Thomas Edison captured the first Hawaiian surfing footage in 1906, but surfing films became part of surfing culture in the the 1960s and ’70s, when classic surfing films used to tour the country. Now California filmmaker Thomas Campbell (The Seedling, Sprout) carries on the tradition, eschewing video to shoot his features in beautifully rich 16 mm film. His latest, The Present, will screen on Martha’s Vineyard for one night only, on Sunday, April 26, at 7 p.m. at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven.

JOHN S. ALLEY

508-693-2950

(alleys@vineyard.net)

Trout fishing in the Mill Pond continues to increase each day and should really pick up next week. Monday the town buildings will be closed to observe the state holiday, Patriots Day and Wednesday is Earth Day nationwide. Louis Greene’s old greenhouse near his house in North Tisbury was demolished by Richard Olsen on Tuesday. The state street sweeper was busy early in the week clearing the roads in town of tons of sand and salt dumped on them this winter.

JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark ... and the rest of the world ... is already halfway through April. We are still waiting for the wind to stop blowing and the air to warm up a little, but we all seem to be out and about and getting things done. I have a few dates to remind you of before we get too busy and miss these events.

JUNE MANNING

508-645-2574

(lthslnks@gis.net)

The Soloist will premier worldwide on Friday, April 24. It is based on a true story about a homeless schizophrenic pianist who lives on skid row in Los Angeles. He was a professionally trained musician and has dreams of playing at the Disney concert hall and by chance meets a journalist to make his dreams come true. The Soloist stars Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener and Robert Downey Jr. The producer is Aquinnah’s own Gary Foster of East Pasture.

HOLLY NADLER

508-274-9239

(hollynadler@gmail.com)

Oak Bluffs Burn

On Saturday, April 18, beginning around 8 a.m., officials will be conducting a burn of all remaining brush, branches and leaves on the property formerly known as the Leonardo property in Oak Bluffs. The Oak Bluffs wastewater department, highway and fire departments are coordinating the burn, calling it another step in the further development of this property.

The crescent moon moves amid the planets early in the week, but only early-morning risers will have the best view.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

April 10 56 36 .00

April 11 61 44 .21

April 12 45 37 .57

April 13 46 33 .01

April 14 53 37 .00

April 15 53 43 .00

April 16 53 40 .00

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 48º F.

This week, our sophomore writers have a lot to say and much of it is about MCAS, though they still have an eye on that outside world and one thing is clear — they love to learn.

— Elaine Cawley Weintraub, advisor.

A Necessary Evil?

By Jessica Kelleher>

A man waiting for coffee behind me the other day at the Scottish Bakehouse was wearing a navy pinstripe double-breasted suit and recently shined shoes, and he may as well have been sporting a tutu and a beer hat for the looks he was getting.

You could see the customers’ minds working. He wasn’t en route to a funeral, his suit was too light. But at 10 a.m. on a dreary, rainy Tuesday in early April, a wedding seemed unlikely too. Maybe he was a hired gun, just grabbing a Danish before heading up-Island to rub someone out . . .