On the Vineyard Haven waterfront you can see, smell and hear the bustle of activity. The town's boatyards are all party to boat building and launching. Anyone who walks the shores of the town will discover a wide variety of vessels undergoing extensive work. It was a busy winter and there is evidence everywhere.

Maciel Marine, Martha's Vineyard Shipyard and Gannon and Benjamin boatyards are witness to a resurgence in interest in Island built and restored vessels.

In a last minute effort, the Governor of Massachusetts yesterday intervened in a successful effort to convince the state marine fisheries commission to remain conservative in adopting striped bass management for the coming season.

In a three hour meeting, held in Weston, state officials after lengthy discussion adopted a uniform 34-inch minimum size for the catching of striped bass for both recreational and commercial fishermen. This represents a drop in two inches from last year's minimum.

NANTUCKET - The Vineyard football team wasn't even supposed to be here, the gridiron gods tell us. They weren't supposed to be playing for the Island Cup, the Mayflower League conference title and a Super Bowl berth versus Nantucket. Heck, they were supposed to be playing for third place.

But here the Vineyard was, on a warm Saturday in Whaler country, and they ran smack into an oncoming train. Nantucket powered its way to a 23-7 win, providing a dose of reality to the Vineyarders' overachieving 7-3 season.

Depending on whom you talk to, what happened on Nantucket in November of 1992 is like a pleasant dream or a recurring nightmare.

"It was my worst loss ever in 31 years," exclaims Nantucket head football coach Vito Capizzo.

"It was my biggest win," says Vineyard coach Donald Herman.

In a spectacle described as incredible, amazing and historic, hundreds of Islanders turned out to hammer boards, paint window sills and raise the Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society's new barn in a three-day event that was a festival of community spirit.

It is Wednesday morning in West Tisbury and the sun streams out of a cloudless September sky, spilling through the front door of Alley’s General Store and flooding the old, worn floorboards with a warm, golden light. Out on the front porch a group of oldtimers stand amid stacks of pumpkins, drinking their morning coffee and holding court. Owen Ware, age two and a half, stands nearby, a half-eaten bag of M&Ms clutched in his left fist. A familiar up-Island resident pulls up in his car and Owen lifts a small hand in greeting. “Hi Ted!” he calls out. Ted returns the salutation.

For the Vineyard Gazette, the change to a new production computer system this spring has been as profound as the transition, two decades ago, from hot metal type to offset printing.

The troublesome Sankaty went into service last Friday, March 25, becoming the Steamship Authority’s newest vessel in operation. The Sankaty is running with the Eagle to and from Nantucket.

The Sankaty, a vessel that SSA officials have called an embarrassment, went on line about 10 months late and more than $2 million over budget.

But at least the Nantucket passengers seemed to liker her. “They were delighted,” said Ray Martin of the SSA. “They were all razzle dazzle.”

Mr. Martin said the Sankaty ran without a hitch with Capt. Ed Jackson at the helm.