A study in contrasts: Two firearms cases
Island hunters and gun owners will be very interested in two cases the Supreme Court ruled on last month involving the possession of firearms. They had opposite outcomes.
One involved a 2018 Executive Order by...
HarborWorks and sailing into the future
The view from the publisher’s office of The Martha’s Vineyard Times looks out over the weathered, gray-shingled boatyard of the world-renowned Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway, and beyond that, the storied blue waters of...
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ‘is here to stay’
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren. As a Harvard Law professor, she spearheaded the drive to protect consumers seeking credit to purchase a home or car, or anything...
Everyone should have access to treasured Chappy beaches
The natural splendor of the beaches on Chappaquiddick attracts swimmers, hikers, anglers, sunbathers, birdwatchers, and sunset — or sunrise — watchers. For generations, Martha’s Vineyard residents and visitors have come to these beaches seeking...
‘A Timely Issue’
The front page of the newspaper has yellowed into a sepia tone in the frame that hangs in my office overlooking Vineyard Haven Harbor, but the words feel like they are still unusually current....
The good, the bad, the sad: Newspapering for 40 years
Now, 40 years since its founding, The Martha’s Vineyard Times once again doubles down to its news-gathering overwatch on Islanders' behalf. And once again, although a new crowd is at the controls, the job...
Tortured Poets ‘Taylored’ for our needs?
And who’s going to hold you like me?
And who’s going to love you, if not me?
I laughed in your face and said,
"You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith"
This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel
We’re modern...
How to address a national crisis: Chronic absenteeism
American students are skipping school in record numbers, a crisis that is so acute that it became the lead story in The New York Times recently, as well as the subject of the Times’...
The migrants on the bridge: A follow-up
Anyone who casually follows the news knows that on March 26, a 984-foot container ship sailing under a Singaporean flag smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, sending it into the Patapsco...
A moment of awe; a time for transformation
The moon moved slowly between the sun and earth, obscuring the light of the sun. The sky dimmed, and the temperature dropped. A strange dusk fell across Chilmark atop Peaked Hill, one of the...
Town meeting issues illuminate Island’s growing pains
… a largely unspoiled Martha’s Vineyard, where natural and human communities thrive and flourish together with minimal conflict; a sustainable future ensured through preserved land, clean water, and a protected biological heritage.
A few years...
Questions to consider before town meeting
Do you value living in a neighborhood where you enjoy the peace of mind that your home, your backyard, and your neighborhood will be free of noise, lights, dust, heavy trucks, and fumes?
When you...
The case for overlay districts in Oak Bluffs
For all intents and purposes, Oak Bluffs has made it impossible for professional service providers to open a business practice outside of our downtown. Furthermore, commercial businesses have no option to stage their operations...
The more immigrants we have, the better off we will be
As the Island population grew during the Covid-19 pandemic, an accompanying increase occurred in its demographic makeup as the recent Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s statistical report shows. It reveals a marked increase in ethnic and...
Toward a more perfect union
I’ve always loved the elegant, aspirational phrase “toward a more perfect union,” found in the opening sentence of our Constitution. It was our Founding Fathers’ first priority, ahead of establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility,...
The ‘first rough draft’ covering Island schools
In the bright, unforgiving light of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School cafeteria, a cluster of a dozen parents — all immigrants from Brazil — and a handful of teachers who work in the...
Assessing the 2017 Trump tax cuts
In 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It was his signature achievement. Now that several years have passed since the law was enacted, what has been its impact?...
A step across a cultural divide
From the street, you could hear the muffled beat of Brazilian house music up in The Loft on Oak Bluffs Avenue.
It was my first time going to “Brazilian night,” a Sunday tradition for many...
Congress’s disgrace: the failure to reform immigration
Congress once again failed to resolve the critical immigration problem plaguing the southern border of the United States. Thousands of undocumented migrants are crossing into the country. Just a year and a half ago,...