Upholding Native American rights
In mid-June, the Supreme Court released one of its most important decisions guaranteeing Native American sovereign rights. The ruling will have a direct impact on the Island’s Wampanoag Tribe of Gay...
View ArticleA needed boost for abortion access
Women should be able to get an abortion in the U.S. if they so choose, as a majority of Americans believe. But the right to an abortion and access to safe abortions are different issues. And it’s...
View ArticlePostal service lacking basic transparency
The higher-ups in the U.S. Postal Service on Martha’s Vineyard have some explaining to do. The Times has tried on numerous occasions to get even the most straightforward information from the service,...
View ArticleHow to help with the immigration crisis
Immigration is in the news: Huge numbers at the border, asylum seekers waiting in inhumane conditions in Mexico, not enough courts to hear asylum claims, migrant deaths, family separations,...
View ArticleFinding love on Martha’s Vineyard
My love story began on this Island. Maybe it was the touch of warm sand on Inkwell Beach or the sweet aroma from the Fourth of July cookout, but the love of this place that felt like home gave me...
View ArticleThe Supreme Court’s 2022–23 term
On June 30, the Supreme Court ended its 2022–23 term. Some of its most consequential decisions were announced in June, including banning affirmative action in college admissions, championing religious...
View ArticleWhy not drive an electric car?
It isn’t surprising that under 5 percent of cars on Martha’s Vineyard are either electric or hybrid electric. It’s unfortunate, but given how long the combustion engine has reigned supreme, we can give...
View ArticleThe perks of having no bridge to the mainland
There have been a lot of complaints circulating about the reservation system for the Steamship Authority. A major point of contention last summer was that on the same day an Islander couldn’t get a...
View ArticleThe Supreme Court’s 2022–23 term
On June 30, in one of the last cases the Supreme Court decided this past term, the conservative majority again showed its power when six justices prohibited President Joe Biden from eliminating college...
View ArticleSchool committee is wrong to use private funding
Private money has no place in public, governmental affairs. It’s undemocratic, unethical, and sets a dangerous precedent. But that’s exactly what the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee is...
View ArticleGreat expectations for an EduComp town hall
Tisbury deserves a better town hall. There’s been a temporary solution for what seems like decades, and the current setup might be getting the job done, but it’s showing its age. Currently, town...
View ArticleSupport for reining in short-term rentals
Airbnb, one of the original and go-to websites for booking short-term rentals, began as a new and fun way to travel. Following more rugged and free options like Couch Surfer, travelers could spend the...
View ArticleKeep incentivizing electric car use
Should public electric car-charging stations be free to use? That’s a question before the West Tisbury Select Board, where the town currently has two free charging stations. On an Island where less...
View ArticleCaution! Danger ahead!
Miles Taylor, a national security expert and lifelong conservative Republican, who served admirably and skillfully in the Trump administration, visited the Bunch of Grapes in Vineyard Haven last month....
View ArticleCondemn the attacks on a small-town weekly newspaper
The accounts of a police raid at the Marion County Record, a newspaper in Kansas, are disturbing, not only to newsrooms across the country like ours here in Vineyard Haven, but to democracy worldwide....
View ArticleSteamship lacking transparency, accountability
The Steamship Authority’s explanation for what led to a boat becoming unmoored from a slip at the Woods Hole terminal earlier this summer has been comically vague. In late July, the Sankaty, a nearly...
View ArticleWhat’s in a name?
Martha’s Vineyard is HOT! It’s pure gold for entrepreneurs, Realtors, hospitality providers, and more. While the home real estate market has cooled temporarily, storefronts are in demand, and the key...
View ArticleWant to make public schools better for students and teachers? Try ‘Looping.’
All over the U.S., public schools are reopening. You can picture what’s happening in about 85-90 percent of the classrooms: The teachers are spending the first week just getting to know their students,...
View ArticleTake a second gander at the geese population
Martha’s Vineyard has a non-migratory Canada geese problem. Farmers say that flocks can destroy newly planted crops in a short period of time; the birds can also yank up fresh, native vegetation by...
View ArticleMartha’s Vineyard Museum’s Confederate plaque exhibit must tell the whole truth
Four and a half years ago, I took to task the Martha’s Vineyard NAACP over a matter that goes to the heart of the organization’s work. I insisted it demand the removal of two plaques honoring...
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