The pinkletinks have reported their survival of another winter. The feat’s miraculousness does not wane with repetition, converting, as they must, their blood into antifreeze each winter through ramped-up glucose production, reaching something like a state of suspended animation. With each peep they hear, Islanders are reminded that they too have survived another winter, if only barely, and without the aid of antifreeze blood.

Editor’s note: Alex Baynes, a class of 2000 graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, recently arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, near Tokyo, where he is serving as a Naval officer. The Gazette asked Mr. Baynes for an account of his experiences of last Friday’s devastating earthquake, and the impact of the tsunami and the nuclear facility concerns that followed.

Since it was signed 10 years ago, the state’s Community Preservation Act has seen more than $12 million spent on housing, historical preservation and conservation on Martha’s Vineyard. But now there is growing pressure for Vineyard towns to reconsider their commitment to the CPA.

On Tuesday this week, Tisbury selectmen voted to attach a question to this year’s ballot, asking voters whether they want to maintain the town’s current commitment to the program, wind it back, or drop out completely.

West Tisbury is one step closer to owning and preserving the Field Gallery and sculpture garden this week, after the community preservation committee agreed to fund a large part of its acquisition.

Lagoon Pond is in trouble. Island residents heard a familiar story on Wednesday from representatives of the Massachusetts Estuaries Project about another degraded coastal pond on the Island, but town officials say that they are determined to find a solution.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

March 11 48 42 .06

March 12 51 36 .46

March 13 48 37 .00

March 14 53 38 .00

March 15 42 26 .01

March 16 45 33 .00

March 17 48 37 .43

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 47º F.

MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

The port-a-potty at the Point was dragged out from behind the sand piles and set upright again, then the machines and men started arriving, and the lines of plastic pipe reappeared next to the main road and in the ferry line pullout area. Bay State Piping is back on the job for NStar, and act two of the under-harbor cable installment has begun — or is it a reenactment of act one?

Please Adopt Us

The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has a few animals who need good homes.

JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

A Justice of the Peace named John

Author of this here column

He is Master of the Grange

And is comfortable roaming the range

He sorts the mail and has a lot of fun

A limerick by Colleen Morris

Celestial Lights

From Gazette editions of March, 1986: