News
More than 10 years ago, when Wendelyn Galligan of Edgartown first brought a chihuahua home, she was greeted with a cat paw-adorned sign, hung near the door by her husband, that read “No Dogs Allowed.” When Ms. Galligan showed her spouse Billie Taco, their new rat-like puppy, he exclaimed, “Where did you get that from, the Edgartown dump?”
When the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals closed the doors of the Katharine M. Foote memorial shelter in Edgartown in May, the Island was introduced to a new but financially pinched place for homeless critters. Home to two dogs, two kittens and five cats, the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard feeds off limited funds from the county and towns.
Victor Hugo once said, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future.”
For 30 years Martha’s Vineyard Community Services has quite literally been counting on dreams to ensure the future of the Island residents who depend on the care it provides.
Since 1979, the Possible Dreams Auction has been one of the most successful fund-raising events held on the Island, offering bidders the chance to score a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to help the core of the Island community at the same time.
Michaela Delphin of Vineyard Haven celebrates the earth and all of its inhabitants. Above her self-portrait, a round face painted with hazel skin and pink lips against a jungle green canvas, the 12-year-old girl penned her “truth:”
“I believe that the animals and the environment shouldn’t be hurt because of the love of money.”
An ultrasound examination of a woman in the first three months of pregnancy costs about eight times as much at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital as at nearby hospitals on the mainland.
Figures collated by the state on insurance payments for medical procedures show the Vineyard hospital to be vastly more expensive for outpatient services than the median across the state. In most cases the cost here is double, or more.
After decades of gradual change from a quaint, quiet fishing village into one of the Island’s must-see tourist destinations, Menemsha has not crumpled beneath the pressure of its popularity. Crowds gather daily, with beer-filled coolers and beach chairs to watch the sun make its famous plunge into the ocean. People flock to the harbor to marvel at the fishing boats, then duck into one of the fish markets to claim their catch of the day.