Before my first job out of college at 22, I carried a five-dollar bill and my license either in the back pocket of my well-worn jeans or tucked discreetly in my 34B 100 per cent cotton bra. I went dancing that way, walked into bars that way and drove around in my 1963 black and red MGB that way. That was really all I needed for ID and survival.

The author, a student at the public charter school, won top honors in a national program for her letter to Anne Frank and will be invited to a State House awards ceremony.

Who wins mother of the year? Island school children participated in an essay-writing contest that concluded on Mother’s Day weekend with an announcement of winners and a brunch at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown. Here are the four winning essays.

Kevin Parham’s new book, The Vineyard We Knew, certainly dispels the long-held stereotype that all of we African Americans who inhabit Martha’s Vineyard are rich, famous or both.

An effort will be made by Congressman Charles L. Gifford to have the protection of Gay Head cliffs undertaken as one of the projects in the proposed public works program of the Roosevelt administration. A bill to authorize action by the federal government to check the continued erosion of the majestic cliffs of colored clay was introduced by Congressman Gifford some time ago.

In the Gazette issue of May 2, the editorial Lines in the Sand refers to the public beach at Squibnocket, and to public beachfront.

The use of the word public here can only be a mistake, a misnomer, a misprision, or at best, a mishegahss.

The local boards of health are making potassium iodide tablets available to the public at the town halls. These tablets can protect us from thyroid cancer in case of nuclear radiation exposure. This is good.

Crane Appliance is one of those Island businesses that Islanders love to hate. “You can get it so much cheaper off-Island or online” is the comment most heard. People talk about their bad experiences but rarely their good ones.

We at Island Grown Schools are deeply grateful to Kevin and Suzanna Crowell for their overwhelming generosity in hosting last weekend’s high school garden fundraiser at the Sweet Life Cafe. We are humbled by their openness to our organization and the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s culinary arts students, and the time and energy they offered in putting this spectacular night together.

Elaine Barroso Santil and Marcelo Santil of Vineyard Haven announce the birth of a son, Enzo Gabriel Barroso Santil, born on May 14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.