Behind the Band: Agreeable Men B7
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Fabulous five at the Granary Gallery B14
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD TIMES
Volume 43, Issue No. 34
2 Sections
Price $1.00
Tobias Vanderhoop, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), performing the opening ceremony at Fenway Park.
Hospital enrolls first participant in pioneering alpha-gal study Two studies by MVH are first of their kind for the hospital and country. BY HAYLEY DUFFY
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ELLA MUNNELLY
‘STILL HERE’
trailblazing study for both the Island hospital and the country just enrolled its first participant last Friday in an effort to better understand alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne condition that causes an allergy to mammalian products like meat and dairy. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH), a member of Mass General Brigham, plans to recruit and follow 300 people in this research study that Claire Seguin, president and COO of the Island hospital, said is a “first-of-its-kind study” as well as “first in the country that [she’s] aware of.” The study, led by Mass General Brigham infectious disease expert Jacob Lemieux and Ellen McMahon, chief of medicine and ambulatory medical director for MVH, aims to answer “who develops alpha-gal syndrome after lone star tick exposure, who becomes sensitized without developing symptoms, and what biological or demographic factors may influence risk,” according to a press release from the hospital. Some people can have an alpha-gal antibody but not develop an allergy. There is a second study, which Seguin called a point prevalence study, that is also in the works, and would use existing bloodwork samples to understand what percentage of the Island population has alpha-gal antibodies compared with Nantucket and Boston. The team needs to nail down a final date, but the idea is to start in early September. Seguin said the research hopes to answer the question, “Is there more of it here than anywhere else?” The studies are run out of the hospital’s new alpha-gal research center, located in West Tisbury Continued on A7
Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal member performs in opening ceremony at Fenway Park. BY ELLA MUNNELLY
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he vibration of drums and the sound of indigenous chants echoed into Fenway Park during the Boston Red Sox’s annual Native American and American Indian Celebration, a night that showcases the proud, resilient heritage of
indigenous communities across the country. Tobias Vanderhoop, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and a tribal leader, was invited to sing an original tribal honor song as part of the opening ceremony on Wednesday, August
The woman beyond the look
A cloud of uncertainty Spraying helps mitigate tick population but raises environmental and health questions. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON
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hree operators of an all-natural tick spray company donned khaki insectshield pants and tucked the bottom hems into their socks. They wore shirts with their company name, ohDEER, like they do five or more days a week, readied their equipment, and pulled into a winding driveway in Oak Bluffs to the home of a year-round Island family. It was a Friday morning in mid-July. The home, with a bright green front lawn and garden around the perimeter, was one of 100 others that the team at ohDEER treats for tick and deer mitigation each week, double the number of lawns they Continued on A7
19. Vanderhoop is a former chairman of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe, and currently serves as tribal council secretary. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, Vanderhoop was excited to be invited to the game to Continued on A8
Michelle Obama reveals the deeper story behind “The Look,” and why the Island holds such a special place in her family’s life. BY SHARISSE SCOTT-RAWLINS
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or nearly two decades, the world has watched Michelle Obama, both adoringly and critically. And the reverence didn’t waver on Sunday, August 23, when hundreds gathered at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center for the closing event of this year’s Martha’s Vineyard Author Series. The former First Lady joined journalist Michele Norris for two conversations centered on her latest book, “The Look,” and the stories behind an image the world has spent years examining. Long before Obama stepped onto the stage, the anticipation was palpable. Copies of “The Look” rested on laps as excited conversations filled the auditorium, and the audience’s eyes repeatedly turned toward the stage. Then, finally, Obama appeared, and the room erupted in applause. Continued on A9
JEANNA SHEPARD
Michelle Obama and journalist Michele Norris, left, at the Martha’s Vineyard Author Series.
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