Taking Stock of the Summer Season and ICE Concerns Continue
Summer for local businesses was a mixed bag, with July a bit slow and August on fire. And concerns about an immigration crackdown led organizers to again postpone a Brazilian festival.
The women wear dresses and high heels. The men are decked out in dark slacks or double-breasted suits. The parking lot is so full that cars are lining the driveway to the Masonic Hall and pulled up on the grassy shoulders of Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road.
For members of the Island's Brazilian population, one of the
most frightening prospects is a visit to the hospital. Rather than a
lack of health insurance, what keeps many away is the fear of not being
understood.
At 7:15 a.m. Sunday at the Rod and Gun Club in Edgartown, more than 100 people had their eyes set on a 20-inch TV screen in the corner of the room. Brazil was playing Germany in the final game of the World Cup in Yokohama, Japan. In the room, yellow, green and blue flags and soccer jerseys to match made it clear this was not the place to cheer for Germany.