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.

The state department of Fishers, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement announced yesterday that it has taken ownership of the Leland beach - 100 acres of virtually unspoiled barrier beach stretching from Wasque to the Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick.

Purchase price is just under $1 million; the beach, which has been owned by the family of the late Oliver and Edmund Leland since 1907, was purchased through land-taking measures under the state’s eminent domain laws.