Federal and state regulators have issued their approval for the merger of The Martha’s Vineyard Co-operative Bank and Dukes County Savings Bank.

The combined bank, to be named the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank, will continue to be mutually owned and locally based, with more than $460 million in assets.

The merger will become effective for customers over Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 10 to 12, when the two banking operations will be united.

Morning Glory Farm Set

To Air on Television Program

Jim and Debbie Athearn of Morning Glory Farm have received word that their farm is scheduled to appear on the Food Network show Tasty Travels with Rachael Ray on Friday, Oct. 26 at 10 p.m.

Two Become Associates

At Hutker Architects Firm

Asked to describe his team's effort in last Friday's crushing 20-16 loss to the Crusaders from Cape Cod Tech/Harwich, no-nonsense Vineyarders football coach Donald Herman doesn't have to think long for an answer.

"Soft," he said roundly of his team's effort in the loss that effectively eliminated the team from going to the postseason. "We were soft and we were flat. I am not happy with what is going on right now."

Kitty Dukakis, the former first lady of Massachusetts and wife of 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, will be on the Vineyard Tuesday to speak about her struggle with mental illness, the stress added by the public life, and how electroconvulsive therapy saved her life.

Her talk, Shock of Recognition: Depression, Addiction and Hope, is set for Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Centre street in Vineyard Haven, as part of the fall season of the Vineyard Haven library’s evening lecture series.

Catch a sneak preview of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s upcoming fall theatre workshops on Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Theatre department students will perform free on the theatre room’s black box stage, offering a conceptual tour of the very dramatic year to come. Kate Murray, director of theatre and television at the high school, will speak about her goals for student enrichment and how the community can be a part of those dreams.

Alabama singer-songwriter Malcolm Singleton is playing Friday night at Offshore Ale Company in Oak Bluffs, and Saturday at the Wharf in Edgartown.

Mr. Singleton influences are as diverse as Coldplay and Dean Martin.

Born in the Atlanta suburbs, he made his first move, to Washington, D.C. at only one-week old. He lived in dozens of places — New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa, South Dakota, Arizona — before middle school. The one constant was music.

Both Henry and Kate Feiffer make one thing absolutely clear: in real life Henry was never sad, like his character in the new book Henry the Dog with No Tail.

In the book, Henry starts out wanting a tail more than anything. In real life, Henry never missed it. So what if he had nothing to chase? He had nothing that could be stepped on either. And there were rugs and couches and sweaters to chew.

At least so he says, in a voice which sounds remarkably like that of his owner, Kate.

Open Mike Night

Open mike event is about to kick off at the community building at Island Co-housing, and organizers are looking for musical performers 18 years old and younger.

The first Saturday of every month will be open mike night, beginning Saturday, Nov. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. A professional performer, Mike Kerr, will be guest artist, starting off the evening with some serious guitar shredding (see online Myspace.com/mikeker).

HOLLY NADLER

508-693-3880

(sunporch@vineyard.net)

Good news: Our town is safe from those sinister scarecrows assembled along Circuit avenue by students from the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School. My hypervigilant dog, Huxley, has seen to that.