Tides will run higher and lower than normal this weekend.

The extreme range is tied to two astronomical events: a full moon on June 23 during a time when the moon is near the earth.

The earth’s tides are created by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon. Usually the pull is greatest when the moon is either full or in the new moon phase. On Saturday, the moon is full and also closer to the earth, in perigee.

Thank you to the Harbor View Hotel for hosting the Celebration of Pets last weekend. A good time was had by all, including a goat, two sociable alpacas and canines of every size and description. The event coincided with the Harbor View’s new pet-friendly policy. Henceforth, it is not necessary to find a sitter for Fido if you wish to spend some time at the hotel. This will be welcome news to the many owners who suffer from separation anxiety when they must leave their best friend behind.

April Steamship Authority traffic was down slightly from the same period last year, though summer numbers are showing improvement.

At the Steamship Authority board of governors meeting Tuesday in Nantucket, general manager Wayne Lamson said April passenger traffic was down 3.3 per cent from April 2012.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded the county a $75,000 grant to help finance a beach rehabilitation project, Dukes County manager Martina Thornton informed the county commissioners last week. The money will be used to move sand from Eastville Beach in Oak Bluffs to Joseph Sylvia State Beach, which lost a considerable amount of sand during Hurricane Sandy.

The grant will not completely cover the sand transport, but would give the county “starting seed money,” Ms. Thornton said.

The Martha’s Vineyard Housing Needs Assessment Study Committee will present the findings of its latest study at a public meeting on Wednesday, January 19. The informational session will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Tisbury Senior Center.

Lucy and Michael Pelham of Melrose announce the birth of a daughter, Nancy Magnolia Pelham. Nancy’s grandparents are Garrett Orazem and the late Nancy Durkin Orazem of Edgartown, and Sylvia Pelham and the late Robert Pelham of Lake Hopatcong, N.J. Nancy weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.

Alex Poole of Edgartown graduated cum laude with a dual major in elementary education and english literature from Elmira College in N.Y. in June 2013.

Karen Newman-O’Neill and Kevin L. Newman purchased 96 Longview Road for $625,000 on June 14.

Gad M. Saarony and Jaka M. Saarony purchased 5 Vincent Road for $500,000 on June 11.

Ellen S. Schwartz and Michael S. Steing purchased 42 West Farm Road for $1,020,000 on June 10.