Barack Obama and John McCain were the official winners of a scientifically bereft poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday among voters across the Vineyard. But as Iowa kicked off the 2008 primary elections last night, the informal going over of this Island’s body politic found a pulse palpitating in fits and starts.

The Sun Dog clothing store on Main street in Edgartown has a simple door sign: “Open seven days. Year-round.”

But while more Island businesses are choosing to remain open year-round despite the winter’s long chill, it is not always simple.

Their reasons for staying open differ, but all include a degree of community service, the benefits of expanded name recognition and the desire to attract and to keep an experienced and stable workforce that maximizes their summer business.

The war was not yet over, but the Germans were on the retreat and General George Patton’s 94th Infantry Division was marching towards the Rhine River. The changing tides brought hope to America, besieged by years of war and renewed the strength of Allied soldiers ready to return home. But for Edward Cowley Jr. — Eddie Jr. to his parents and little sister back home in Buffalo, N.Y. — the impending victory meant one thing: a clean sheet of paper he could use to write his next letter.

Hello, Boden

Jennifer and Jackson Rouse of West Tisbury announce the birth of a son, Boden Mahapfey Rouse, born on Dec. 29 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Boden weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces at birth.

The American Red Cross, Cape Cod and Islands Chapter, will organize an extensive number of adult, infant and child review and first aid classes. They will be held at the Martha’s Vineyard YMCA at Cottager’s Corner in Oak Bluffs.

The four-hour adult CPR/AED class costs $45. The certificate is valid for one year. The class is offered on any of three Saturdays: Jan 12, Feb. 9 or March 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or on Monday, March 24, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Island year-round business owners, canny survivors of the Ides of March (not to mention January and February), offer these practical tips about Vineyard winter business:

• Start a winter savings account in the summer. If you’re serious about staying open, put money away.

• Be consistent. Let people know your winter hours and be open when you say you will.

• Look for energy and labor savings

• Be disciplined about inventory. Use just-in-time ordering.

The Steamship Authority has ordered a replacement for one of the main generators on the ferry Island Home following a string of malfunctions which have disrupted service.

The ferry missed eight trips in December alone, according to the boat line. Through the month of November, 13 of its 3,146 scheduled trips had been cancelled — nine due to breakdowns and four due to bad weather.

The Dukes County Health Council has announced openings for new members in 2008. The council has vacancies in its consumer, public official and health care practitioner categories.

Membership on the Dukes County Health Council requires attendance at a monthly meeting and active participation in at least one of its committees.

The council is a coalition of community members, public officials, health practitioners and health organizations working together to promote community-wide health and wellness.

The Ritz Cafe, a well-known family-owned tavern on Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs, is under agreement to be sold.

The buyer is John Reveruzzi, a Connecticut businessman with ties to the Vineyard. Mr. Reveruzzi is a part owner of David Ryan’s restaurant in Edgartown and the Sugar Shack, a Caribbean pub and eatery on the Oak Bluffs harbor.

The Ritz has been on the market since November, said Janet King who, along with her siblings, has managed the bar for the past 28 years.

Oak Bluffs police received a call on New Year’s Day from a women who reported the unlikely combination of a fire and domestic violence at a residence on Beacon avenue.

But when police responded, they came across something entirely different. They eventually confiscated 70 pot plants while arresting a local man on charges of cultivating marijuana.