The Massachusetts Attorney General has approved a new Edgartown bylaw that will require minimum maintenance on buildings in the town historic district.
Last April Edgartown town meeting approved the new bylaw, which will require owners of buildings in the historic district to “keep such buildings from falling into a state of poor repair.” This applies to the exterior of buildings or interior portions of buildings that, if not adequately maintained, will affect the exterior.

Violators are subject to a fine of $300 per day.

The West Tisbury selectmen adopted a new policy about use of town stationery this week after one selectman used the stationery without the consent of his colleagues.

In early October selectman and board chairman Richard Knabel sent a letter to the Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative and Cape Light Compact about the town’s upcoming solar panel installation. Mr. Knabel, a longtime critic of the electric cooperative, expressed concern that the town might bear future financial responsibility for the panels, among other things.

The announcement by Cape and Islands state Sen. Dan Wolf this week that he is ending his bid for governor in 2014 came as little surprise. But his strange imbroglio with the Massachusetts Ethics Commission over the last few months has left more questions than answers, particularly about his future as a legislator representing the Island.

It started with a headline. Two young Islanders won the derby. That was something to celebrate. Then on the Gazette website conversation stirred. They weren’t really Islanders, one reader said. Wrong at least on one count, replied the grandmother of Sam Bell, age twenty five, born and raised on the Vineyard.

Well, we had the “I’m Sorry I Called You That Terrible Name On Broadway In July But I Was Stressed Out Dinner” last Thursday. It’s an October thing, a let-down thing, a healing thing, slow, a little uneasy at first, and without energy.

As avid readers know, books can take you anywhere.

Travel is broadening, so another axiom goes, but watching tourists amble down Edgartown sidewalks or wander around the Field Gallery’s statues, I wonder how well they’re getting to know Martha’s Vineyard.

Ricky Vanderhoop died last week. Ricky was an auto mechanic who restored my 1963 Falcon. He did a magnificent job, always taking great pride in his work. Over the years I’d bring the car in for this and that and gradually got to know him as he began to feel like an old friend.

The scene is surreal. There’s the dark silhouette of the fish against the teal-colored glowing light of the water around the weigh station floating dock. The light doesn’t illuminate much of the water beyond the dock, which makes the glow seem like a protected space, safe from whatever the darker harbor waters hold.

Last year, I threw down your hat
with its scarlet B, red as an apple.
Trampled it with boots I wore
to rake dead leaves. Declared
your brand unfit for my forehead.
Hung it where I couldn’t reach.

From the Vineyard Gazette edition of Oct. 23, 1942:

The launching of government war craft has taken place along Island shores. The effort is small as compared with those of other places, but bulks with importance in the Island scheme of things, besides having attracted the attention of officials in the nation’s government.