Here’s what’s happening on Martha’s Vineyard today.
On this day in 1979, a lawsuit forced Major League Baseball to allow female reporters into locker rooms. Today is National Barbie Day and it’s also National Meatball Day. And if that’s not enough, it’s National Crab Meat Day and National Get Over It Day.
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This is one of those times where it’s OK to applaud something going out of business. TestMV has announced that it will close down at the end of March citing the diminishing need for the COVID-19 testing site. We’ve been fortunate to have this site since June of 2020 and hundreds of volunteers have made it work, along with Island Health Care, Martha’s Vineyard Bank, and Quest Diagnostics. Editor George Brennan has this update.
Oak Bluffs is balking at the funding formula that’s been floated by Chilmark to fund a new Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. At a select board meeting on Tuesday, board members said the six Island towns need to come up with a more equitable plan to share the costs and the Chilmark proposal doesn’t do that in their estimation. Read to the end for some explosive town news. Reporter Rich Saltzberg has that story.
It took them a while, but the Tisbury select board finally has a date for the annual town meeting and the town election. Concerned that construction might already be underway at Tisbury School, the board opted to ask for permission to hold the meeting out of town. Since that’s not necessary, they scheduled a town meeting for April 12 at Tisbury School gym. Editor George Brennan has this story.
Meanwhile, Aquinnah will consider electronic voting machines for its town meetings. Reporter Eunki Seonwoo has that story.
MEETINGS The Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission meets at 2 pm Thursday. Remote access. Here is the agenda.
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Quote of the Day “You’ve seen the numbers. It’s a compromise. I think that’s how you move forward with a lot of things — with compromise.” Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty on the MVRHS formula proposed by Chilmark
Hot Topic Comment Gayle Stiller commented on our story about feeding the homeless. “What makes this an even more powerful story is that you know these businesses were struggling themselves, especially during the first months of Covid. They had to have been figuring out how they were going to make it through and keep their employees working. Hats off to each and every one of the businesses that the article covered, either in pictures and/or in print.”
Hot Topic Letter Barry Nevin wrote about the loss of Everett Poole. “Everett could cut to the chase, just wanting to get the job done. He played by the rules, and he expected others to follow suit — if they didn’t, things didn’t go well, to say the least. His work ethic was unsurpassed. He would start before dawn and continue through the day and into the night, day after day. He was amazing.”
Today: The M.V. Modern Quilt Guild invites us to join them as they work on quilting projects. I don’t have a quilting project, but my birthday is in September and I do love quilts. West Tisbury library. 6 pm. –Connie Berry The Oak Bluffs library hosts an Author Talk: “The Girls in the Stilt House” with Kelly Mustian. Her first novel is getting rave reviews all over the internet. 7 pm. –C.B.
Tomorrow: This sounds important, interesting, and something we should learn more about: Unauthorized Practice of Immigration Laws. Zoom via at the Oak Bluffs library. 10:30 am. –C.B. Movies! Check out what’s playing at Island theaters here.
This is a drill “New corded ½-inch DeWalt drill. Used once. Keyless chuck 0-1250 rpm detachable, side handle, $100.”
Click here for more finds in our Classifieds section.
Dining out?
The Barn Open for lunch & dinner Tuesday through Saturday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm. Bowling available Tuesday through Saturday at 5 pm. Text Barnmv to 508/696/9800 to receive deals & specials.
The Sweet LifeOpen year round! Serving dinner Wednesday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Featuring a pre-fixe 3 course dinner for $50 on Wednesdays! @sweet_life_mv 508/696/0200 sweetlifemv.com.
Restaurant owners: Are you open? Let our readers know, and support local journalism while doing so!
Contact jenna@mvtimes.com to discuss promoting your dining specials with the MV Times.
Staying in? We are soooo making this for dinner tonight: Spanish Tortilla by the folks at Mo’s Lunch at the P.A. Club, brought to us by Ava Castro at Island Grown. The simplicity of it is enough to make it a beautiful thing.
Do you know this performer? Submit your best guess to newsletters@mvtimes.comwithin 24 hours and check the next Minute for the correct answer. That’s right, you asked and we listened. You won’t have to wait until the end of the month to find the answers. We’ll throw all winning guesses into a pot at the end of the month and someone will win their choice of a $100 Lift certificate to an Island business or $100 to go toward an Island charity of their choice. For previous Do You Knows, see our archive.
Tuesday's correct answer: Joyce Stiles Tucker
Seaworthy history The Island has always been famous for its nautical history: pirates, whalers, and fabled ship captains have called Martha’s Vineyard their home over the centuries. Perhaps one of the most fascinating histories is that of renowned boat builder, Manuel Swartz Roberts, who in the early and mid 1900s made catboats with sweeping curves and wide, sturdy hulls. You might recognize the name of one of his catboats, Old Sculpin, as the namesake of the beloved gallery down by the Edgartown marina. Now, the experts at Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway are restoring Old Sculpin so it can continue sailing for centuries to come. Read Lucas Thors’ story on this fabled boat builder and his catboats.
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