Martha's Vineyard Megan Dooley

Chappy Native Pens Kids’ Book, Talks About Growing Up Different

Megan Dooley | Thursday, December 17 2009 - 1:04pm

As a student at the Edgartown School, a counselor once told Chappaquiddick native Stephanie Duckworth-Elliott that she wouldn’t go to college, and implied that Ms. Duckworth-Elliott would not achieve in life. The young girl had a background and home life that already separated her from other kids her age — she was a member of the only Wampanoag family living on Chappy at the time, and raised primarily by her grandfather — and the counselor’s prediction made her feel even more detached from her peers.

Authors

Dreams for Sale Monday in Ocean Park

Megan Dooley

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.

Managing Menemsha in Summer

Megan Dooley

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.

Housing on the Tube Weekend Telethon Makes $650,000 Goal

Megan Dooley

The affordable housing cause got another boost this weekend when the annual Housing on the Tube fundraiser broke its goal of $650,000.

“We exceeded every benchmark that we set out for ourselves this year,” said Island Affordable Housing Fund executive director Patrick Manning. “We have surpassed our goal of $650,000. That was our goal this year, and we were focusing on that in a time where you have an economic downturn around the world.”

Three Women Honored by NAACP

Megan Dooley

They are affectionately referred to as long-distance runners. Combined, Carrie Tankard, Marie Araujo and Lorna Andrade have provided over 85 years of service to the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP. At noon today, the organization will honor the women for their marathon of service to the Island branch, which is one of the most active and diverse in the country.

“These [are] three outstanding ladies who gave of themselves to help others,” said Marie Allen, first vice president of the Vineyard NAACP.

Telethon Raises Funds For Housing Crisis

Megan Dooley

The Island housing crisis has company this year. Coupled with a global financial crisis, year-round residents are more in need than ever of affordable housing options. The alternative? Lose Island-dwelling families that first planted roots here generations ago. Lose the unique sense of community sprung from the home-grown residents who populate the off-season Island. Lose the people who make this resort destination a home.

With Childs: Choreographer’s Classic Post-Modern Dance Is Fresh at Thirty

Megan Dooley

Dressed all in black, choreographer Lucinda Childs glided smoothly through a small crowd of dancers seated on the stage of the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center Tuesday, concluding the day’s rehearsal for their performance this weekend. The dancers’ casual chatter and the scurry of the technical stage crew seemed to conceal the artistic enormity of the event for which they’re gathered. Like her simple black ensemble, Ms.