A West Tisbury woman last week killed her husband in what law enforcement officials have determined was an act of self-defense, with the incident shaking the Island community and calling into focus domestic abuse issues and resources on-Island.

The morning of March 23 Cynthia C. Bloomquist, 63, allegedly shot and killed her estranged husband, Kenneth R. Bloomquist, 64, after he broke into her home and shot her. The district attorney ruled the incident a homicide during an act of self-defense.

Cessna Aircraft Company began its defense this week in a civil trial over the 2005 crash of one of its airplanes at Katama, calling witnesses who defended the plane’s seat-locking system, raised questions about the pilot’s actions, and disputed future medical costs and lost income the pilot and passengers could incur.

Police are investigating the cause of a car accident that killed two women and injured a third this week when their vehicle crashed into a tree on the Kennedy family’s private estate in Aquinnah.

The driver of the vehicle, 70-year-old Judith Morse of West Tisbury, and front-seat passenger Susan S. Lambard, 69, of Lyman, N.H., were rushed to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital just after noon on Tuesday, where they were pronounced dead. The rear-seat passenger, 68-year-old Susan Papanicolaou of Minneapolis, sustained minor injuries.

As West Tisbury considers a vote to approve the sale of beer and wine in the historically dry town, it can look to the neighboring town of Tisbury, which just two years ago narrowly passed its own regulations that brought beer and wine to town restaurants following much contentious debate.

State fisheries officials have warned Vineyard conch fishermen that if significant conservation measures aren’t taken soon, the Island’s biggest fishery will collapse and be difficult to restore. After meeting last Friday with the state officials, a number of local fishermen said the conch fishery is in serious trouble and the state can’t act fast enough.

This past week in West Tisbury has been marked with much sadness — with events that have marred town tranquility. But spring has arrived, of course, and, brought its beauty and solace with it.

If one sits on the Allen M. Look memorial bench by the Mill Pond, the mallards will quack and the male swan spread his wings and show off elegantly. On weekends and after school, young trout fishermen are out casting their rods into this West Tisbury centerpiece. But even more tranquility is to be found on Tisbury Great Pond.

Despite its reputation as a playground of the rich and famous, Martha’s Vineyard has a year-round population that is one of the poorest in the Commonwealth. With its seasonal economy and high cost of living, the Island can be a difficult place to live. Fortunately, there are people, and organizations, that have been helping Islanders get by for many years.

An open letter to the citizens of the Town of Edgartown:

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and Neighbors, Voters,

At this year’s Annual Town Meeting, we are being called to hear, deliberate and decide whether or not to consent to the ethics of our government, Article #63.

The news media are frequently criticized for focusing on tragedy, but it must also be said that it is human nature to be transfixed by tragic events.

April could be referred to as the month around the corner, the one that signals a directional shift from winter towards the Island’s shoulder season. It begins on a whim, celebrating the art of foolishness (take note Chappy column readers) and ends, at least here on the Island, with a clarity of purpose. The summer show is not far off, reservations are booked, the audience expectant, and the backstage crew working feverishly.