At their annual town election Wednesday Chilmark voters easily approved three Proposition 2 1/2 overrides and reeelected selectman Warren Doty to a fourth term.

The overrides included $78,000 in education spending and two small funding requests that will allow the town to contribute its share to help pay for the county health care access and pest control programs.

A total of 211 voters, or 26 per cent of the 805 registered, turned out for the election.

A complete story about the Chilmark election will appear in the Friday Gazette.

Good Morning! The Gazette office will be closed on Monday in for the state holiday. And Susan Brown of Edgartown called yesterday to report Mayflowers blooming near the Edgartown Great Pond.

JUNE MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

The Aquinnah Public Library will be holding the final day of the spring book sale on Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in observance of National Library Week. All proceeds benefit the library, the programs at the library, and the activities there.

JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark’s weather is getting more springlike every day with the roadsides bright with yellow flowers and green grass . . . and some new yellow and white lines newly painted on North Road. All are seen in a pleasant blur as we move faster and faster toward what we hope will be our busy season.

MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

Last weekend my family went to Virginia where spring is some weeks ahead of here. It was a reminder of how wonderfully soft and warm the air will feel — at some point in the future.

The Virginia woods were highlighted by the amazing purple-pink flowers of the Eastern redbud trees and the blooming dogwoods. The redbuds lit up the woods the way that our shad bushes will in a few weeks.

KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kathleencase@comcast.net)

How can we not like this weather? The only problem is Mother Nature loves to tease us and we know this is short-lived until June. So we have to enjoy it while we can. Donaroma’s is looking like Oz again following the arrival of the pansies, daffodils and hyacinths. Everyone who comes in says they were looking for something to brighten their day and give them hope for spring.

Joe the Clam Eater

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of January, 1948

Not conquering perhaps, but a hero just the same, Joseph H. Silva returned this week to his home in Edgartown. He went west as the Vineyard’s champion clam-eater, seeking a prize as the nation’s capacity consumer. Mr. Silva has won local fame for his capacity for steamed clams, boiled clams, fried clams and just clams.

In an extraordinary outcome, a Tisbury town referendum on whether town restaurants should be allowed to sell beer and wine with meals ended in a tie vote this week, 690 in favor and 690 against.

Following the annual town election Tuesday, which saw a record turnout, supporters of beer and wine sales have called for a recount of the votes, citing the possibility that improperly marked ballots wound up in the count.

The machine count recorded 21 blank ballots.

In a town well known for spirited and lengthy town meetings, Oak Bluffs voters may have set a new benchmark this year, as intense scrutiny of town finances coupled with often emotional debate on a wide range of topics pushed the political season to 12 hours spread over four evenings.

High housing costs and new federal certification requirements have led to teacher shortages at Island schools. Staffing problems are currently limited to the subject areas of math, computers, special education and foreign languages, but school leaders are nevertheless worried and taking steps to address the problem.

At a meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School District Committee last week, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss announced a concerted effort to address the lack of interest for prospective teachers at the high school.