70 Curtis Lane in Edgartown for $284,000 on July 25.

Go to a party, eat great food, hang with neighbors and do good at
the same time. It is, as the saying goes, a no-brainer. Or better known as the Chilmark Firemen’s Association Back Yard Bash.

The bash, an annual event to raise money for the all-volunteer
town fire department, takes place Wednesday, August 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center field.

The Gaymark barrel has hung out in front of our property for nearly 70 years, at least since the place was owned by the Balls and later their daughter. For years it was one of the items on scavenger hunt lists and some kid would swipe it for a day or two but it always reappeared. About five years ago it got swiped one weekend during a spate of similar thefts that included the Camp David sign from in front of Larry David’s place.

It was one of those sunlit, breezy exquisite Monday afternoons driving down State Road in light traffic from up-Island near Lambert’s Cove Road in West Tisbury. Through my windscreen I observed four rather burly young guys approaching me from Vineyard Haven on their obviously rented mopeds.

13 Atlantic Drive in Edgartown sold for $3,120,000 on July 16.

Sengekontacket Pond has been closed to shellfishing through Friday, August 3 due to recent heavy rainfall. The pond will reopen to shellfishing on Friday at 7 a.m.

The pond closure is marked by red flags flying by the Big and Little Bridges.

The closures do not apply to boaters or swimmers.

On Janet Holladay’s nursery school report it read “Janet loves to move to the music.”

She began tap dancing at the age of five, but it wasn’t until she was an adult and newly-single that she started partner dancing.

Kelleher Real Estate announces five openings in a new referral program created to enable young adults over 18 to become referral agents for their business.

Any leads for either buyers or sellers that lead to a sale will result in a fee for the referral agents, according to a news release issued by Kelleher.

Referral agents do not handle any aspect of a sales transaction other than providing the principal with a name of someone that has asked to be contacted.

Gov. Deval Patrick signed a compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe on Monday, cementing a deal to grant the Mashpee tribe an exclusive casino license for southeastern Massachusetts over the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).

Two searches and one appointment later, the Martha’s Vineyard public school district is back to square one in its search for a new director of student support services, following the abrupt departure of the person chosen for the job.

Lynn Silva, a Maine educator who was appointed to the job in May, resigned four days after starting on July 1, citing personal and health reasons, according to Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss. She was to replace Dan Seklecki, who retired after holding the position for 30 years.