West Tisbury fourth grade teacher Mary Boyd has been selected to take the post of interim assistant principal at the West Tisbury School this fall.

In announcing the appointment this week, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss singled out Ms. Boyd for her skills as a responsive classroom trainer, a member of the curriculum, instruction and assessment leadership team and a lifelong Chilmark resident. She will work with West Tisbury principal Michael Halt.

It’s 6 a.m., but the energy feels more like noon at the Orange Peel Bakery in Aquinnah. Music is blaring, the sinks are full of dirty pots and bowls, the mixer is going and the counters are covered with vats of bread dough and pre-ferments (wild yeast) that are so active they are pushing the lids off the containers.

Juliannne Vanderhoop looks up from lighting her outdoor stone oven that could house a character from a J.R.R. Tolkien story, and recalls how it all started.

As drastic erosion continues to eat away at Chilmark’s south shore, town officials this week expressed grave concern for public safety and impeded access to Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket beaches. The Chilmark board of selectmen also approved a study for the extreme Upper Chilmark Pond, known as Upper Upper Chilmark Pond to some, for a possible dune restoration project.

The Guinness Book of World Records has a category called biggest zit, and one for the most people blowing their nose at the same time. But while a category exists for largest temporary maze, and largest permanent maze, there is no category for a portable maze — yet. That day may come, though, if you ask Sean O’Malley, Ryan O’Malley, Jared Koster or Perry Bliss. These enterprising 12 year-olds make up the board of the Giant Maze Project, and they’ve got a maze they think would easily dominate the portable maze category for a long time.

A pair of quahauggers stood waist-deep in Sengekontacket Pond early Thursday morning, the late August sun glinting off the calm water as they raked hardshell clams, perhaps a basketful for their dinner. The pond has been open to summer shellfishing this year for the first time since 2007.

Wendell Pierce finds the Vineyard’s frenetic August scene to his liking. In a way, it resembles the pace of the actor’s professional life since his star turn in the acclaimed HBO series, The Wire.

Mr. Pierce arrived on the Island with four other cast members of The Wire to headline a campaign fundraiser for President Obama on Wednesday night, then attended the W.E.B. Dubois forum Thursday evening, participated in a reading to benefit a nonprofit on Friday night and served as an emcee at the one-day Jazz on the Vineyard on Saturday.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

August 17 82 65 Trace

August 18 84 67 .85

August 19 72 61 .08

August 20 76 62 .00

August 21 75 61 .00

August 22 82 62 .00

August 23 82 61 .00

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 77º F.

The ambulance is in at the Tisbury emergency services facility on West Spring street; fire trucks will be next.

“The fire [department’s] move will be imminent,” building committee chairman Joe Tierney told the Tisbury selectmen this week. He said repaving should be completed in about two weeks; after that, the fire department can move their vehicles into the $7.38 million building that was due to be completed a year ago. Mr. Tierney also said that despite all its problems, the ESF building is still on budget.

Corey T. Maciel was promoted to the rank of sergeant with the San Antonio, Texas Sheriff’s Department on July 23.

Corey is a 1990 graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and a graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. He is the youngest son of former Vineyard residents Gerald F. Maciel Sr. of East Falmouth and Norma White of Cataumet.

Sunrise Sunset

Fri., August 24 5:58 7:28

Sat., August 25 5:59 7:26

Sun., August 26 6:00 7:25

Mon., August 27 6:01 7:23

Tues., August 28 6:02 7:22

Wed., August 29 6:03 7:20

Thurs., August 30 6:05 7:18

Fri., August 31 6:06 7:17

Planets