If you need a taxi in West Tisbury, first call the town selectmen.

That is exactly what Morgan Reitzas, the owner of MVY taxi, a new company, did and this week he emerged with a license to operate a cab service in town.

Tuesday was the last day to file nomination papers with local towns for candidates seeking a seat on the Dukes County Commission.

Three of the seven county commissioners are now serving out the last months of their four-year terms: John Alley of West Tisbury, Leonard Jason Jr. of Chilmark and Roger Wey of Oak Bluffs.

Mr. Alley and Mr. Jason are seeking reelection. Mr. Wey will not run.

A powerful fire swept through an Edgartown home on Fourth street early Wednesday morning, completely destroying the two-bedroom residence and leaving eight people homeless.

Edgartown fire chief Peter Shemeth said yesterday that a delay in the reporting of the fire caused firefighters to lose considerable time and may have contributed to the home’s total destruction. The home was reportedly occupied by eight Brazilian nationals, seven adults and one child.

Luiz Arrives

Camila Nascimento and Mauricio Brandao of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Luiz Mauricio Nascimento Brandao, at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on April 16. He weighed 6 pounds, 12.4 ounces.

Nine ecstatic Vineyarders won the right to buy affordable homes in the Edgartown’s Jenney Way project by lottery in an elaborate public ceremony at Edgartown town hall Monday.

The culmination of years of work by several Island housing organizations, the sophisticated design, energy-efficient homes were awarded to the winners from 26 applicants, at knock-down rates ranging from $160,000 to $330,000.

MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

As the natural world comes to life, the plants’ new growth has the appeal of the young of any species — the delicate tree leaves with creases like newborns’ skin, the vibrancy of youth that appears in the radiant green of grass and leaves, before time turns them ordinary.

KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kathleencase@comcast.net)

I am sitting here in my winter houserobe and my sheepskin slippers and can’t believe that last week we were in shorts. I think we all expected this as we have lived here long enough but the warm weather was nice and next we go into the fog. If we were that unhappy, we would not live here. So we enjoy what we have when we have it.

HOLLY NADLER

508-274-2329

(sunporch@vineyard.net)

NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

We had a mixed bag of weather over the weekend. Saturday was great but it went downhill after that with rain, wind and lower-than-average temperatures. It will be improving this weekend. Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican Independence Day, is celebrated on Monday.