Martha’s Vineyard leads the Cape and Islands in bay scallop landings, beating Nantucket. The Vineyard’s commercial and recreational shellfishermen landed over 12,000 bushels this past season, and more are being landed. With three weeks still left in the season, Nantucket shellfishermen have landed 8,000 bushels. This makes the Vineyard the largest producer of wild bay scallops in the world.

Gas

The Cape Cod Times ran a story on March 10 saying that gas prices in the state ranged from a low of $1.71 per gallon to a high of $2.09. Their source was wire reports. Perhaps they should gaze across the sea instead, or tell us that we really have seceded at last since down-Island prices are averaging $2.65.

Thanks to a reader request, we are investigating a different kind of fuel this week. If you’re looking for Irish whiskey, stout or lager, there are many ways to be Irish in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs.

Announcing Zora

Mathea and Chioke Morais of Chilmark announce the birth of a daughter, Zora Safia Morais, born on March 3, 2009, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Zora weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces at birth. She is also welcomed by her sisters Isabella and Delilah Quinones, who are in first and fourth grade, respectively, at the West Tisbury School.

Aubrey Arrives

Noelle and Nicholas Warburton of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Aubrey Noelle Warburton, born on March 7, 2009, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Aubrey weighed 8 pounds, 5.6 ounces at birth.

Oak Bluffs selectmen on Wednesday approved three ballot questions for voters in April — including one that would authorize $500,000 for dredging at Sengekontacket Pond — as well as the warrant for the annual town meeting, which calls for a balanced budget of $24.1 million among other things.

Winter fades, Spring dallies.

A limbo. And then, a sound.

The pinkletink peeps.

Alex Goethals of West Tisbury e-mailed the Gazette Thursday with the first pinkletink peep of the season.

The Island’s senior centers offer a lot of programs for the elderly, They also offer a haven from the drama of these difficult times.

The Vineyard may yet be the scene of another big fish film under the eye of Steven Spielberg: the Jaws director’s studio, DreamWorks, has just bought the film rights for a soon to be released book about the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.

The book, The Big One: An Island, an Obsession and the Furious Pursuit of a Great Fish, by David Kinney, published by Atlantic Monthly, will be released on April 8.

Martha’s Vineyard’s two community banks face hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs as a result of increased demands from the federal agency charged with protecting customer deposits.

The two local banks, the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank and Edgartown National Bank, neither of which was complicit in the reckless financial practices which precipitated the banking crisis, will nonetheless have to pay increased fees to help bail out customers of banks which go bust.

The Edgartown animal shelter scheduled to close May 1 will be available for a future Vineyard animal home, the head of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) announced during a visit to the Island Wednesday.

At the same time, MSPCA president and chief executive Carter Luke elaborated on costs for the Vineyard shelter, which the MSPCA says has run a six-figure loss for at least five years, presenting a daunting financial prospect for any locally-run alternative.