Candlelight Service

The Federated Church of Edgartown will continue its tradition of hosting a candlelight service at their historic meetinghouse on Monday, Dec. 24 starting at 10 p.m.

Built in 1828, the meetinghouse is on the corner of South Summer and Cooke streets.

Sixty-two years is a long time to wait for a thank you. More than half a decade after risking his life overseas as a fighter pilot in World War II, James McLaurin has gotten the recognition he deserved — a Congressional Gold Medal.

Just as the first snows arrived on the Island yesterday, other signs of winter were in evidence around the Island this past week.

In addition to Christmas sales and plastic lawn Santas, the young athletes of the Vineyard could be found practicing their jumpers and perfecting their slap shots, as the high school sports scene moved from the autumnal fields of soccer and football inside to the cozy confines of ice rinks and basketball courts.

The disclaimer found at the front of political novels is generally trivial boilerplate. It implies that the novelist, or his publisher at least, is a bit chicken. Coy allusions to real people and events may be made but vaguely and behind the blast wall of imagination.

Yo-yoing, a fishing technique commonly used by commercial striped bass fishermen in Massachusetts and elsewhere, should be outlawed, according to Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever, a national nonprofit organization that advocates treating striped bass as a game fish in state waters.

Fourteen-year-old Corey Smith of Edgartown was honored recently along with 13 other youths by the Massachusetts Audubon Society for his interest and enthusiasm as a young naturalist. He was among those named as a recipient for the James K. Whittemore Young Naturalist Award.

Last summer, Mr. Smith attended the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary’s summer camp and so distinguished himself that he was an easy pick by sanctuary staff for the award.

Comcast announced this week that it will relocate its Island customer service center from Vineyard Haven to a larger, more centrally located office at the airport business park on Dec. 17.

The new facility at 19 East Line Road will offer customers additional parking and a larger and more comfortable lobby area than Comcast’s current location on State Road in Vineyard Haven. The center will feature the full range of Comcast’s products and also will serve as home base for the company’s on-Island technical staff.

Tonight and throughout the weekend, you may see a shooting star speeding across the sky. The meteor may be a straggler, left over from the Geminid Meteor Shower that peaked last night.

Hagen Contributions

In the spirit of community and giving, the profits of your tree purchase at Jim’s Package Store and Island Market will be donated to Dede Hagen who is fighting her battle with cancer.

Dede is the 43-year-old mother of two young children and wife of John Hagen, an Island artist. Dede has lived on the Vineyard for over 10 years and has taught third and fourth grade at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School.

The Cape Cod and the Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross is urging people to take action to prepare themselves for the impending winter storms. After yesterday’s a potentially severe northeaster is expected on Saturday night and Sunday. Depending on the nature of the precipitation, that storm could cause power outages.

Before winter weather strikes, the Red Cross advises:

• Make sure your vehicle is filled with fuel.

• Make sure you have an ample supply of prescription medications and other essential needs.