Head Start, the home-based preschool program for low-income Vineyard families, will end programming one month earlier and begin one month later this year to accommodate federal budget cuts due to sequestration, the program’s director announced this week.

Debbie Milne, early childhood program director at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, which operates the Head Start program on the Island, said the program’s budget is being cut by $19,000.

“We made the best of a bad situation,” Ms. Milne said on Thursday.

The Oak Bluffs selectmen signed off on the annual town meeting warrant Tuesday, but said they expect lively discussion about two agenda items: funding for a new school district building and stipends for some elected town officials.

Selectmen expressed hesitation at a request for $45,172, which would pay for the town’s portion of architectural designs for a new superintendent’s building on the high school campus.

Vineyard House ended another year in the black, thanks to strong end-of-year appeals and fund-raising, the sober housing facility announced at its annual general meeting on Feb. 18.

The meeting also served as an election for the organization’s officers.

Two men are facing charges including assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after a fight Saturday night in Oak Bluffs.

Patrece L. Petersen, 40, of Edgartown and Darryl Baptiste, 35, of Brooklyn, N.Y., were arraigned Monday in Edgartown District Court after police said they were involved in a fight at the Ritz Cafe.

Mr. Petersen was charged with assault to murder, assault and battery and disorderly conduct, and Mr. Baptiste was arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (razor) and assault and battery.

The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank reported revenues of $263,270 for the business week ending on Friday, March 8, 2013. The land bank receives its funds from a two per cent fee charged on many Vineyard real estate transactions.

Ask any adult for a memory they will never forget, chances are if they played high school sports, the big game will top the list. Often it isn’t the big win, though. It’s the loss that sticks tightest; every loose ball, turnover, timeout and bead of sweat shed in that final game. We hope the boys’ basketball team is not feeling this way after playing in the semifinal game of the Division 3 state tournament. Vineyard basketball has not travelled this far into the post-season since 1973.

They’re calling out in Lambert’s Cove. In Oak Bluffs, too, Edgartown, the entire Island by now. They’re looking for love in all the muddy places and anyone out at dusk can’t help but be caught up in this annual mating call. The pinkletinks have awakened. Spring is here.

Somewhere in the first hour of every morning I burst into sobs. How long has it been now? A month? He was a presence. He was with us for 11 and a half years. Then he wasn’t. Our beloved yellow Lab has died. Our dear sweet Floyd is gone. Great pain took hold of him for at least 24 hours. Now it won’t let us go.

Hearts filled to the brim with love and respect
Smiling eyes to welcome and connect.
A wild sense of humor that would make a cat laugh
Plus a pinch of ridicule to add to the spark.
Forty or is it eighty shades of green
Rain and drizzle never before seen.
Pubs that stay open all through the night
Driving on the left or was it the right.
When we’ve had one or two too many this is how we talk
Would you give me that instead of pass me the salt.
Mass in Latin or was it Cantonese

A friend recently diagnosed as being allergic to gluten found himself unable to eat the fruitcake he had been sent at Christmas and passed it on to us. It was very big and quite heavy, shiny with cellophane and red ribbons, and wedged tightly in a festive tin. A solid confection, stored away in the freezer, waiting for a party that hadn’t happened.