At a hearing Monday Edgartown selectmen approved fare increases for the Chappaquiddick ferry, as a recent spate of complaints from residents gave way to resounding public support for the ferry’s new owner.

Selectmen unanimously granted owner Peter Wells’s request to raise cash prices on round trips from $3 to $4 for foot passengers and from $10 to $12 for cars. The rates scheduled for May 1, are already in effect.

A woman sustained serious injuries last Friday after a motorist pulling out of a parking space in front of Reliable Market accidentally put her car in drive and lurched forward, pinning her against the side of the building and reportedly breaking her leg.

According to Oak Bluffs police, Ellen N. Kendrick, 89, a seasonal resident of Edgartown with a Florida address, thought she had put the car in reverse but had actually put the car in drive. The vehicle reportedly jumped the curb and struck a 30-year-old New York woman who was walking along the sidewalk.

A plan to improve cellular phone reception for up-Island residents will likely not get off the ground now until the fall.

At a meeting this week, selectmen from Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury agreed to rewrite a request for proposals for the distributed antennae system; the rewritten language will require the winning bidder to provide complete coverage for all three towns.

The selectmen envision a proposal that would include Aquinnah as a possible hub but allow other sites in other towns at the discretion of bidders.

The coastal bank along Sea View avenue in Oak Bluffs has undergone a major overhaul in recent weeks and town officials are confident the area will be ready in time for the busy summer season. Town leaders have had to scramble over the past few months to repair the popular town beach after a 30-ton retaining wall suddenly collapsed in late February.

Habitat Open House

On Saturday, May 24 at 9 a.m., an open house and dedication is scheduled for Andrews Road in Vineyard Haven to celebrate Habitat for Humanity’s fifth house on the Island. The house is now nearing completion.

Habitat homes are affordable because of labor and material donations, the sweat equity of the new family and financial help from the community. More information about Habitat is available by calling 508-696-4646.

Hello, Ella

Holly Thomas and Greg Ehrman of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Ella Francis Ehrman, born on April 29 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Ella weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces at birth.

Butterfly Garden

The best time to catch fish during tomorrow morning’s trout tournament is early, at its beginning.

The 34th annual Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club’s trout tournament is free for youngsters 14 years of age and younger. As many as 200 youngsters are expected to show up to the shores of Duarte’s Pond, off Lambert’s Cove in West Tisbury.

The tournament starts early, before sunrise, and concludes at 10 a.m.

The Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group has scheduled its fourth annual spring benefit event, An Evening Under the Stars, for Thursday, May 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mediterranean, 52 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven.

This gala celebration for the support group is hosted by Mediterranean restaurant owners Doug and Leslie Hewsen. The event is sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank and also supported by donations from Island businesses and individuals.

Two baby owls, only a few days old, believed to be the only owls ever born in captivity on the Island, are doing well on the counter top of Gus Ben David’s kitchen in Edgartown.

The little fuzzy creatures, not much heavier than a pile of feathers, are eating well and gaining weight.

For now, they are living in an eight-inch square box slightly bigger than a shoe box. The box sits on a heating pad set between 84 and 87 degrees.