The Vineyard Committee on Hunger, along with Reliable Market and several Vineyard houses of worship, are working together again this year to ensure that Island families who are in need will have a great Thanksgiving meal (and Christmas). The volunteer organizers are asking Islanders who can to sponsor one of these families by contributing the cost of one family’s meal, $25.

Habitat Will Raise Roof

Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard is seeking volunteers with roofing experience to help with its fifth house this Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The building site is located off Edgartown/Vineyard Haven Road. Please call 508-696-4646 or e-mail houses@habitatmv.org for information and directions.

Free access to the complete electronic edition of the Gazette ends on Oct. 31 for nonsubscribers. To subscribe, visit www.mvgazette.com/account.

Hello, Peyton Lee

Meghan Montesion and Robert Tabares of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a son, Peyton Lee Tabares, born on Oct. 14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Peyton weighed 9 pounds at birth.

Welcome Gabriel

Solimar S.S. Arado and Marcos S. Arado of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Gabriel Soares Arado, born on Oct. 11 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Gabriel weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces at birth.

Marco Antonio Arrives

Maria Almeida and Marco of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Marco Antonio de Almeida de Filho, born on Oct. 14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Marco weighed 8 pounds, 7.6 ounces at birth.

The Menemsha harborfront, long defined by a history of providing open dock space for working draggers and lobstermen, must be protected, a vocal gathering of Chilmark fishermen told their selectmen early this week. The fishing industry is ailing and the harborfront endangered, they said.

“In a few years, there will be no fishermen,” warned Louis S. Larsen Sr.

The Vineyard Haven harbor’s two pump out boats carried between 12,000 and 15,000 gallons of raw sewage from holding tanks on boats to the town’s sewer system during this past boating season, according to harbor master John (Jay) M. Wilbur 3rd.

And as the demand for pump outs increases every year, the town harbor department is beginning to have trouble coping, Mr. Wilbur said.

Rising world oil prices have blown a million dollar hole in the budget of the Steamship Authority and forced the boat line to refigure its budget for a second time.

However, governors balked at management’s advice that they should immediately consider fare increases to cover the extra projected cost, opting instead to put off any revenue decisions until January.

If the price of oil remains high, governors will consider measures that include a fuel surcharge.

Middle Line Road is not much of a road. But it’s a heck of a legal problem, as quickly became evident when the controversy over its 270-year history and uncertainty over its future use landed in the Dukes County superior court in Edgartown this week.

The essence of the case is simple enough.

The Hall family, which owns land alongside the road, wants to improve it. To that end, they engaged contractors to cut trees and widen it.