Buried deep within the woods of the Manuel Correllus State Forest is a statue of Booming Ben, the world’s final heath hen. Once common, the species was hunted to near-extinction in the 1870s.

Summer traffic on Martha’s Vineyard is causing significant headaches for people who visit and live here, according to the results of a Vineyard Gazette survey, with seven out of 10 respondents saying they avoid shopping in towns in July and August because of congestion.

Doug McConnell entered the water off Nantucket at 7:17 a.m. today to begin his swim to the Vineyard. At 2 p.m. he was just off Wasque. Track his progress at track.rs/ALongSwim.

Will Luckey, a well-known Island musician and music teacher, died on August 17 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital after battling cancer.

It’s hard to keep a secret from the Larsen family. But early Monday the family was pleasantly surprised by a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the fish market.