Five-year-old Wyatt Nicholson was among the top winners of the 37th annual Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club trout tournament held Saturday morning at Duarte’s Pond in West Tisbury. The young fisherman caught the biggest trout, an 18 3/4-inch rainbow, which put him into first place. The Oak Bluffs youngster, accompanied by his father, Caleb, fished early in the morning and also caught a 17-inch fish. For his efforts he won a brand-new bicycle, fishing rod and trophy.

Life is full of contradictions. So are plants.

Vinca, that evergreen vining groundcover that is currently blooming with blue-purple flowers, is a case in point.

This plant has been described as “moderately” invasive, is recommended as a sexual stimulant and also is known to be a portent of death; it is offered up as a healer and yet is known to kill. One must weave through the tangle of incongruities to discern the truth of this twining creeper.

One of the best ways to support conservation education on Martha’s Vineyard is about to happen just as you are reading this. The statewide Birdathon begins at 6 p.m. today and runs until the same hour tomorrow. A number of teams will fan out all over the state, but the one that matters to us is the Felix Neck team. Groups will search the Island to find as many species of birds as they can. Anyone can support their efforts by pledging a certain amount per species found. Last year a new record was set of 132 species, but if the weather is favorable we could do even better this year. Pledges can be any amount, from a nickel or dime per species to a dollar or so for those feeling generous. Any amount is welcome. And to make it easy, you can call Felix Neck at 508-627-4850 and leave your pledge, or even easier for many, go online to firstgiving.com/fundraiser/suzan-bellincampi/1/team and make your pledge there. This is a great way to support our own local Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and its fine programs. Get involved. Give those field observers an incentive to work even harder. Call or go online today.

Beverly Wright ousted two-term selectman Camille Rose 124-95 in the Aquinnah annual town election Wednesday. The election saw a high turnout of 225 voters. Ms. Wright is the former chairman of the Wampanoag tribal council.

Aquinnah voters passed a $3 million budget and nearly all 30 articles at the annual town meeting Tuesday night, moving through a 10-article special town meeting session first.

Voters backed the selectmen’s recommendation to fund just $134,000 of the $160,000 requested by the Tri-Town ambulance service, questioning the number of full-time paramedics needed to staff the service and the purpose of a deputy chief. The reduced dollar amount would not include the deputy chief’s salary.

The state attorney general’s office is investigating the town of Oak Bluffs’s bidding processes in connection with contractors’ work done at the old library, the town harbor, and a wastewater project connecting the high school, YMCA and community services to the town sewer line, Oak Bluffs town counsel Ron Rappaport revealed at Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting.

Five-year-old Wyatt Nicholson was among the top winners of the 37th annual Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club trout tournament held Saturday morning at Duarte’s Pond in West Tisbury. The young fisherman caught the biggest trout, an 18 ¾ inch rainbow, which put him into first place.

The Oak Bluffs youngster, accompanied by his father Caleb, fished early in the morning and also caught a 17-inch fish. For his efforts he won a brand new bicycle, fishing rod and trophy.

Three Vineyard fishermen had a real-life Jaws moment on Friday morning when they encountered a great white shark circling a dead minke whale that had become tangled in lobster line in the area known as Devil’s Bridge off Aquinnah.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted without dissent on Thursday night to approve a plan for a large new grocery store on State Road in Vineyard Haven that will consolidate the two businesses owned by Elio Silva, Vineyard Grocer and Tisbury Farm Market. The commission had fast-tracked its review of Mr. Silva’s plan for the property that now houses Island Home Furnishings on State Road.

After the approval Mr. Elio thanked the commission and summarized his business philosophy.

The All-Island School committee ratified three-year collective bargaining agreements for Vineyard school custodians, paraprofessionals and food service workers at their monthly meeting last week.

All three unions will take no wage increase for the first year of their contracts, which retroactively began in 2010, as well as agreeing to opt out of an indemnity health plan and move to a private provider. Union members will receive an incentive payment for the insurance.