Almost six months later, the story is the same: still no access to on-Island health care for Vineyard veterans, with no clear end date for the waiting game.

It’s been about four years since officials became aware that a contract for on-Island health care expired, and ever since, veterans have been largely forced to take long trips off-Island to receive health care.

For years, the Possible Dreams auction has been uniting the Vineyard. Year-round residents and summer visitors, dreamers and donors, come together for a night of philanthropy and possibility.

Among the many donated items to the Possible Dreams auction on Monday are two watches that tell much more than time. Rubin Cronig, owner of Vineyard Time watches and AquaNaut in Vineyard Haven, is donating two West Chop Lighthouse watches to the auction featuring dials scrimshawed by the late Tom DeMont, a well-known Edgartown scrimshaw artist. Mr. DeMont died in December.

Emergency preparedness leaders on the Vineyard say they are not only well along in their plans for this year’s hurricane season — which began officially June 1 — but their preparations have improved over a year ago.

Last summer’s close approach of Hurricane Irene was not as severe for the Island as in other parts of New England. But the storm did help Vineyard decision makers move forward in better preparing for the big one.

The Edgartown selectmen have suspended an Edgartown package store’s license for 10 days after repeated violations for selling liquor to minors.

The board voted at their meeting Monday to suspend the liquor license for Sophia’s One Stop Mart on Upper Main street from August 15 through August 24, acting on the recommendation of police chief Antone Bettencourt.

Three beeps from the race committee horn and the group of windsurfers competing in the U.S. Junior Windsurfing Championship pull up their sails, get settled on their boards and glide to the starting line.

Two beeps and it’s two minutes to race time at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club.

One beep and 13-year-old Geronimo Nores from Miami, FL,, along with the rest of the fleet, is at starting line.

The starting horn blows. The sailors head east towards the first marked buoy, pumping their legs up and down on their boards.

In the mid 1970s, shortly after the all-volunteer crew had begun work on the exterior walls encircling the patch of ice that would become the Martha’s Vineyard Arena, a gale swept through the Island and knocked down nearly all the cement blocks, destroying the steady progress.

A call went out. More volunteers rallied to the cause. The walls were restored and work continued.

Governor John de Jongh is no stranger to island-hopping. After all, he’s in charge of a territory that includes three main islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands — St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. But last weekend he traveled over 1,000 miles to visit this Island, and attend an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the University of the Virgin Islands.

A gibbous moon dominates the evening sky this weekend and well into the coming week. The moon rises tonight soon after sunset. The moon is two days past full moon, and still a bright night-time object.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

July 27 78 70 Trace

July 28 85 70 Trace

July 29 77 67 1.96

July 30 75 65 .03

July 31 78 61 .00

August 1 74 66 1.68

August 2 80 67 Trace

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 78º F.