NO TICKET, STILL TOUR

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

From a summer, 1962 Gazette:

History has much to say about Indian wampum, or “shell-money,” as it is sometimes called. Apparently all Indians east of the Mississippi used wampum for money or other purposes, and even some of those who lived far from the coastal areas but who prized this product of the fishing Indians’ ingenuity.

Baby boomers may shudder at the thought but Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna founding member Jorma Kaukonen is entering his sixth decade of performing. It may be somewhat reassuring, then, to know that Mr. Kaukonen, he of blistering licks and subtle fingerpicks, is still at the top of his game.

Don’t describe Gov. Deval Patrick’s book, A Reason to Believe, as a political biography. He takes issue with both words: political and biography.

For a start, he argues, the book is not political in that it isn’t “directed towards a political end, a prelude to another campaign or settling old scores.”

And that’s generally true. The book dishes no dirt and canvasses no specific detail of policy positions. And Mr. Patrick has long promised he will not run again for his current job.

Dean’s List

Daniel K. Kaeka 5th, of West Tisbury, has been named to the dean’s list at Western New England for the spring semester of 2011. Mr. Kaeka is a junior majoring in pre-pharmacy.

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School has joined Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Island caterers Jan Buhrman and Jamie Hamlin have partnered with the school lunch chef Leslie Floyd to create healthy, delicious meals that meet the school’s dietary guidelines and budgets. They will join an effort with school nurse Linda Leonard, who is working with staff to teach young people about nutrition and making balanced and healthy choices.

Youth Summit has Space

The 2011 Youth Leadership Summit for Sustainable Development begins June 18 at the Captain Flanders Inn in Chilmark.

It continues through June 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no charge for Vineyard youth to attend and rides are provided each day from all local schools; there are a few more spaces available for Vineyard youth ages 15 to 20 to attend. The summit is a program of the Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership Initiative.

Squeals had been echoing through the Katama Barn at the Farm Institute for 14 hours while three mamma pigs labored last week. Mariah, Carrie and Rhonda, the large sows who together produced 23 piglets, began farrowing Thursday afternoon and by Friday morning were not pleased with all the commotion.

“It’s okay, mamma, it’s okay,” said farm manager Julie Olson, cradling the tiniest newborn piglet from one of three litters. “Everybody’s talking.”

There were plenty of clams shelled out on Saturday afternoon at Nancy’s Snack Bar in Oak Bluffs, and all for a good cause. It was the fifth annual quahaug and oyster shucking contest, and this year the cause was the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, which collected a lot of clams — $1,000 to be exact.