Barbecues, road races, and lobster rolls are on the agenda and parades are planned at both ends of the Island as the Vineyard welcomes one of the busiest days of the year. All eyes will turn to Edgartown tonight for the annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks.

The Vineyard may seem far removed from racial violence, but it has not been a silent observer in the struggle for equality. Every summer people from around the country gather here to continue the civil rights discussion.

Dean Bragonier nimbly hopped down the rocks on the Sengekontacket Pond side of State Beach in the morning sunlight this week. Starting July 11, the 42-year-old will embark on a 27-leg swim around Martha's Vineyard to bring awareness to dyslexia.

The shelter has a new resident, an orange female cat who was thrown out of a car! She is a beautiful girl who is multidactyl.

Philip Mangano will be guest speaker at Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven on Sunday, July 5.

Anna Mae Cecilio, a Vineyard native and former career nurse on the Island, now living on the Cape, was recognized recently by the Cape Cod Senior residences for her exemplary life and citizenship.