Adult and Community Education (ACE MV) will hold information sessions for its winter and spring classes today, Jan. 17 and tomorrow, Jan. 18. Sessions will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on both days at the regional high school.

Course offerings include arts, music, dance, business, computers, education, parenting, cooking, health, history, language and writing. Many classes earn college credits too through Cape Cod Community College and Fitchburg State, all taught on Island

Today is Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday. All schools and municipal buildings, as well as the Gazette office, are closed.

Brewster police chief Richard J. Koch Jr. said in a statement Monday that Oulton Hues, 73, of Norwood and Edgartown, and Robert Walker, 68, of Falmouth, were the victims who died in the single-engine plane crash in Cape Cod Bay on Sunday.

Mr. Hues was the pilot and a flight instructor; Mr. Walker was his student and co-owner of the plane, a Piper fixed-wing aircraft.

Having trouble getting a handle on what to occupy these days? Well, on Sunday, Jan. 15, there will be an educational forum entitled, Understanding the Occupy Movement.

The forum takes place at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, located at 130 Centre street in Vineyard Haven. The discussion is from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a community supper at 5 p.m.

The group Occupy Together Martha’s Vineyard will present a series of short video clips, after which smaller breakout groups will be formed to facilitate discussion.

Save your appetite today for some haggis — a wee bit of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs to be exact — being prepared for the MV Center for Living’s cultural luncheon, honoring the Scottish influence and contributions to the Vineyard

The luncheon, where there will be other food besides haggis, takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at the Grill on Main in Edgartown. The event will include Edgartown’s poet laureate, Steve Ewing, and bagpiper Howard Wall.

The Steamship Authority has canceled a number of ferries traveling to and from the Vineyard on Friday due to high winds. Those who intend to travel should check steamshipauthority.com or call 508-477-8600 for the latest updates.

The cancellations comes in the midst of the Island’s second wind advisory in as many days. According to the National Weather Service, the Island may experience strong to damaging 20 to 30 mile per hour winds. Gusts may reach as high as 55 miles per hour. The wind advisory will remain in effect until midnight

The Chilmark Community Center will host an evening of dancing and desserts tonight, Jan. 13, to benefit the Yard. Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish will play from 8 to 10 p.m. Admission is $20, free for all kids. All proceeds from the evening’s festivities will be used to retire the Chilmark dance center’s debt.

The popular Circuit avenue bar Ritz Cafe was ordered to suspend operations this past week, part of a 20-day penalty meted out this summer for serving alcohol to minors. This is the Ritz Cafe’s fifth violation since 2000 from the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, the state entity that regulates and approves alcohol licenses.

Elite Academy

Two Martha’s Vineyard students, Conor Smith of Edgartown and Riley Donegan of Vineyard Haven, have been awarded congressional nominations to attend United States military academies, Cong. William Keating announced during a visit to the Island this week. Conor Smith plans to attend West Point in New York; Riley Donegan will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Congressional nominations are required to attend military academies; congressmen dole out only a select few from their district each year.

Good morning! Tom Hodgson of West Tisbury reported the first snowdrops this week. The Gazette office will be closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday. The office reopens on Tuesday morning.