In a chilling midsummer tragedy that made overnight headlines around the world and quickly put the Vineyard beneath the harsh spotlight of the national media, a small airplane flown by John F. Kennedy Jr. plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the western end of the Island on Friday night.

The most expensive sale of residential Vineyard real estate was completed on Tuesday in a law office in Boston. An old summer family sold 80 acres of north shore property that fronts Vineyard Sound in West Tisbury for $12 million.

The property, in proximity to Paul's Point, had been in the Albridge C. Smith family since 1943. The sellers were his two daughters: Margaret (Trika) Smith-Burke of Connecticut and Cary Hart of California. The property was put on the market early last winter.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted 13-3 last night to approve a plan for a private 18-hole golf club on the site of an old subdivision in the rural perimeters of Edgartown, first spending nearly three hours developing a heavy set of more than 20 conditions which will force the developer to return to the commission on a number of fronts before the project can go forward.

Even though it was raining, the fields at Thimble Farm on a recent morning were being picked by enthusiatic strawberry aficionados and contented workers.

Sandy Mocarski, a customer from Edgartown, was on her knees out in the field. She's been to Thimble Farm "many times over the years, but this is my first time in the rain. It's peaceful, like a treasure hunt." She planned to use her strawberries for a Father's Day cookout off-Island. "I'm bringing strawberry shortcake for everyone. Thimble Farm is wonderful. It's fabulous to have this place on the Island."

An unprecedented proposal to designate the entire town of Aquinnah as a district of critical planning concern (DCPC) drew heartfelt statements on both sides of the issue from a small crowd of town residents last week.

“We need some time to explore our options, because right now the permits are coming in faster than we can keep up with them,” declared Peter Temple, a member of the town planning board.

“The trophy-house building we have to stop, before Gay Head turns into another Mattakesett,” said resident Elaine Vanderhoop.

Tisbury officials this week wrestled with whether the town should establish a district of critical planning concern (DCPC) for Vineyard Haven harbor, an area that currently has a detailed zoning plan for the shore but no controls for the water.

At a meeting Tuesday night session with the town planning board, members of the board of selectmen explained their rationale for considering a DCPC -- a Martha’s Vineyard Commission overlay planning district -- as a mechanism for regulating activities on the harbor.