These are the moors that tumble from our hilltop to the little shell and stone washed beach. Our golden dog, weaving a ribbon of orange silk through the beach plum and huckleberry bushes, scares to flight a family of quails and a berry nibbling gull.

The woman in her late 50s or early 60s who excused herself and wore a colorful, handcrafted felt hat was speaking to a woman in her 80s who had a bubbliness of someone half her age, wore what I can only describe as a bonnet, looked familiar to me and spoke audibly and loud enough for me to hear that Yvette Eastman had died at the age of 101.

I have long been a devotee of The Moth Radio Hour that airs on WCAI (and is also produced there), where people tell true stories from their lives with no notes or props of any kind.

From the Vineyard Gazette edition of Jan. 25, 1985:

The computer age has come to the Edgartown Free Public Library.

Actually, it arrived quietly in the last weeks of 1984. Head librarian Linda Norton explains:

The Island has lost the original dog whisperer with the death of George (Sonny) Jackson.

Last year there were no contested offices in any of our six towns on the Vineyard during the spring elections. Now is the time for people to start thinking about serving on a local board or committee for the coming year.

Now that we are in the new year, let’s think about how to make things different and better for living in Vineyard Haven in the summer. Let’s get a discussion going about traffic mitigation measures.

At this point it’s silly to offer an opening date. That said, if it isn’t in February, we will donate $1,000 to the Martha’s Vineyard Boys’ and Girls’ Club. If it isn’t March, we will donate $10,000. April? They can have the restaurant.

Wow! Gratitude and thanks to the fabulous response from the Tisbury police, the Tisbury fire department and NStar when a large plume of smoke appeared at the electrical wiring junction outside our house.

Chilmark

Anne Hotchkiss Ganz purchased North Road in Chilmark from Henry Washington Hotchkiss for $11,000 on Jan. 13.

New Property MV LLC purchased 34 Brickyard Road in Chilmark from Great Rock Bight LP for $1,900,000 on Jan. 15.

Edgartown

Thomas G. Vaughan and Margaret B. Vaughan purchased 6 Norcross Drive in Edgartown from Linda H. Voloshin for $899,000 on Jan. 13.

Edgartown Hills LLC purchased 210 Pennywise Path in Edgartown from Jan W. Whiting for $145,715.24 on Jan. 16.