As demonstrators in cities and countries around the world take to the streets in the name of Occupy Wall Street, not one but two Occupy movements are taking shape here on the Island, one virtual and one decidedly not.

The first began last weekend with a Facebook page called “Occupy Martha’s Vineyard.” Within a few days, the page had attracted 189 friends, several of whom have posted stories of their personal economic struggles as a way of connecting with the movement.

It was a banner year for the Vineyard Transit Authority, which posted its highest ridership numbers ever. But while an unprecedented number of passengers chose public transit on the Island this summer, transit authority administrator Angela Grant said her organization could use some relief.

“We should be running more bus service than we actually are, but we don’t have the funding to do it,” she said.

County of Dukes County, ss

To either of the Constables in the Town of Oak Bluffs, Greetings:

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to warn the inhabitants of the Town of Oak Bluffs who are qualified to vote in Town Affairs and Elections, to assemble at the Oak Bluffs School, Tradewinds Road, Oak Bluffs, on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 7:00 pm in the evening, then and there to act upon the following articles:

With apologies to Ratty of Wind in the Willows, for many Islanders, autumn is the best season to mess about in boats. September and October, and even November bring excellent sailing weather.

On top of that, the harbors are not congested. In autumn, the busy, noisy harbors of summer turn into quiet fields of floating buoys, drifting seagulls and an occasional fish breaking the surface.

In one quick generation the Vineyard be came a famous summer resort destination. The shoreline and its recreational joys became the drum that beats the local economy. And now that economy is at risk of cracking under the weight of climate change.

RED STOCKING TIME

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Catch of the Day

From Gazette editions of October 1986:

The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby will no longer be sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. The announcement came from Karl Buder, chamber president, at the derby award ceremonies at the Edgartown Yacht Club.

Eric Wodlinger, longtime counsel to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Cape Cod Commission, died last week at the age of 62. He had a quiet presence on the Vineyard, but he leaves a large legacy.

During his tenure as the commission’s counsel, Eric effectively advocated for Vineyard interests before Massachusetts courts at all levels, including the superior court, the land court, the court of appeals and the Supreme Judicial Court.

Let me briefly describe a few of the key cases Eric argued for the commission:

Soup Supper Season

To some the Vineyard is a place of wealth and ease with an idyllic backdrop of beaches, rural vistas and busy summer days. And for a few months of the year, this is the dominant reality. But the facade fades, at first subtly, and then more drastically, as the off-season takes hold.

Those who do not know the pleasures of the quieter side of Island life will never fully understand that beneath its obvious beauty, the Island is mostly a reflective soul.

SSA Office Here: No Reservations

The same way they are buying shoes, sweaters and new sheets for the guest room, Islanders increasingly are using the Internet to book their ferry passage on the Steamship Authority these days.