News spread in an instant on Nov. 22, 1963 that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. The day was a Friday, and then as now, the Vineyard was a place apart where world events still reverberated at home. One week later the Gazette headlines told the story as it was felt on the Island.

Facing a severe revenue shortfall, the Vineyard Nursing Association is on track to end the year with a large and unsustainable operating loss, leaders at the Island’s only home health care agency told the Gazette this week.

In a court case that takes up the issue of whether public money can be spent on historic preservation of churches, a group of Oak Bluffs residents have gone to court to try to block the town from spending Community Preservation Act money on the restoration of Trinity Methodist Church.

Except for a single distinguishing feature, this turkey looks like any other in the flock that wanders through Vineyard Haven. But it's hard to miss the thin green arrow protruding from his haunch.

Taking his victory as a mandate for more openness, the newly-elected chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) vowed this week to put the question of gambling on Martha’s Vineyard to tribal members.

Tobias Vanderhoop, who unseated Cheryl Andrews-Maltais by a 165-91 vote on Sunday to head the Vineyard tribe, told the Gazette he supports “an appropriate gaming initiative,” but that it is up to the tribe’s membership to decide whether converting the Aquinnah community center to a casino is appropriate.

Data released by the state Thursday rating teachers on their job performance show most Island educators are making the grade. Educators across the six Island schools scored proficient in most cases, while a minority of staff needed improvement.

Tisbury selectmen voted to set a tax rate of $8.46 for the coming year, slightly above last year’s rate of $8.01.

And after discussion at the public tax classification hearing Tuesday, a majority of the board agreed that the town should take steps to gradually shift away from the practice of allowing a residential tax exemption for year-round homeowners.

For this year the residential tax exemption will be lowered from 20 to 18 per cent.

Robert S. Marshall, the Steamship Authority governor representing Falmouth, resigned from the board last week. He sent his resignation to the Falmouth selectmen late Thursday evening, following a public meeting in Woods Hole about the proposed terminal redesign there.

Change is planned for the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, and the museum wants community feedback. That was the thinking behind a series of community forums recently held in Chilmark, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury, Edgartown and Oak Bluffs.

Speaking to a crowd of two dozen people attending the Tuesday night meeting at the Federated Church in Edgartown, museum executive director David Nathans thanked everyone for coming. “It’s important to all of us that we get feedback from you. We really, really want feedback,” he said.

Fifty years ago today, an unspeakable tragedy occurred, one that left a generation scarred with memories of where they were when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated.