508-645-2314, cbrust@clamsnet.org by Alida O’Loughlin on WATER in its many Family Movie Day: “Coco” manifestations from the city of Rotterdam 3-5 pm, Edgartown Library. Join us for a to hidden places on Martha’s vineyard 508screening of Coco. Popcorn provided! 508560-2648, alidamv@comcast.net 627-4221, programs@edgartownlibrary.org

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Mindfulness & Meditation Open Practice Group

7:30-8:30 am, Aquinnah Town Hall. Mindfulness & meditation practice group, open to anyone interested in being more intentional and practicing with others. 413-575-0110, ruthfolchman@me.com

Lego and Magna-tile Club

2-4:30 pm, Oak Bluffs Library. For kids of all ages. Creativity, problem solving, spatial reasoning and teamwork are skills your child can practice at Lego Club. 508-693-9433, mlynch@clamsnet.org

Magical Magnets

2:30-5 pm, Chilmark Library, Chilmark.

Old-Time Appalachian Jam at the Library Magnet exploration for kids 508-645-3360, 8:15-10 am, Oak Bluffs Library. Old-Time Appalachian Jam at the Library 508693-9433, cphelan@clamsnet.org

At Stillpoint // Pilates Flow with Camille Beauzile

9-10:15 am, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. This upbeat Pilates class blends preventative medicine, mind-over-matter focus, and joyful movement info@stillpointmv.org

Play Reading at Tisbury Senior Center 9 am-12 pm, Tisbury Council on Aging, Vineyard Haven. Play Reading for Artistic, Literary and Dramatic Pleasure 201-207-7568, monahennessy1@gmail.com

Pilates Mixed Apparatus Class

Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery

chilmarklibrarykids@gmail.com

Virtual Reality Games for Ages 10-18

3-5 pm, West Tisbury Library, West Tisbury. The Oculus VR is set up for 10-15 minutes of use per person. wt_mail@clamsnet.org, 508-693-3366. 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Rug Hooking Open Studio with Island Hookers

3-6 pm, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs. Come further your skills with the support of the Island Rug Hookers! They will be available for guidance ,or just come for company while working! 508-693-1850, featherstone@featherstoneart.org

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

WICKER — at the MV Film Center

4 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, Vineyard Haven. WICKER is a 2026 romantic fantasy comedydrama. On the outskirts of a village by the sea lives a Fisherwoman: smelly single and perpetually ridiculed. 774-392-2972, rich@mvfilmsociety.com

CSL Test Prep Course

At Stillpoint // Balance with Kanta Lipsky

5-8:30 pm, MVRHS, Oak Bluffs. This in person class will prepare you to pass the Construction Supervisor’s License Test. 978-939-3435, NAILIT@contractorsuccess.com

Costume drop off for 2027 costume swap

5:30-7 pm, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. Enter a space for slowing down, tuning in, and connecting deeply with yourself and other women. info@stillpointmv.org

Children’s Storytime

5:30-7:30 pm, MVRHS, Oak Bluffs. Hear from local leaders in the construction industry. hollis@acemv.org

HARVEST Art Exhibition

6-7:30 pm, West Tisbury Library. All are welcome. For details, email Wendy at wgnierenberg@ yahoo.com or call the library at 508-693-3366. 508-693-3366, wt_mail@clamsnet.org

9:30-10:30 am, Stillpoint, West Tisbury. This is a one-hour class based on the gentle, flowing movements of Qigong (Chi Kung) info@stillpointmv.org

At Stillpoint // Women’s Circle with Emily Galligan

10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your gently used costume today through November 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Construction - Green Building Seminar

10:30-11 am, West Tisbury Library. Storytime with Hannah! Fun stories and silly songs for kids of all ages. Rec ages 0 to 5 but all are welcome. 508-693-3366, hburbidge@clamsnet.org

Quilting Circle

Dinner & A Movie at The Pawnee House

Mah Jong

1-3 pm, Up Island Council on Aging, West Tisbury. Come join us for Mah Jong every Wednesday from 1-3:00 @ The Up Island Council on Aging . 1042 State Rd West Tisbury 508-693-2896, coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov

6:30 pm, The Pawnee House, Oak Bluffs. Dinner & A Movie at The Pawnee House 508-338-2770, thepawneehouse@gmail.com

Master potter Juliet Ehrich’s work by appointment

Small works Show

Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven. Start your holiday shopping early with new works by Gallery artists. Works added as they arrive the gallery. 508-693-7373, louisa.gould@gmail.com

Alida O’Loughlin Photography Show “WATER”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Kaiut Yoga

Balletics

9-10 am, Up Island Council on Aging, West Tisbury. Total body conditioning, learning body’s strengths & weaknesses, how to prevent injury. coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov, 508-693-2896. 508-693-2896, coa-staff@westtisbury-ma.gov

Free Fairy Sculpture Trail at Island Folk Pottery

Little Naturalists

9:30-11:30 am, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown. Let curiosity lead the way in this playful program for young children. Explore nature through free play, sensory activities and time outdoors. 508-627-4850, felixneck@massaudubon.org

Costume drop off for 2027 costume swap

10 am-5 pm, West Tisbury Library. Drop off your gently used costume today through November 14th 508-693-3366, lhearn@clamsnet.org

Free English Classes

7-8 pm, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints, Vineyard Haven. Free English Classes offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Basic conversational classes offered. To register text 774-563-0460. 774563-0460, brentbrown81@gmail.com

For events for the full week scan code or visit mvtimes.com/things-to-do.

B10

calendar & community

November 5, 2026

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

Year End Tax Planning There Is Still Time to Make a Difference. GRANT JOINER Founder | Financial Advisor Vineyard Wealth Group

atching my kids trickor-treat on William Street this past weekend brought back memories of doing the same thing in Vineyard Haven when I was growing up. Now my office is just around the corner, and I’m involved with the Vineyard Haven Business Association. Being there as a parent and a local business owner feels a little surreal. It’s one of the things I appreciate most about being back home. By November, the Island has a different rhythm. For many of us, there’s finally a little room to catch our breath after a busy season. It’s also a good opportunity to look at where the year is headed financially, while there’s still time to make adjustments. Taxes may not be the first thing anyone wants to think about after Halloween, but a conversation now can be more useful than a surprise in April. I’ve spent close to 20 years in the investment industry, and one thing I’ve seen repeatedly is how much it matters to coordinate investment decisions with tax planning. Many people have someone preparing their return each spring. But unless there’s also a planning conversation during the year, that person is largely reporting what has already happened. Preparing an accurate return is important, but by March or April, the cake is mostly baked, with a few exceptions. Right now, we still have time to adjust the recipe. That’s why a lot of my time this part of the year goes toward looking ahead. Should we increase retirement contributions, sell an investment, or consider a Roth conversion? Would a charitable gift be more effective coming from an IRA? Could one of those decisions affect a deduction somewhere else? Each choice can make sense on its own, but the best answer usually comes from looking at them together. The starting point is a reasonable estimate of this year’s income. Gather your latest pay stub, expected

business income, retirement withdrawals, and any investment gains you’ve already realized. The estimate doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to give you a useful picture of where you stand. If you’d like help getting started, there’s a tax calculator on our website at vineyardwealthgroup. com. For seasonal business owners, this is also a good time to check estimated tax payments. A strong summer can leave you with a bigger bill than expected. Several recent tax changes make that review especially worthwhile. People age 65 and older may qualify for an additional federal deduction of up to $6,000 each, or $12,000 for a married couple filing jointly if both qualify. It’s available whether you itemize or take the standard deduction, and it’s currently in place through 2028. The deduction gets smaller as income rises above $75,000 for individual filers or $150,000 for joint filers. That income limit matters when deciding how much to withdraw from retirement accounts or whether to complete a Roth conversion. A conversion generally means paying tax now to move retirement money into a Roth account, where future qualified withdrawals are taxfree. It may be a good longterm decision, but the added income can also reduce the senior deduction. That doesn’t automatically make the conversion a bad idea. It means the full cost deserves a look before you act. For the Vineyard’s many servers, bartenders, and other tipped workers, the new federal deduction for tips deserves attention, too. Eligible workers may deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips each year through 2028, subject to income limits and other requirements. Married taxpayers must file jointly to claim it. But “no tax on tips” doesn’t mean every tax disappears. Social Security and Medicare taxes still apply, and Massachusetts hasn’t adopted the federal deduction. The distinction between a tip and a service charge matters as well. A voluntary amount left by a customer

may qualify, while an automatic charge added to the bill generally doesn’t. Before year-end, check that your tips are being reported correctly and that your records are organized. There are also new federal deductions for certain overtime pay and interest on qualifying loans for new vehicles assembled in the United States. Both come with restrictions. The overtime deduction, for example, generally covers the extra “half” of federally required time-and-a-half pay, rather than the whole overtime check. Massachusetts hasn’t adopted either deduction or the new senior deduction. Retirement contributions remain another practical

ally allow more time, usually until the tax filing deadline the following April. Whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible depends on your income and workplace retirement coverage. The question is which type of contribution makes sense given your taxes today and what you expect in retirement. A deduction now can be valuable, but it shouldn’t be the only reason for choosing an account. Charitable giving is another area where a little planning can help. Starting in 2026, eligible taxpayers who don’t itemize can deduct up to $1,000 in qualifying cash donations, or $2,000 for married couples filing joint-

from the IRA to an eligible charity. Taking the withdrawal yourself and then writing a personal check generally doesn’t produce the same result, so it helps to arrange the gift before moving the money. If you have investments outside retirement accounts, review any gains and losses before year-end. Selling an investment at a loss may help offset taxable gains. However, buying the same or a substantially identical investment within 30 days before or after the sale can prevent you from deducting the loss under the wash-sale rules. In a lower-income year, the opportunity may go in the other direction:

I’ve spent close to 20 years in the investment industry, and one thing I’ve seen repeatedly is how much it matters to coordinate investment decisions with tax planning. place to look. Increasing contributions to a traditional 401(k), 403(b), or similar workplace plan can reduce current taxable income while adding to retirement savings. If you want to make a change, check with your employer soon, since employee contributions generally need to come through payroll before year-end. Roth contributions don’t reduce current taxable income, and starting in 2026, certain higher-paid employees must make their agebased catch-up contributions as Roth contributions. IRA contributions gener-

ly. Gifts to donor-advised funds don’t qualify for this particular deduction. With so many Island organizations doing important work, it’s worth keeping records of your gifts rather than assuming they won’t affect your return. For people age 70½ and older, giving directly from an IRA may be worth considering. This is called a qualified charitable distribution. When handled correctly, the money stays out of federal taxable income and can count toward a required minimum distribution. The transfer needs to go directly

realizing some gains at a lower federal tax rate or converting part of a traditional IRA to a Roth. These decisions belong in the same conversation, especially when looking beyond this year’s return. Traditional IRAs and most workplace retirement accounts eventually require you to take money out each year, even if you don’t need it for spending. Those required minimum distributions generally add to your taxable income. Combined with Social Security, pensions, and other income, they can push some of your

income into a higher tax bracket later in retirement. That’s one reason a lower-income year can be an opportunity. Taking a planned withdrawal or converting part of a traditional IRA to a Roth may mean paying more tax today, but it can also reduce future required withdrawals. Whether that trade makes sense depends on your circumstances. The goal is to manage taxes over your lifetime, rather than simply produce the smallest possible bill this April. That longer view should also include what happens when assets pass to your family. Massachusetts has a $2 million estate tax threshold, and with Vineyard property values, a home combined with retirement savings and other assets can put a household within reach of it. Crossing that threshold doesn’t automatically mean tax is owed, but it does make planning worth a closer look. Coordinating investment decisions, retirement withdrawals, charitable giving, and your estate plan can help you consider both the taxes you may pay during your life and those your estate or family may face afterward. Some planning opportunities remain after Dec. 31, but many others, including Roth conversions, investment sales, and most charitable gifts for the year, generally need to happen before then. You don’t need to become a tax expert to take advantage of that time. You need a reasonable picture of your finances and a conversation about what, if anything, should happen before the calendar turns. At Vineyard Wealth Group, tax planning is built into our work with full-service financial planning clients. If you’d like to explore whether that approach is a fit, you can schedule a complimentary consultation at vineyardwealthgroup.com or call (508) 696-2000. Grant Joiner, CFP®, EA, is the founder of Vineyard Wealth Group. He grew up on Martha’s Vineyard, graduated from MVRHS in 2003, and lives in West Tisbury. This article is for educational purposes only and is not individualized tax, investment, or legal advice. Tax laws and eligibility requirements vary by circumstance and are subject to change. See vineyardwealthgroup.com/

community & calendar B11

November 5, 2026

Irene Wong’s love letter to the Island Season finale for North Tabor Farms visiting chef. BY ELLA MUNNELLY

Wong and guests at the cookie swap at North Tabor Farms.

ach year, North Tabor Farm welcomes a visiting chef to run its farm-to-table kitchen and create dishes for the farmstand. This season, Irene Wong took on the role, trading a 26year career in New York City food television production for the unpredictable rhythms of a family-owned and locally loved farm in Chilmark. The transition came after industry shifts during the pandemic prompted Wong to explore new opportunities. Though the move to seasonal culinary work was a significant departure from her previous career, she said the experience reinforced the importance of keeping an open mind and embracing the unknown. Wong first visited Martha’s Vineyard three years before accepting the position, spending a week on the Island with a friend during the summer. During that trip, she stopped at North Tabor Farm and met Rebecca and Matthew Dix, the farm’s owners, as well as Gina Citarella, who was cooking in the kitchen. At the time, Wong never imagined she would one day return to run the farm’s kitchen. But this year, after a

COURTESY IRENE WONG

phone interview and a visit to the farm during a February snowstorm, Wong accepted a position as lead cook, and moved to Chilmark in May. Moving from home cooking into a professional kitchen quickly revealed the demands of 12- to 14-hour workdays in the kitchen. Over the course of the season, Wong prepared takeaway meals for the farmstand and the twice-weekly farmers market. Unlike the television sets she was accustomed to, where responsibilities were divided among specialized teams, the farm kitchen required her to oversee nearly everything herself — “all the prepping, ordering ingredients that we might need, figuring out what inventory is coming from the farm, cooking all the food, packaging, labeling, and doing dishes. I’m constantly doing dishes all day long.” The repetitive work required its own kind of endurance. Wong described hand-shaping 100 biscuits and caramelizing 10 pounds of onions as exercises in “mental athleticism.” And when a dish became popular, she had to make it all over again. “It’s several hours of work, and when you’re done, you’re like, ‘Oh, last label, out into the farmstand, we’re good’ —

but then, the following week comes, you got to do it again, and you got to do it again,” said Wong. At the height of summer, she was producing 400 containers of food a week. “It was the first time I thought, ‘Oh, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.’ “I think this was a good exercise in understanding how relentless the day can be,” said Wong. “Anyone who works in the food service industry or the hospitality industry — it is tireless, it is relentless, and it is grueling. Yeah, and it makes you recognize that people who are in it do it because they love it.” Beyond the demands of the kitchen, Wong was learning how to cook for a community with its own traditions and tastes. She recognized the importance of respecting the distinction between visitors and Islanders, while finding room for her own culinary style: “I have to remember that I am a visitor, but I have to quickly learn what’s important for folks who live here, what they really strive to maintain, and how do I blend in and also do that? But how do I also interject my own personality, my experiences, my joy for cooking, my enthusiasm, my relentless work ethic.”

The curiosity went both ways. Customers wanted to meet the new chef and see what she would do with ingredients they had known and enjoyed for years. Wong used Instagram to share her dishes and connect with customers, and now estimates that roughly 80 percent of her farmers market customers told her they had discovered her through social media. Wong also found support among the Island’s chefs, who were quick to offer advice and assistance. “That’s what I love about the chef community, is that everyone is trying to help each other and support each other,” said Wong. Throughout the summer, the farm hosted events, including a fundraiser dinner for Island Grown Initiative and weekly pizza nights featuring its wood-burning oven. After helping with those gatherings, Wong asked the Dix family whether she could organize two events of her own. She conceptualized her departure as a “two-part season finale,” beginning with a pizza party featuring a menu of her own design. For her final gathering, she wanted to create something that would bring people together in a different way. The cookie swap was inspired by an annual holiday party Wong hosts in New York City, where guests gather to share homemade cookies. For the Vineyard gathering, all of the proceeds benefited the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society. “The relationship that the

Irene displays her coconut pecan salted caramel sandwich cookie.

ELLA MUNNELLY

“The relationship that the [Ag] Society has with all the farmers here on the Island is remarkable.” –IRENE WONG That balance was made easier by the people she met along the way. Regular customers who had long-standing relationships with the Dix family introduced themselves, asked about her work, and offered their help. Wong described them as an “automatic welcome committee.” “It’s a tight-knit community,” said Wong. “I couldn't believe the amount of people who were not just saying hello, but were being proactive about engaging at a future date.”

[Ag] Society has with all the farmers here on the Island is remarkable,” said Wong. “This would be my way to contribute to the society, because the best thing that I can do is offer my talents, which is to cook, invite the community, and gather everyone, and then we’re supporting an organization that is very meaningful to the Island, but we’re doing [it] in a very fun and festive way.” All together, 40 guests arrived, each with 36 cookies of their own, filling the table with more than 1,100 cook-

ies, including Coconut Pecan Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies, Ube Matcha Coconut Sugar Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Black Sesame Rice Krispie Treats, and many more festive goodies. The event raised $1,625 for the Agricultural Society. Alongside the cookies, Wong served Caesar Salad, Lasagna Bolognese, and Butternut Squash Summer Pesto Lasagna, sourcing fresh pasta sheets from Martha’s Vineyard Pasta. The sheets were made using eggs from the farm, bringing together local ingredients and the skills of Island producers. “If I can’t do it, someone on the Island who’s very skilled can,” said Wong. Throughout the season, Wong saw the power that food has to bring people together. “Food is always a way to just meet somebody, maybe develop a relationship, and then hopefully you have more meals together.” That spirit of collaboration also shaped Wong’s approach to her farmstand and farmers market creations. Drawing on her Chinese background, she experimented with flavors and ingredients she hoped would introduce customers to something new: “Hopefully I’m introducing them to new ingredients, new flavors, new cooking techniques, so it continues to tickle their palate with intrigue.” She also adapted recipes to accommodate dietary restrictions, including those associated with alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can cause allergic reactions to certain products from mammals. One standout was a pistachio almond olive oil cake that was both alpha-gal-friendly and gluten-free. Made with almond flour, eggs, and olive oil, the cake featured icing colored with dragon-fruit powder, giving it a vibrant magenta finish. Another creation was a dairy-free ricotta made with almond milk, whipped with water and olive oil into a silky spread and served with slowroasted tomatoes. As the season ended, Wong found herself reflecting on how much had changed since the pandemic first pushed her to reconsider her career. Her time at the farm reminded her that a carefully laid plan does not always survive unexpected turns — and that new opportunities can emerge when people remain open to them. “When you focus so much on looking for a job, it’s easy to be isolated from the rest of the world, because that’s a priority. And being here, what I really am grateful for is that every day, I woke up to people on the farm. I can hear the sound of the tractors. I can hear the chickens. I can hear the dogs barking, and already life is happening.” As for her next chapter, Wong was candid about the uncertainty: “I really have no idea. And you know, that unknown used to really frighten me. I’m not as scared — but it’s still there.”

B12

community & calendar

November 5, 2026

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community & calendar B13

November 5, 2026

The High SchoolView The High School View is staffed and prepared entirely by students from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, and published on their behalf by The Martha’s Vineyard Times.

Unified basketball is back on the court

Brazil’s election sends waves of division to M.V.

BY NAYELLI VIEIRA AND DIVYA RANDOLPH

BY MARIA BARROS, ISABELLY SANTANA, AND AYSLLY OTONI

he Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) Unified basketball team played their first home game last Thursday. While the team lost 52-51 to Monomoy High School, the crowd’s energy and support were a highlight for players, coaches, and spectators alike. The stands were full and alive when Shamere Coke made the team’s first three-pointer of the season. “It was probably the loudest our stands have ever been,” said Head Coach Kevin McGrath. The Unified team is an Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) varsity team that runs in partnership with Special Olympics Massachusetts. The team brings together teens with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities to compete in a league against other participating schools. On the court, three students from either the Navigator or Voyager programs play on the MVRHS team, along with two partner players. The league aims to celebrate fun and inclusion rather than traditional wins. Sophomore partner player Payton Silvia appreciated how many students showed up in support. “The student section had a lot of energy, and just in general it was a good game,” she said. Ariel Meyer is a sophomore in the Navigator

NAYELLI VIEIRA

From left, senior Gabriel Bengtsson, Voyager Rebecca de Oliveira, and Navigator Shamere Coke celebrating during the home game last Thursday.

program, and noted how her confidence and abilities have grown on and off the court. “[Mr. McGrath] taught us defense, offense, dribbling the ball, shooting the ball, getting more points, maybe one day dunking,” she said. Mr. McGrath has been involved with the team since it started in 2018. “I do some planning, but we just start playing,” he said. “I'm always excited to work with each season’s group of kids.” Junior Navigator Olivia Coyle said, “We love to travel with our team. We get to go off-Island a lot.” “We get to play with some

correction Last week, our staff made the decision to try to reformat two histograms from our sleep survey to more clearly convey information. To do so, we asked A.I. to organize the bedtimes in chronological order. We failed to catch the fact that A.I. did not then also reformat the corresponding bar lines. We apologize for the confusing and inaccurate information that was published. The MV Times website has been updated to show the original histograms submitted by reporter Roman Haddad. To read the updated story, scan this QR code.

non–special needs kids,” said sophomore Navigator Ethan Burr. “I like getting to know people outside of my grade, and getting to know people as my teammates.” The team will participate in the Postseason Jamboree, the culminating event of the MIAA Unified basketball season, from Nov. 4 to 22. According to the MIAA website, “the Jamboree is structured as a postseason celebration and round-robin festival focused on inclusion, community, and sportsmanship.” The next home game is scheduled for Nov. 12 after school. HSV

housands of miles from Brazil, the country’s presidential election sparked debates among students at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS). Oct. 25 marked Brazil’s second round of elections. That night, the senior class group chat became a space for some students to celebrate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's (Lula's) victory, while others voiced strong support for Flávio Bolsonaro. Left-wing incumbent Lula’s victory over right-wing Flávio, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, secured him a fourth nonconsecutive presidential term, with 51.79 percent of votes in the second round of elections, compared with Bolsonaro's 48.21 percent, according to BBC News. The close race reflects Brazil’s deeply divided politics, which now reach well beyond the country’s borders, all the way to MVRHS. Despite following Brazil’s election closely, senior Duda Rodrigues didn’t expect Lula to win, after Flávio came out ahead in the first round of voting. “I was extremely surprised by the outcome,” said Duda. “Ever since elections started, the top candidate in the first rounds would always win the runoff, and this year, that was Flávio Bolsonaro. So Lula winning the runoff was an extreme shock. History was made!” Those who opposed Lula’s victory expressed concerns about the country’s future un-

der his administration. Sophomore Ana Clara Sodre said, “At first Bolsonaro was winning, and all of a sudden Lula got in the lead, so I was shocked because all the social media [posts] I had been seeing were all of people supporting Flávio.” Some students saw the Brazilian elections as an opportunity to learn something new about their peers. Senior Emily Dasilva, who was born on the Vineyard and carries Brazilian heritage, said she enjoys hearing her classmates’ views: “I do feel comfortable sharing my own political views in school, because it's good to hear others’ opinions and reasons.” Junior Nora Duncheva took the opportunity to learn more about Brazilian politics. “My initial reaction was that the system was very corrupt and that it was extremely complicated,” she said, adding that she feels like many people in America are sheltered from the reality of what’s going on in the world. On the other hand, Duda recognizes that foreign elections can carry impacts abroad. “I think elections in other countries can affect Americans because countries are connected through trade, politics. and international relationships,” she said. “Elections can also influence how countries cooperate on global issues like climate change and peace.” Two days after his defeat, Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil, defying a Supreme Court

order to surrender his passports, and flew to Miami by private jet. He’s being investigated for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. His actions aroused many questions and concerns among the worldwide Brazilian community. “Personally, I think [fleeing the country] is something a baby would do. The fact that Flávio went to Florida, telling everyone that he was the president of Brazil, is absurd,” Emily said, referring to an open letter Flávio Bolsonaro posted on X, where he called himself “the true president-elect of Brazil.” Less than an hour after the post, he edited the language, calling himself Brazil’s “leader." Ana Clara offered another perspective on the matter. “If he’s doing it to protect himself because it might be dangerous right now for him to be in Brazil, I think it’s a good thing that he came here, to be protected, because Trump is supporting him,” she said. Both Brazil's electoral court and Flávio Bolsonaro's own party have recognized Lula’s win. Duda said the Brazilian election of 2026 reflected the inner meaning of being Brazilian: “I think the results just show how committed and strong we are. Like I said, it's [seemingly been] impossible for the candidate who didn’t win the first round of elections to win the second, but the people made it happen. This shows persistence and a love for what we believe.” HSV

A T E E N A G E R ’ S G U I DE T O A F E S T I V E FA L L corn maze. Fall into the breathtaking views of the changing leaves and the crisp weather.

he air is getting colder, and the spooky season has officially come and gone. With just a sprinkle of creativity, and a pinch of leftover Halloween spirit, you'll be brewing up the perfect recipe for a festive fall. So grab your cauldron, gather your ingredients, and let's get cooking!

Step 3: Keep Up That Halloween Spirit

Step 1: Set the Scene

Step 4: Create the Perfect Costume

Make some candied apples and put them on the counter for all to enjoy.

Step 2: Add a Dash of Adventure

Get lost in the beauty of a pumpkin patch, or

It’s not too late to gather friends for a Halloween movie marathon — we recommend Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown! Teenagers who celebrate Halloween still love dressing up. Flex your imagination to create the perfect Halloween costume for next year. Something spooky, funny, or original, make sure to add your own personal magic.

Step 5: Finish With a Sprinkle of Fun

The secret ingredient to a truly magical autumn isn’t in a spell book, music helps!

OUR RECOMMENDED PLAYLIST:

1. Monster Mash - Bobby “Boris” Pickett. 2. Thriller - Michael Jackson. 3. Goo Goo Muck - The Cramps. 4. Dracula - Tame Impala. 5. Maneater - Nelly Furtado. 6. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr. 7. Disturbia - Rihanna. 8. Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell. 9. Vampire Olivia Rodrigo. 10. We Fell in Love in October - Girl in Red.

Editor-in-Chief: Maria Barros • Assistant Editors-in-Chief: Divya Randolph and Alice Smith • Photography Editor: Tessa Schulz • Faculty Advisers: Kate Hennigan and Daniel Soares

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B14

community & calendar

November 5, 2026

Simon enjoys creating new work in her well-lit gallery space.

CROCHET A S

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

in 1988, featuring stunning photographs of the Island. Since his death, Ronni has continued the tradition, as Peter wished. “When he passed, I thought I should keep his legacy going, and his customers still thank me,” she says. His work is now collected and for sale through the UMass Amherst Library’s Archives Research Center. While Peter took many months each year to prepare the calendar, Ronni and co-designer Charlie Utz have it down to a science, letting Ronni pursue her many artistic passions. Crocheting was her first love, starting when she was about 12. As she looks at the display of her many alluring afghans, which beg to be touched, Ronni says she has long been drawn to yarn and texture: “When we had the art gallery, I taught knitting and crocheting as meditation.” Ronni has been playing with sharing her approach. “I want to do a YouTube video of me sitting and crocheting and talking about [the meditation aspect]. And it would be a vehicle to sell the afghans because as soon as I sell one, I make another, since I love it.” She continues, “I use crocheting to express myself.” Ronni works intuitively, changing the hues and textures as she goes along. The pattern is simple — horizontal lines of varying widths and hues. Focused on her materials, she says, “The yarn becomes the pattern, and that’s part of why you don’t have to think, which is soothing.” Ronni became a serious potter for many years, first learning the craft in a Continued on B15 Simon's wedding jewelry collection.

PHOTOS: DENA PORTER

The sunlight streaming through the windows of Ronni Simon’s home gallery, nestled in the Chilmark woods, makes her creative ventures glisten. Intermingled with the living room and sunroom furniture, the space feels as welcoming as Ronni herself, with her warm smile and welcoming air. Ronni’s home is like a living museum, with her work on display, spectacularly colored afghans crocheted with unusually textured yarn, jewelry draped in semiprecious, seatoned stones, and impressive, unique bead-

Ronni Simon, artist of many media. BY ABBY REMER and-wire wall sculptures. ”What excites me most about my art is the wonder of transforming simple materials into something whimsical, elegant, original, and yet timeless. The play of color, textures, and form manifests in varied ways, sometimes delighting and surprising me in the outcome.” After her husband, well-known Island

photographer Peter Simon, passed away in November 2018, Ronni has continued to honor his legacy while building her own body of work on the Island and elsewhere. While Peter was alive, he and Ronni owned the Simon Gallery on Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Peter chronicled Island life in colorful landscapes and small moments, and he also documented the 1960s counterculture and rock music. With Ronni’s input, Peter published an immensely popular annual Vineyard calendar starting

A weird world of wonder ‘The Museum of Unnatural History’ at the Workshop Gallery and organizer Liz Ragone. Peering around, you’ll see all kinds of works that relate to specimens, but with a twist. Amid the moths and beetles, flora and fungi, are peculiar specimens, strange discoveries, and things that may not exist at all. The enormous skeletal spine mounted on the wall turns out to be a series of stacked, bone-colored ceramic mugs by Victoria Wolf. Nearby, Lily Tilton’s oversize felt “plant” buds a woolly white lamb precariously sitting on

top of a long stem. Charlie Giordano’s neon blue butterfly is encased in a bizarre specimen “display case” constructed from patinaed heavy-gauge welded steel, antique instruments, and vacuum tubes, among other assorted electrical elements. Hannah Moore’s ink-andwatercolor painting, “Homage to a Fallen Bluejay,” with its elegant, Victorianlooking funereal design surrounding the dead bird, is at once breathtakingly beautiful and melancholy.

Liz Ragone with some of the art at "The Museum of Unnatural History," at the Workshop Gallery.

PHOTOS: EAMON COLBERT

“T

he Museum of Unnatural History,” on display at the Workshop Gallery, is a weird and wild world of ancientlooking delights. It is a forgotten natural history museum where science and folklore intertwine. “The show feels like you were walking into an abandoned exhibit. It’s 90 percent natural history museum and 10 percent curiosity cabinet oddities,” says artist

BY ABBY REMER

The delicate silver, outstretched insect wings in Elysha Joy’s necklace echo Ragone’s many stained-glass pieces throughout the show. Natural and manufactured light shine through her works, which feature gloriously hued moths and other winged curiosities, including a large piece Ragone is auctioning off, with half the proceeds donated to Planned Parenthood. When organizing the exhibition, Ragone reached out to artists, inviting them to contribute work that blurs the line between specimen and artifact, preservation and imagination. She drew inspiration from Victorian entomology collections, antique apothecaries, curiosity cabinets, and early museums of natural science. In her call to artists, Ragone wrote, “Antique cabinets, weathered display cases, moss-covered logs, Continued on B15

community & calendar B15

November 5, 2026

Ronni Simon's "Many Rivers to Cross" sculpture was installed in the new Community Services building lobby.

Greenwich Village studio the summer before attending Bard College. “I learned how to make pots and got really into it, selling them on the street with a vendor’s license.” Later, living in Northampton, Ronni apprenticed to a master potter: “Then I got a scholarship in an artisanry program at Boston University.” During that period, she met Peter, and they were together within weeks. Peter lived in New York, but he had a house in Aquinnah [then Gay Head], where the couple spent a good deal of time, and Ronni worked as a potter. By about 1975 or ’76, another expresContinued from B14

Ronni Simon enjoys creating her colorful, beaded sculptures such as this kiss.

sive form soon called: “I started writing a lifestyle column for the Gazette. That got me into writing, which I hadn’t ever really done.” Clearly, she had a talent for it, including writing a proposal for a sitcom. Ronni made connections in Hollywood, and became involved in screenwriting. In 1986, she received a commission to

write a television movie, “Addicted to His Love,” which became an “ABC Movie of the Week.” “But living here year-round, it was too hard to keep going back and forth to Hollywood,” she notes, “and the movie came out during the strike, and you could no longer pitch ideas, so that became the end of my writing career.”

”What excites me most about my art is the wonder of transforming simple materials into something whimsical, elegant, original, and yet timeless.” – RONNI SIMON The Simon Gallery is now in Chilmark at her home.

Prototype of a work that was at Capawock Theater.

Ronni’s next artistic foray was as a selftaught jewelry maker, working with beads: “Then I got into crocheting jewelry using metal instead of string, creating my own designs, which took off pretty quickly.” She crochets precious metal wire, weaving semiprecious stones and freshwater pearls into signature cuffs, earrings, bracelets, and lariats. Like her afghans, we yearn to run our hands over Ronni’s jewelry — to feel their heft and the cool surface of the beads. She continues to make jewelry, but ever inventive, Ronni expanded the crocheted portion into sculpture in 2012 after finding a piece of aged driftwood on the beach. She encased part of it with interwoven beads that recall elegant seaweed or beach glass washed up on the sand. “We were walking on Philbin Beach when it just clicked,” Ronni recalls. Over time, she has expanded the technique, making impressive, large wall sculptures in a similar manner. When tightly woven, they recall unusual textiles. In other instances, they’re more freeform, sparkling spirals of color that twine in and out. The newest one hangs at Community Services, and Ronni hopes to get more commissions for public locations and private residences. “What I’m particularly good at is going into a space and coming up with the colors and what I should do. The sculptures are, in a sense, jewelry for the wall. And like the jewelry, what’s important is that a person loves it.” You’ll find Ronni Simon’s work at the Holiday Gift Show at Featherstone Center for the Arts from Nov. 7 through Dec.16, and on her website, ronnisimon.com.

"The Museum of Unnatural History," 32 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. More "unnatural" art.

"Finji Mermaid" by Lily Tilton.

Continued from B14

Assorted works by Suz Orie and Dalila Bennett.

handwritten labels, and botanical elements will create the illusion of an eccentric museum. We invite artists whose work complements this atmosphere of curiosity, beauty, and quiet mystery. Ceramic vessels that appear unearthed from forgotten collections, jewelry inspired

by flora and fauna, botanical illustrations, paintings, sculpture, taxidermy-inspired works (real or imagined), printmaking, mixed-media, and other handcrafted objects are encouraged.” The community responded, and 24 artists contributed pieces, creating a space that teems with imagination. Ragone says, “The installa-

tion feels like discovering an abandoned museum whose curator disappeared decades ago — its collections left intact, inviting visitors to peer closely at each object and wonder whether it belongs to science, art, or myth.” Ultimately, this gloriously unbelievable world will leave us with a sense of wonder — and joy. “There’s a lot

of negativity in the world right now,” says Ragone. “I thought the exhibit would be a fun way to immerse yourself in a world that takes you away from all that.” “The Museum of Unnatural History” is on view at the Workshop Gallery, 32 Beach Road in Vineyard Haven, through Nov. 29.

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community & calendar

Garden Notes BY ABIGAIL HIGGINS

When to prune your Plant perennials.

your tree

all and fall foliage color arrive slowly on the Island, compared with the mainland. Roadside sassafras and sumac broadcast daily beauty, and switchgrass catches sunlight delicately. Island-wide, the many swamp maples glow rosy, whether in damp or upland locations. Under a white pine, a miniature tapestry of white cyclamen and epimedium emerges through the matrix of fine needles. Broad discs of Styrax obassia leaves transform to lemon yellow at a stately pace; a random branch of hybrid witch hazel suddenly blazes scarlet. Bold, tawny leaves replace hostas’ blue-green ones. This autumn is one of the prettiest in years, but the grand show may be suddenly swept away by a cold, beating rain or an autumnal windstorm. Walk out and enjoy it — embrace it today!

Crows and ravens Is the Island hosting more ravens? Most mornings the resident murder of crows around here communicates with itself. There are individual voices and predictable communications — the three sharp, dissonant caws taken as early morning greetings or wake-up calls — with the birds flying off to look for breakfast. Now, however, a new voice has joined this dissonant chorus. Last year in our neighborhood a solitary raven made its presence

known, with croaks like no crow utters. That individual seems to have found a mate; the two can be heard and spotted, much larger than any crows, and croaking loudly as they take to the skies together.

to cut down, and those to leave. (As an aside, deer do not necessarily read these lists!) Cutdowns of some, performed before they have entered dormancy, simply encourage the crowns to try to replace the growth and keep on growing. Leave until next spring: echinacea, rudbeckia, sedum, butterfly weed, ferns, heuchera, lavender, and perovskia. The following perennials benefit from being cut back after they have gone dormant: astilbe, monarda, bearded iris, nepeta, columbine, daylily, gaillardia, hosta, lilies, peony, phlox, salvia, and achillea.

White cyclamen and epimedium. Hostas’ bold, tawny leaves.

Fate of Eastern hardwood forest As described in this article (bit.ly/NYT_TreePandemic), one by one, species of trees that form the backbone of the great Eastern hardwood forest, as

Awaiting dormancy The Island’s draw-out autumn season conflicts with the impulse to make all tidy and gardens winter-ready. Resist the impulse to perform autumn pruning on the following shrubs and trees: vitex, orchard fruits, magnolias, dogwoods, crape myrtles, and evergreens. Wait until they are fully dormant or until early spring. With magnolias, do not prune at all until they have resumed active spring growth. The reason is that autumn pruning stimulates plants to remain in growth mode and form more wood, instead of going dormant. Any growth the tree or shrub puts out risks not properly hardening off — it either bleeds or is subject to frost damage. Although PeeGee hydrangeas are now being pruned for next year all over the Island, the preferred time for this is late winter or early spring. Landscape companies understandably want to get it all done before their workforce leaves, but homeowners are not under that pressure. The National Garden Bureau’s “Your Fall Garden Checklist” (bit.ly/ NGB_FallChecklist) lists suggestions of perennials

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November 5, 2026

Hybrid witch hazel.

Styrax obassia. PHOTOS: ABIGAIL HIGGINS

Unless we look at the evolution of trees and the requirements of forests to thrive, this is a siloed kind of science, ignoring the concept of the whole that is called ecology.

dendrologists, naturalists, and ecologists know it, are falling prey to disease and leaving tragic gaps in the forest canopy. These primeval forests were the subjects of awe and wonder when viewed by the Europeans upon arrival here. Those who read “The Overstory,” a Pulitzer Prizewinning novel by Richard Powers, are familiar with the themes. On the Vineyard, we are witnessing the loss of significant Island forest canopy due to beech leaf disease and beech bark disease, and have already lost, over years, many of the hemlocks and magnificent American elms that were once growing here. And rampant land development plays a role in woodland destruction. Go to bit.ly/GOES_SatelliteImage; look at the true-color daytime animation loops. It could be said that that green, Eastern part is the more livable part of the U.S., where the population does not have to fear chronic drought, wildfire, and dust storms. The satellite view clearly shows the greenness, east of the Mississippi River. That green is the Eastern hardwood forest. Everything else, the Western part of the continental U.S. except for a small

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corner of the Pacific Northwest, is arid and brown. Desertification is not only something that happened in the past, but is also occurring now, in the present. This is where understanding and acknowledging the benefit of trees and forests becomes important. The arid and brown portion is a real threat if it expands. The New York Times piece points to individual species and individual pathogens and vectors. However, the article omits the role of global atmospheric changes and air pollution in the discussion of species’ and forests’ decline. Understanding the widespread loss of major forest species is work that must be undertaken by those who understand their importance, grounded in the available science. However, it also seems that unless we look at the evolution of trees and the requirements of forests to thrive, this is a siloed kind of science, ignoring the concept of the whole that is called ecology.

Plant your tree One thing that anyone can do is plant a tree, preferably a native one, as Homegrown National Park urges (bit.ly/ HNP_nativetrees). Island fall is the perfect time. Planting holes should be wide rather than deep, allowing for horizontal root spread. Find the root flare and site it level with, or just above, the surrounding ground. “Plant it low — it won’t grow. Plant it high — it won’t die” is the old adage. Water well daily for a week.

In the garden The browning of asparagus ferns is finally taking place. Cut them down and indulge the bed with all the good, rotten material and compost you have; asparagus are heavy feeders. Potted Meyer lemons and satsumas have entered the ripening phase. Give them as much light as possible, and water when the upper soil is dry. Feed once a month. Relocate volunteers, such as aster and phlox offsets or alchemilla, that bed cleanup reveals. Deer tick nymphs are active.

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