It was twilight as the deck crew dropped the lines onto the wharf at Tauranga, New Zealand. We had stowed our bags in our cabins, cleared customs and had a lifeboat drill. The 46 bird-watching passengers were chomping at the bit, anxious to get out on deck to see what birds were about. The only species we saw with the fading light were pied shag (cormorant) and white-fronted terns. On the other hand, we were delighted to watch a full moon rise out of the sea and beam a path over the waters.

Oak Bluffs voters go to the polls on Thursday for special override election that will decide whether the cash-strapped town can afford to pave streets, hire a finance director, keep teaching aides at the town school and hire an animal control officer.

Voters will be asked to approve two Proposition 2 1/2 override questions, one to restore $230,000 in cuts to the highway department budget, and a second to restore $254,000 in cuts to a variety of other departments.

Polling hours are from noon to 7 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Library.

Tashmoo Beach will be closed for about a month after a piping plover nest was found Monday on Herring Creek Road.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary director Suzan Bellincampi said the nest contains four eggs and is located along the side of Herring Creek Road just before the parking area. Federal and state laws mandate a 100-yard protective perimeter around plover nests; Ms. Bellincampi said closing the beach is the only way to abide by those rules.

Goodale’s Pit, the longtime family-owned earth mining business in Oak Bluffs, does not need to be reviewed by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission as a development of regional impact, a key commission subcommittee decided Monday.

In every community there are people who have different experiences, who are unique and yet similar. We live side by side with each other, but how much do we know about our neighbors? Most of the people I spoke to for this piece are well known to me, and yet I did not know their stories. We all have a story, sometimes known only to ourselves.

In the end, it came down to a shoe box full of microcassettes, 75 interviews, two years of research and a lifetime of listening to Let It Be, Déjà Vu, Bridge Over Troubled Water and Sweet Baby James.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission has approved a proposed expansion of the Ocean Club restaurant in downtown Oak Bluffs. Owners Mark and Mike Wallace plan to expand the restaurant to include a second floor function hall capable of holding 500 people.

The restaurant plan was referred to the commission as a development of regional impact (DRI) after the town was threatened with a lawsuit by the owners of the Surfside Motel, who complained that increased noise from the venue would disturb their patrons.

There were two small earthquakes near and under Nashawena Island on Sunday night, about halfway between Martha’s Vineyard and New Bedford. The first earthquake, a magnitude 2.1, barely perceptible quake, took place at 8:39 p.m. The second occurred seven minutes later and was recorded at 1.3 in magnitude.

Nashawena is one of the Islands in the Elizabeth chain of islands. It is just east of Cuttyhunk. There were reports of the first earthquake being felt in Fall River and places nearby.

Babysitting Class

The American Red Cross will hold a babysitting class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the YMCA on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road.

The course is designed for sixth to ninth graders, ages 11 to 15. Participants will learn babysitting responsibilities, characteristics of children, supervising and playing with children, basic care such as feeding and changing, accident prevention, emergency action and first aid. The cost for the course is $60.

Family Planning Gala

Memorial Day Weekend is almost here, and with it comes the annual Friends of Family Planning Art Show benefit, an event that supports the Family Planning of Martha’s Vineyard clinic. All are invited to admire and purchase artwork — paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and more — at next weekend’s show and Thursday’s opening gala party.

Both the sale and the gala will be held at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury.