Songs of resilience after a cold winter B10
Thursday, May 28, 2026
‘Art of Conservation’ student exhibit B15
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD TIMES
Volume 43, Issue No. 21
2 Sections
Fate of MVRHS project in hands of Island voters
Price $1.00
The $333 million high school building project on ballot for June 2. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON
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BARBARA ARMSTRONG
Hundreds of Islanders walked through Menemsha on Saturday to protest ICE and support the father and son who were detained.
slanders across the towns are set to vote on the most expensive building project they’ve ever seen next week. A decade of work culminated in a plan for the regional high school building that addresses what school officials said are necessary upgrades and renovations, and is projected to cost more than $300 million. It is evident through months of interviews over the course of this year while the project was introduced to the public that the expense weighs heavy on the minds of Islanders, who will shoulder a lot of the cost. But the facilities at the school aren’t up to par, and as a decision nears, teachers and students told The Times that they’re increasingly impacted by the conditions of the high school, including reports of adverse health effects. Island voters head to the polls Tuesday, June 2, in their respective towns, to approve or deny the school committee to authorize the borrowing of $333,490,457 to pay for the costs of designing, constructing, equipping, and furnishing the new school. What hangs in the balance for that vote is an up–to–$75 million reimbursement from the state that took a decade to secure. And if the vote doesn’t go through, some improvements still need to be made, and those would lack a lot of necessary upgrades, and still cost around $200 million. The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) building was constructed in 1959. While some sections of the building, such as the gym and Performing Arts Center (PAC), were renovated in the 1990s, many hallways, classrooms, and career and technical education programs are operating in the same structures as they were decades ago, just with a few new coats of bright blue or purple paint. The Times conducted a walk-through of the building at the start of this school year and reported on the conditions, which included mold, asbestos, and leaking pipes. Continued on A15
Father and son released from ICE custody Island rallies to stand up against unlawful search and seizure. BY MV TIMES STAFF
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he father and teenage son who were out fishing together when they were taken into ICE custody were ordered by federal judges to be released from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the past week. The son has already returned to the Island, and the father may return to the Vineyard as soon
as today after being released Wednesday. The arrest early last week of Rogerio da Silva Lima and his 15-year-old son, Nycolas de Al Varenga Lima, who were plucked from a fishing boat and taken into federal custody, came almost one year to the day after masked ICE agents raided the Island and arrested 20 indi-
viduals. This time Islanders were more galvanized in response, raising a legal defense fund and taking to the streets to protest ICE’s attempt to thwart constitutional guarantees for due process. One march was led by students in a walkout at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Continued on A9
Chappy Ferry rides into new chapter After months of discussion, Brian Scall will be the new ferry owner. BY NICHOLAS VUKOTA
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apping off months of heated debate that garnered statewide attention, the Edgartown Select Board unanimously approved the transfer of the Chappy Ferry license, from longtime operators Peter Wells and Sally Snipes to current Captain Brian Scall, on Tuesday night. The decision allows Scall to officially take ownership of the ferry service, subject to approval of final legal review of documentation by the town counsel. This is the first time in nearly 20 years that ownership has changed for the ferry, the sole year-round transportation service between Chappaquiddick Island and Edgartown.
The long-awaited decision came out at the meeting pretty quietly. “The select board voted to transfer the ground lease and ferry license to Chappy Ferry LLC contingent upon final legal review,” James Hagerty, Edgartown town administrator, told The Times. Hagerty clarified that this means the Edgartown town counsel will review the ground lease and ferry license agreement, and Scall will need to accept his obligation under the license agreement. Arthur Smadbeck, select board member, introduced the Chappy Ferry license Continued on A3
NICHOLAS VUKOTA
The On Time III, a Chappy Ferry boat, sailing to Edgartown.
© 2026
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