On a recent Wednesday morning, Michelle Nepton, enrollment specialist at Vineyard Health Care Access, took a quick moment in between clients to put on a pot of coffee. It was the second full pot of the day. It was only 10:30.

There is nothing sleepy at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs this winter, or any winter.

While many of the Island’s summer restaurants and clubs might slip into a state of hibernation, at the PA Club the music is loud, the television is playing and the heat is on. Someone has a story to tell.

The club, off Vineyard avenue, is the Island’s community living room, dining room and kitchen. For many of members, the place offers a second home, a second living space. The oven is seldom off.

The domino effect of a few 2006 property sales that have doubled some assessments and taxes in two West Tisbury neighborhoods are simply part of a trend toward sharply increasing values on waterfront and high-end properties, the town principal assessor said this week.

A number of Tisbury Great Pond and Seven Gates Farm homeowners are in the eye of the tax bill storm, while other West Tisbury tax bills have increased moderately, are unchanged or even lower than in 2007.

Chilmark selectmen last week expressed reluctance to join a lawsuit filed recently by the town of Tisbury intended to challenge the state-imposed formula for funding the regional high school.

Selectmen received a press release from the town of Tisbury explaining the lawsuit, which was filed in Dukes County Superior Court two weeks ago. The release invited other Island towns to take part in the complaint.

Oak Bluffs selectmen on Tuesday said goodbye to a pair of longtime business owners with a combined 70 years of experience as they approved the transfer of licenses for the Ritz Café on Circuit avenue and King’s Rentals on Circuit avenue extension to new owners.

In a busy meeting, selectmen also heard plans for the dredging of a new channel in Sengekontacket Pond that could vastly improve that waterway’s tidal flow and approved a contract for town administrator Michael Dutton a full 18 months after he was hired.

With little fanfare, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission on Jan. 17 unanimously approved a $1.3 million operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The budget represents a 4.3 per cent increase in spending over last year; town assessments will go up 3.5 per cent overall.

A majority of the commission’s income comes from the assessments, which are calculated using a formula based on equalized valuations.

The Dukes County commissioners Wednesday night reappointed Marc Hanover of Oak Bluffs to his second three-year term as Martha’s Vineyard governor at the Steamship Authority.

Three candidates came in front of the commission to throw their hats in the ring for the position. The commissioners heard from Rodney Eldon, a former executive at Hendy International Corporation with extensive maritime experience; Rick McElhinney, a former SSA employee with 22 years of experience at the boat line; and the current governor, Mr. Hanover.

Inhaling water poses the greatest threat of death, far above hypothermia, for someone accidentally falling into cold water.

At a talk on cold-water immersion, a Vineyard doctor warned a gathering of 40 boat enthusiasts that the best way to stay alive is to keep your head above the water at all costs, especially in that first critical moment.

“You can be one of the best swimmers,” said Dr. Michael Jacobs, but unless you can keep your head above water in that first instant of immersion, you could drown.

West Tisbury Library

Receives Generous Gift

Summer resident Betty Franklin has donated $50,000 to the Friends of the West Tisbury Library, one of the largest gifts ever made on behalf of the library.

Susan Wasserman, president of the Friends, announced the gift at a joint meeting of the library trustees and the Friends on Jan. 17.

Auditions for One Acts

Island Theatre Workshop will be presenting two programs of one acts on the second and third weekend in March.

Open auditions for these productions are on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 11 a.m. Katharine Cornell Theatre.

Leslie Stark, who made his directing debut in last year’s one act program, will return with another new play, This Seat Is Taken. Xavier Powers will offer Eugene O’Neill’s Sniper. Artistic director Lee Fierro and Kevin Ryan have not selected the works they will present.