Island Light: 176 Years Young
Steady winds this week kept the waves crashing under the fish pier in Oak Bluffs.
Steady winds this week kept the waves crashing under the fish pier in Oak Bluffs.
Herring blitz at Squibnocket kept gulls busy.
Herring blitz at Squibnocket kept gulls busy.
Rob Douglas catches the wind.
Rob Douglas catches the wind.
Kite boarders flocked to the ocean to ride.
Kite boarders flocked to the ocean to ride.
Red tulips against an Edgartown picket fence.
Red tulips against an Edgartown picket fence.
American oystercatcher.
American oystercatcher.
Flocking together at the Farm Institute.
Flocking together at the Farm Institute.
Colony of gulls.
Colony of gulls.
Killdeer.
Killdeer.
Ruddy turnstones on a rocky perch.
Ruddy turnstones on a rocky perch.
Osprey peers from its nest.
Osprey peers from its nest.
A tumult of waves crash into Oak Bluffs harbor channel.
A tumult of waves crash into Oak Bluffs harbor channel.
Dinghies pulled safely up on the inner harbor.
Dinghies pulled safely up on the inner harbor.
Fire departments responded to Mt. Aldworth house fire.
Fire departments responded to Mt. Aldworth house fire.
Cherry blossoms help guide the way.
Cherry blossoms help guide the way.
The Gazette had its hundred and seventy sixth birthday yesterday, and we’ve never felt younger. It's true what they say about staying active. Martha's Vineyard is a mosaic of communities that comes together as one community, a great diversity of hearts and minds and souls that have in common an Island that helps define their values and their lives.
Since Edgar Marchant put out the first issue on May 14, 1846, the Gazette's job has been to report on those lives and those values to the community as a whole. It's an imperfect craft, journalism, and it's been called the first draft of history.
After a hundred and seventy six years, the Gazette has written a few subsequent drafts as well.