Best of the Vineyard. The words convey prestige and pride for the many Island businesses who vie for the honor. But ultimately it’s the public that decides which Island businesses and organizations are the very best at what they do.

I’ve got “nutting” bad to say about hickory trees.

Three cheers for local knowledge! Although Arizona is a birder’s paradise, it is a challenge to find birds you want to see even if there is a guide to show you the way. So we rediscovered the importance of chatting with birders in the areas where we hoped to observe birds we had never seen before.

Are you a small business owner seeking to improve or grow an existing business, or start a new business on the Island? The Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network is offering a $2,500 grant to further your goals.

The grant is open to both men and women, regardless of membership in the Women’s Network. Grant applications must be postmarked by April 2. The award winner will be announced in May. Application, instructions and information on application fees can be found at mvwomensnetwork.org.

The girls in Violet’s dance carpool have been pestering me for a camp-out. I finally relented. We spent the night in the big unheated greenhouse in the middle of my vegetable garden. Unheated is the key word here. Once the sun sets and the campfire stops blazing, you can imagine how quickly the temperature plummets.

I have a whole new appreciation and compassion for the homeless and those in refugee camps. Little girls can have a giggle-fest in most situations, while we of a certain age are downright uncomfortable and prone to complaining.

Educomp in Vineyard Haven has been awarded a two-year contract as the exclusive Apple certified sales and service provider on Martha’s Vineyard. Following the closing of Mac Sales and Service, Educomp is now the only business on Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket that has this designation.

Educomp was founded in 1982.

You are never too old or young to soar. That is the message one gets from watching the dancers perform in What’s Written Within. The show takes place this Sunday, March 24, beginning at 4 p.m. at the Hebrew Center in Vineyard Haven.

The story of the dance troupe begins six years ago when a few women began getting together once a week to explore modern dance. Today there are 20 core members who meet three times a week, year-round

Vineyard Toastmasters wants to teach you how to give a toast, speak in public or just climb up on your soap box and hold forth with style. They are holding an open house on Wednesday, March 27, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post 257, 47 Martin Road, Vineyard Haven.

During summer the Chilmark Tavern stays true to its name. It is a place to eat and imbibe — bring your own, of course. But for the past few years, each winter the tavern morphs into a completely different type of destination, one that defies a category or even a definition. Welcome to the Pathways Project.

The brainchild of Marianne Goldberg, Pathways is essentially a playground for artists of all genres. Ms. Goldberg holds a doctorate in performance studies from New York University and has traveled extensively, performing and studying visual art, choreography and other art forms.

On Saturday, March 23, there will be a benefit chicken dinner for Liam McCarthy at the P.A. Club located off Vineyard avenue in Oak Bluffs. Liam was diagnosed with having a stroke in utero and has many physical deficits. The benefit is for a walk aide device that his insurance will not cover. Liam is a student at the regional high school who loves baseball.