Calm seas and a tepid north wind gave rise to a highly enjoyable Holmes Hole postseason race on Sunday, Oct. 2. Taking on four other boats, season-long winner Andy Berry in Isobar, a Cal 33, continued his dominance by taking the contest, which consisted of two laps around the traditional HSSA triangle.

The skies in the weeks ahead are especially interesting for planet watchers, no telescope required. Three planets are easily visible: Venus, Jupiter and Mars.

NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

For those in the know: Rupert has left the building. I can say no more. Long live Rupert!

Bill and Jan Stokes’ Island home was visited this week by son Wes Stokes, his friend Julia Kovach, and her talented two-year-old, Olivia. The young group shopped, beached, and Wes did a lot of fishing, his favorite pastime. I hope they return soon, the weather has been so accommodating.

Featherstone Center for the Arts has attracted an especially random group of Island artists for its new show, The Art of Personal Altars. This is not the usual show of landscape painters or photographers, sculptors or fabric artists — no such mundane grouping applies here. These personal altars cross all categories of the visual arts. Ann Smith, executive director at Featherstone, hopes this will be a new way for artists to express themselves. “We’ve had an incredible response,” she said.

Rob Douglas is vying for the 2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) received nominations for the 2011 awards from across the world for sailors representing all aspects of the sport. In deciding the nominees, the achievements of sailors made during the qualifying period of Sept. 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 are taken into consideration.

HOLLY NADLER

508-274-2329

(hollynadler@gmail.com)

There’s a great story in The New Yorker of Oct. 10 about geologists in a New Jersey field pick-axing down to the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. The Garden State was under water then, actually gorgeous tropical, turquoise waters, and what is now called North America had a different shape, sort of like putty dough pulled sideways. In fact, if we’d stayed that way, we’d probably be in the Euro zone right now; yikes!

Chilmark resident Martina Mastromonaco was announced as the grand prize winner of the Favorite New England Beach photo contest hosted by Woods Hole Group. Martina’s photo was of Chilmark Pond, Land Bank Beach.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary Woods Hole Group launched the contest in August and invited the public from around the country to submit photographs of their favorite New England beaches. Submissions were accepted via Facebook, e-mail and even mobile phone uploads.

Soon after the YMCA opened its doors in the spring of 2010, the Martha’s Vineyard Teen Center moved from its location at Cottagers’ Corner in Oak Bluffs to a temporary spot in the Y’s basement. Tony Lombardi, the Teen Center director, thought they were going to relocate there for a few years before moving on to a new location. Then the Alexandra Gagnon Foundation, who also funded Cottagers’ Corner, came up with a plan.

The Island Food Pantry will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 4 PM starting October 17.

For people coming more than once, please bring a letter of reference, written on letterhead, from clergy, medical staff, health care access or employer stating need from the Pantry and then you can come every two weeks.

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O Island Food Pantry será aberto nas segundas, quartas e sexta-feiras de 2-4pmcomeçando no dia 17 de outubro.

KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kathleencase@comcast.net)

Wow, did we hit the jackpot this past week. It was a great Indian Summer and there were plenty of people around to prove it. There were smiles on everybody’s face, that is for sure.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Oliver Lively, Marcos Rodrigues, and David Sweitzer, who all celebrated their day Oct. 8; Erin Hill on Oct. 9; McMahon Sykes on Oct. 11, and to Kenneth Cook 3rd, who celebrates his day today, Oct. 14.