The Martha’s Vineyard Historical Preservation Society Inc. this week formally announced the launching of its campaign to raise $740,000 by Dec. 8 to purchase the land, building and business of the historic Oak Bluffs carousel, the Flying Horses.

 

As part of its agreement with the present owner of the carousel, James Ryan of Osterville, the society has managed the Flying Horses since its opening on the Memorial Day weekend. It is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

 

I heard this week that there will be no more Darling’s, the old popcorn store, in Oak Bluffs this summer or any other summer. Murdick’s Fudge Kitchen of Mackinac Island, Michigan, will take its place.

 

I have nothing against Murdick’s Fudge Kitchen. It has been selling fudge in Edgartown for four years now, and I’ve enjoyed it, and my sister in law, who has a house at East Chop, smacked her lips when she heard the news and said: “Now there’s fudge!”

 

The Camp Ground at Oak Bluffs is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Michael J. Connolly, secretary of state for the Commonwealth and the new chairman of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, made the news public.

 

The Camp Ground, Mr. Connolly said, is an area “unique in the nation for its architecture, remarkable state of preservation and as the best example of a nineteenth century religious retreat.

 

A spectacular blaze, the cause of which is not definitely determined, destroyed the freight she and outer end of the Oak Bluffs steamboat wharf late Wednesday afternoon, involving a loss of property owned by Vincent’s Fish Market, on the dock property, the value of which was set at $30,000 and a loss to the Steamship Authority, covered by insurance, not yet even approximated. The fish market equipment was uninsured, according to David Vincent, the proprietor.