Renaissance House, a retreat for artists and writers in Oak Bluffs, is accepting applications for its 11th year of operation.

Renaissance House is sponsored by the Helene Johnson and Dorothy West Foundation for artists in need. Both women were writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Ms. Johnson died in 1995 and Ms. West in 1998.

The program is from June to October in Oak Bluffs. A resident can stay for one or two weeks.

The Vineyard Gazette won 27 awards in the annual New England Better Newspaper Contest this year, including general excellence, the top prize awarded in the winter contest for small newspapers for 2011. “An outstanding, fascinating weekly newspaper. Superb newspaper writing. It should be studied in journalism classes on community newspapers,” judges wrote.

Connie McHugh of the Vineyard Tennis Center and Workout has been selected secretary of the United States Professional Tennis Association in New England. The USPTA is the professional association that tests and certifies tennis teaching professionals from around the world.

Mrs. McHugh received her certificate for 25 years of service in the United States Professional Tennis Association organization this year. She also coached the Martha’s Vineyard Girls’ high school tennis team to their first conference championship last spring.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary announced that it will provide Fern & Feather Natural History Day Camp scholarships and discounts to year-round Vineyard residents again this year.

The camp offers opportunities for children to experience the outdoors in the 350-acre wildlife sanctuary while exploring forest, field, salt marsh, freshwater and saltwater communities. Each weekly theme incorporates outdoor investigation, games, hands-on natural history lessons, hikes, stories and crafts.

Holy Cross Dean’s List

Grace M. Shelley, a fourth-year student at the College of the Holy Cross, has been named to the dean’s list for the first semester of the 2011-2012 academic year. She is the granddaughter of Jane W. Shelley of Oak Bluffs, with whom she has spent the last two summers while working at the Seafood Shanty and the YMCA. She majors in English/education.

Dean’s List Honors

Berklee College of Music announced that Lydia Fischer of Chilmark and Evan Hall of Aquinnah earned placement on the dean’s list for the fall semester of the 2011 academic year. To be eligible for this honor, a full-time student must achieve a grade point average of 3.4 or above; a part-time student must achieve a grade point average of 3.6 or above.

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