Somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan, beneath his army issue helmet, a U.S. soldier is wearing a soft black hat of blended wool and alpaca, knitted for him by Fran Resendes of Edgartown.

“I’m just getting to the end of this one. I have about two more rows to do and then I stitch it up,” she said, sitting in an armchair in a sunny corner of her home in Edgartown, the curling dark slip of knitting draped between her hands.

The Martha’s Vineyard All Island Band Program presents its Spring Concert on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the performing arts center at the high school. Admission is free.

This concert is a culmination of a year’s hard work and talents for over 200 children ranging from grades four to eight.

The performing groups include the beginner band, the fifth and sixth grade band, the seventh and eighth grade band and the junior high jazz band.

The Ocean Advisory Commission will hold a public workshop tomorrow in Woods Hole in preparation of the draft ocean plan for the commonwealth.

Since passage of the Oceans Act in 2008, effort has been underway to develop the Massachusetts Ocean Plan for the nearshore waters of the commonwealth, which includes the land and waters between 1,500 feet and three miles from shore, under town and commonwealth jurisdiction. The Oceans Act requires the plan to be drafted by the end of June and adopted before the end of December of this year.

The Planned Giving Council of Cape Cod is seeking nominations for distinguished service to philanthropy awards on Cape Cod and the Islands.

Besides the Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Business and Outstanding Philanthropist awards, the committee is introducing a new category: Outstanding Youth/Youth Organization. This award will be presented to a youth or youth organization that has demonstrated philanthropic commitment through fund-raising efforts and/or coordinating community involvement to benefit Cape Cod and the Islands.

Savers Rewarded

Two Island students won prizes in the annual Save for America drawing. Benjamin Davey of the Tisbury School won the grand prize, a $250 gift certificate redeemable at amazon.com, and Jack Sayre of the Oak Bluffs School won a $25 voucher.

The contest selects 10 students from some 3,500 elementary students in 28 states. These students made regular deposits through school banking.

The Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank coordinates the student savings programs in Island schools.

Oliver Joins the Crowd

Brett and Sarah Hopp Marcotte of Seekonk proudly announce the birth of their first child, Oliver Edward Marcotte, on April 9 at the Women’s and Infant’s Hospital in Providence, R.I.

Oliver weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long at birth. His grandparents are Mary Follas of Edgartown, Alfred Hopp of Vineyard Haven, and Sandra and Edward Marcotte of Seekonk.

A small business workshop called How to Grow Your Business in a Recession is set for tomorrow, Saturday, May 2, at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown. Professional business coach Ron Melbourne promises an interactive program showing how small businesses can implement market­ing plans and cash flow strategies to capitalize on their uniqueness. The idea is to use the current, challenging marketplace to grow business by setting yours apart from the competition.

Calling their late-night robbery of an elderly Capawock Theatre ticket-taker a cowardly crime of violence, the Hon. Cornelius J. Moriarty yesterday sentenced Michael B. Ellis, 21, to two years’ incarceration in the Barnstable County Correctional Facility and Brett Geddis, 18, to a year in the Edgartown House of Correction.

Gas

Prices for regular unleaded gas as of Apr. 28:

Edgartown

Airport Mobil $2.679

Depot Corner $2.699

Edgartown Mobil $2.759

Oak Bluffs

deBettencourt’s $2.679

Jim’s $2.729

Vineyard Haven

Citgo $2.679

Tisbury Shell $2.699

West Tisbury

Up-Island Automotive $2.609

Menemsha

Menemsha Texaco $2.599

After 21 years in the job, Ralph Packer lost his position as a Tisbury water commissioner in this week’s annual town election.

Mr. Packer’s defeat by Roland Miller, by a margin of 359 to 191 votes, was the only upset of the election; all the other candidates standing for reelection were returned.

The town ballot was otherwise marked by a lack of controversy and of voter enthusiasm.