On the morning that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced that Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan will be his running mate, Martha’s Vineyard Democrats focused on a more local political decision as they heard from the two candidates they will choose between in the congressional primary on Sept. 6.

Looming thunderstorms and ominous skies did not detract from the excitement at the Boch family estate in Katama on a recent Thursday night. A core group of volunteers who had worked selflessly behind the scenes for weeks to produce what was one of the best Water Tastings by the Sea in 15 years, a benefit for Vineyard House, stood together in anticipation. We were not disappointed.

Years ago I was standing in the Red Sox clubhouse speaking with Bruce Hurst, the nicest guy I ever met in baseball and a Mormon. We moved from topic to topic until a female reporter entered the room. Then Mr. Hurst’s jaw clenched and he let out an unintelligible howl of protest. On another occasion, asked if he had one recommendation for baseball, he said it was to keep women out of the clubhouse.

Plants in the grass family (Poaceae) dominate the planet by the breadth of their global coverage. They play a critical role in preventing erosion, in addition to providing forage and habitat for many animal species. The majority of the most important agricultural crops in the world are grasses, including wheat, corn, rye, oats and sugarcane.

More than 60 participants traded in their books and bowls for sculpting tools on August 1 for the Edgartown Board of Trade’s annual sand sculpture contest, held at South Beach. Sand creations included a giant dog bowl, a mermaid, Pac Man and a shark chowing down on a swimmer’s leg, as well as a number of Olympic-themed creations. The winners, as judged by Jeff Donaroma, Libby Ellis, Bonnie DeSousa, Carlos DeSousa and Abbey Smith, are as follows.

After coming from Nantucket to the Vineyard on Wednesday, Cormac Collier first noticed the trees lining the roads that wind through Chilmark.

“We took a little tour on the western side of the Island, and the one thing I was most amazed about was . . . the forests that are here. We definitely have some similarities in terms of geological formations and vegetation, but the amount of mature forests that are here is pretty remarkable. It’s definitely nice to come here, because we don’t have forests like you,” he said.

After a seven-month hiatus, Very Vineyard has re-opened with a brand-new, very transformed look. The first floor of the 30 South Summer street building, originally divided into four subunits, has now been opened up into one large, open space. The women’s clothing store is owned by Carol Lattmann; it has been in business for 27 years. For more information visit veryvineyard.com.

The August issue of Martha’s Vineyard Magazine runs the gamut of summer activities, from laid-back afternoons on the beach to the high-energy high jinks of Built on Stilts, the Island’s communal celebration of dance.

Names: Henry Finn and Angus (Gus) James Coogan.

Ages: Henry: 6 (as of Monday!). Gus; 3.

Schools: Henry: I was in kindergarten and now I am going into first grade (Oak Bluffs School); Gus: The big room at Garden Gate preschool.

Pets: Carl (dog) and Iron Man the fish.

Something new you are learning: Henry: I learned that starfish have eyes on the bottoms of their arms. Gus: one hundred stuff.

New place you would like to explore: Henry: Atlantis. Gus: Garden Gate.

Each week the folks at Cinema Circus show a series of short films on Wednesday evenings at the Chilmark Community Center. The films begin at 6 p.m. but at 5 p.m. the circus — complete with jugglers, face painters, stilt walkers, food and music — gets under way.

An advanced screening of the films was arranged. In a world with few certainties, the kid critic is the critic to trust. This week’s reviewers are Henry (age 6) and Gus (age 3) Coogan.

Mechanical Musical Marvel (Dir. Chris Randall / U.K. / 2011 / 7 min.)