It started with a headline. Two young Islanders won the derby. That was something to celebrate. Then on the Gazette website conversation stirred. They weren’t really Islanders, one reader said. Wrong at least on one count, replied the grandmother of Sam Bell, age twenty five, born and raised on the Vineyard.

Well, we had the “I’m Sorry I Called You That Terrible Name On Broadway In July But I Was Stressed Out Dinner” last Thursday. It’s an October thing, a let-down thing, a healing thing, slow, a little uneasy at first, and without energy.

As avid readers know, books can take you anywhere.

Travel is broadening, so another axiom goes, but watching tourists amble down Edgartown sidewalks or wander around the Field Gallery’s statues, I wonder how well they’re getting to know Martha’s Vineyard.

Ricky Vanderhoop died last week. Ricky was an auto mechanic who restored my 1963 Falcon. He did a magnificent job, always taking great pride in his work. Over the years I’d bring the car in for this and that and gradually got to know him as he began to feel like an old friend.

The scene is surreal. There’s the dark silhouette of the fish against the teal-colored glowing light of the water around the weigh station floating dock. The light doesn’t illuminate much of the water beyond the dock, which makes the glow seem like a protected space, safe from whatever the darker harbor waters hold.

Last year, I threw down your hat
with its scarlet B, red as an apple.
Trampled it with boots I wore
to rake dead leaves. Declared
your brand unfit for my forehead.
Hung it where I couldn’t reach.

From the Vineyard Gazette edition of Oct. 23, 1942:

The launching of government war craft has taken place along Island shores. The effort is small as compared with those of other places, but bulks with importance in the Island scheme of things, besides having attracted the attention of officials in the nation’s government.

On Oct. 3, against the recommendations of the selectmen, town administrator, police department and local residents, the Oak Bluffs planning board decided to include all of Dukes County avenue in the proposed medical marijuana overlay district. This decision does not follow the commonwealth’s recommendations or, in fact, the bylaw the planning board itself has created which clearly states that no “RMD shall be located within 500 feet of any playground, public park, public athletic or similar recreational facility.”

Recently the Oak Bluffs planning board voted to create an overlay zoning district for registered marijuana dispensaries (RMD) which includes the complete length of Dukes County avenue and they did this against the specific requests of the police department and the selectmen and in sharp contrast to the 500-foot buffer to parks and recreational facilities as found in their own bylaws.

As a lifelong Minnesotan of 70-plus years I was appalled to read Arnie Reisman’s article (Soothing Shrug of the Shoulder Season, Sept. 13) making reference to Minnesota GOP Representative Michele Bachmann (soon to retire, thank goodness) and her stupid recent behavior and comments.