Now that Bad Martha’s Brewery has opened on-Island, how long will it be before we see other iterations and takeoffs of Mad Martha’s? I predict that within a few years we may very well see the following:

This letter is directed to your readers who may be cruising in Edgartown harbor this summer and wondering what has happened to the iconic flag that flew in front of Walter Cronkite’s home for as long as many of us can remember. Sadly, the flagpole met its demise when it tangled with tropical storm Arthur in the wee hours of Saturday morning. We were very fortunate that it missed the house by only a few feet. The pole was so large and heavy, almost 40 feet long and as big around as a telephone pole, it had to be cut and carried away.

On July 2, I was leaving the Edgartown Stop & Shop with an overloaded basket of groceries. As I was navigating the ramp into the parking lot, the basket capsized and all my purchases were strewn across the ground. Five wonderful people, unknown to me, swiftly gathered up my purchases, replaced them in the basket, and assisted me in getting the carriage and extra bundles safely delivered to my car. One person even replaced my broken eggs with fresh ones.

The Chilmark All-Star Game will be played Sunday, July 13. The players are chosen by secret ballot on a location near Abel’s Hill. Who will they be? Perhaps Bizu Horwitz, who has developed into an exciting young star, or maybe his father Tony who coached him. Then again it could be Paul Iantosca for his groundskeeping abilities or better yet Caleb Caldwell, equipment keeper. Old timers are rooting for Sophie Balaban, who makes the best lemonade on Pasture Road. Whoever is chosen, you better get there early and grab a box seat.

This week I witnessed a number of near accidents and arrived just after a fender bender in two different parking lots. It is the first time I have seen the signs reading, “Drive as if your children live here.” The delicate balance between everyone who shares the roads was upset this week by the tragic death of a 22-year-old man on a moped; three people in a pick-up were not at fault. My heart goes out to the family and friends of this young man and the loss they all must accept and learn to live with.

As soon as the ground can be worked, goes the adage for planting certain early season crops. This past winter was as cold as any in recent years.

Empty classrooms are strange places: silent rows of desks and artwork that once looked so pristine and was a source of pride now faded and lifeless without its proud creators. Schools so full of energy, sometimes muted and restrained like a force field and sometimes buoyant, but always humming from September to June, fall suddenly quiet and the business of winding it all down begins.

From the Vineyard Gazette edition of July 9, 1940: The first steamboat companies organized to serve Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket were financed by Island capital and were managed by Islanders.

On the mainland, northern long-eared bats are quickly becoming rare sights as they fall victim to a disease called white-nose syndrome. The disease has never been documented on Martha's Vineyard. The bats here are safe, at least for the time being.

Its porches and windows frame Edgartown harbor and the surrounding landscape, drawing visitors from around the Island and the world. It is a favorite spot to sit back and watch the sailboats in the harbor, the changing skies throughout the different seasons and the fireworks on the Fourth of July.