From the Vineyard Gazette editions of May, 1908: The lovely weather of the past week has been improved by housekeepers in having carpets beaten and a general war on dirt. Everyone is hustling to get their house in trim for the summer season. There have been many arrivals here during the week past of summer residents who have come to look after their property and have repairs or improvements made.

Martha’s Vineyard disaster relief organizations will carry out a shelter drill to test their ability to coordinate emergency efforts in the event of a hurricane or other disaster. The drill takes place at the Tisbury School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, and is the first of its kind for the Island.

The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Medical Reserve Corps, emergency management personnel and the Boy Scouts will participate, along with the Island’s new Disaster Animal Rescue Team.

Mary Ollen represented Martha’s Vineyard High School in the 66th Annual Student Government Day at the State House in Boston on April 5. The event provides students from across the Commonwealth opportunities to take on the roles of governor, constitutional officers, legislators and court justices to experience what it is like to “run” the state government for a day.

Ms. Ollen was assigned to serve as a member of the Senate.

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Warm weather has ever so slowly arrived with temperatures in the 60s during the sunlight of the past week. The wild pear is in bloom, forsythia continue to flourish with the intense yellow feathers of the goldfinches on the branches and the golden crowned kinglet flying around the daffodils. Martha’s Vineyard Minnesingers, under the direction of Jan Wightman, will present Roots on Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, May 5, at 3 p.m. for their spring concert at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center.

Chilmark welcomed May with a cheery sunny day. Lots of fruit trees are blooming and the last of the daffodils and tulips are still nodding but in a lot less wind than last week. In a more innocent time in Chilmark, the 1st of May was marked by the hanging of May baskets on the doors of popular young people. The tradition was an old one and carried into the 20th century. Baskets containing candy and flowers were placed on doorsteps or hung on doorknobs. Groups of friends would prepare and deliver the basket after dark.

The spring flowers are in bloom most everywhere and Wednesday was the first of May bringing baskets hung on doors and Maypole celebrations and dances announcing the arrival of spring officially sending old Jack Frost on vacation. The baseball field hosted a youth baseball game and the tennis courts were busy. Short sleeve shirts was the clothing of choice over the weekend.

There’s a whole lot of news in the food and book arenas. The film A Place at the Table will be screened at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center at 4 p.m. tomorrow. This will be followed by a discussion with people working to address food insecurity and poverty issues on Martha’s Vineyard.

Spring came this past week, finally, with all its interest for the senses. Chappaquiddick’s many late-leafing oaks still give the woods a wintery look. The honeysuckle and low bushes along the roadsides are covered with tiny vibrant green leaves, and the grass has a brilliant glow. The fragrant mayflowers, or trailing arbutus, can be found at the edges of dirt roads where there’s not too much sun.

Tomahawk Corner’s blinker may wind up forgotten like its ancestor, the honest-to-God light that directed traffic at Farland Square at the base of Circuit avenue in 1930. Knotting knickers Island-wide, I wonder what venerable Vineyard Gazette publisher Henry Beetle Hough would have said about the soon-to-be-completed roundabout?