It may not be the most controversial thing on the ballot, but the race for the Dukes County Commission is probably the most complicated.

There are three seats to fill; terms for John Alley of West Tisbury, Leonard Jason Jr. of Chilmark, and Roger Wey of Oak Bluffs are all ending. Mr. Wey is not seeking reelection.

Voters will see three names on the ballot when they vote Tuesday: John Alley, Leonard Jason and Linda Sibley, a former county commissioner from West Tisbury.

At first glance the race for Martha’s Vineyard Commission, the regional land use planning agency vested with broad powers by the state legislature, seems quite simple. There are nine candidates listed on the ballot and nine open seats on the commission.

But not so fast.

Melissa Freitag pitches herself as the all-rounder candidate.

“I have the strongest professional, educational and strongest contribution to local government as a package,” she said, adding:

“I have a history of public service, and not on a per-hour stipend. I’m not doing this for my own health. One thing I teach is that the state exists at the will of the people and it can’t function without the volunteerism of the people.”

She emphasizes her educational qualifications.

Jacob Ferreira is the only unenrolled candidate who will stay that way if he is elected.

“I entered this race without a party,” he said. “When I first registered to vote as an 18-year-old, I took that moment very seriously. I thought about at the time if I wanted to enroll with a party, and I couldn’t think of many things a party had done for my community, my family or myself.

Tim Madden is tired of the negativity he has detected in parts of the race for state representative.

“If everyone had been running a positive campaign it would be fun, I feel like there’s been a bit of negativity,” he said, “I’ve been painted as a Republican.”

Mr. Madden is an unenrolled candidate who finished second behind Dan Larkosh as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary.

Still, he soon zeroed in on what he sees as a key weakness in one opponent’s position on the Steamship Authority.

Daniel Larkosh has had a change of heart since the Democratic primary, a race he won relatively comfortably back in September. In September Mr. Larkosh voiced strong support for a bill that would have placed the Steamship Authority under control of the state department of transportation.

He said this week he has changed his position on the so-called Pacheco bill, which was introduced by Rep. Matt Patrick, one of his backers.

Former Island residents and songwriting duo Judd Fuller and Dana Radford will perform at The Offshore Ale Co. in Oak Bluffs, on Saturday, Nov. 1. Judd and Dana were involved in the Vineyard music scene for years before moving to Nashville, Tenn., in the winter of 2005. Judd is currently touring with country music star Rodney Atkins. They have just wrapped up their tour with Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top. Dana is performing in Nashville as well as singing on recording sessions.

School Books Grant

The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of funds to school districts, private and charter schools, and not-for-profit organizations operating a school located on Martha’s Vineyard to purchase books for school or classroom libraries used by students ages 5 to 13. The due date for the letter of application is Oct. 31. More information can be found at thetowerfoundation.org.

On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Edgartown Yacht Club came ashore and held a dog show. This went well, though it was entirely unnautical.

There were 17 dogs all let loose into the greensward at the Edgartown Yacht Club Tennis Club. They played, they sniffed, they chased balls and Frisbees, and there was not a single angry snarl. It was neutral territory, so no one had to pretend to be alpha dog.

JUNE MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

Cranberry Day celebration was grand this year. There was a more than abundant harvest of cranberries, the last berry of the season in Aquinnah. The potluck was a wonderful evening of socializing with friends and neighbors. Traditional dance and drum was enjoyed by all. We were graced by the presence of the eldest tribal member attendee, Gladys Widdiss, who was photographed with the youngest tribal member, Amos Sauer.