The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities has awarded matching grants totaling $48,645 in support of eight humanities projects in communities across the state. Five of the grants, totaling $33,645, were made under the theme Liberty and Justice for All for projects that explore these fundamental principles in American political life and their interplay, past and present.

Martha’s Vineyard Community Services on Wednesday unveiled a strategic plan to grow in services, size and funding over the next five years, but within a year the organization expects to have better services in place for Islanders with drug and alcohol problems.

Talks already are underway between community services and the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, with help from the department of public health, to coordinate care for Islanders with substance abuse or mental health concerns.

They are artists and painters of the plein air variety, and of course friends and nearly neighbors. Hermine Hull and Leslie Baker both live in West Tisbury. They paint together often, sometimes several times a week. Never at a loss for words, Hermine is chatty and outgoing, while Leslie is quiet and introspective. But, like the walking path that runs behind the West Tisbury fire station between their two houses, they are connected.

Interviews By Julia Rappaport

All Martha’s Vineyard ponds have been closed to most shellfishing and could remain so for a week or more, as a result of the heavy rainfalls of the past few days.

A mandatory statewide closure was ordered on Sunday by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), out of concern that oysters, quahaugs and softshell clams could be contaminated by dangerous bacteria.

However, the scallop season will begin in Edgartown as planned tomorrow.

It was the Vineyard’s wettest weekend with gutters overflowing, but the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury was overflowing with people for Saturday’s Living Local Harvest Festival.

The two-day event began on Friday night with a panel discussion at the Chilmark Community Center and continued all day on Saturday with workshops, demonstrations and plenty of home-grown food as well as food for thought.

There was an exhibit on Island wool, bottles of Island-made honey and bags of Island-grown produce.

The proponents of a new emergency services building for Tisbury have decided to drop one article from the warrant for tonight’s special town meeting, hoping it will increase the chances of acceptance of the rest of the plan.

The meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Tisbury School gymnasium, will first seek approval for a new site for the emergency services, and second to borrow up to $640,000 for design work.

David D. Willey, the Cape Air pilot who died in a plane crash in the woods of West Tisbury Friday night, was remembered by family, friends and colleagues yesterday as an expert pilot, an avid learner and a family man with a wry sense of humor. He was 61.

“He was a great pilot, an exemplary human being,” Cape Air founder, chief executive officer and fellow pilot Daniel Wolf said yesterday. “This was a special person and it’s a huge loss for the company. It’s a devastating thing for the family.”

An experienced Cape Air pilot and Vineyard Haven resident was killed on Friday night in single plane crash in the woods off State Road in West Tisbury. It was the first fatal Cape Air crash in the history of the airline.

Eric F. Pachico stepped out of the heavy rain carrying a large striped bass this morning. It was 8:42 a.m., the derby headquarters had been open since 8 a.m., but he was the first angler with a fish.

The heavy rain began this morning at 6 a.m., and in two hours already half an inch had fallen at the National Weather Service cooperative station in Edgartown. And the forecast was for more. While the fish don’t care, anglers lose interest when it rains.

The Great White Way, on Oak Bluffs avenue between Sea View and Lake avenues, was the heart of the summer resort’s entertainment area. Its evolution can be traced in a group of postcards from the first quarter of the 20th century.