In a garage-top office near the Tisbury School, as a small group of tradesmen prepared their morning coffee, Alan P. Fortes reflected on a lifetime in the plumbing business.

The intense winter storm followed by extremely frigid temperatures caused severe tidal erosion and sent Island plumbers scrambling on frozen pipe calls over the weekend.

The West Tisbury building department will seek disciplinary action against an Island plumber who installed plumbing without a permit at State Road restaurant.

Building inspectors Ernie Mendenhall and Joe Tierney notified the West Tisbury selectmen on Wednesday that they plan to file a complaint with the state against Walter Smith Plumbing. The company installed plumbing in an unpermitted basement kitchen at the restaurant, which has been fined for a zoning code violation.

Mr. Mendenhall said appealing to the state was the “only vehicle” of punitive relief.

Dr. Raymond (Rocco) Monto talks about this treacherous, icy weather in different terms from most of us. He calls it his orthopedic stimulus package.

When your work involves repairing the strains, sprains and breaks which accompany frozen ground, these are busy times. He reckons business is up at least 25 per cent.