Open House for Debate

Tuesday’s lottery for seven affordable homes in West Tisbury was a poignant reminder of the struggle ordinary workers have just to build a stable life on this Island. Though many more than seven qualified — with rigorous financial preparations made — it came down to the luck of the draw.

Clamming Comes Back

The Island is full of talented fishermen, but even those hopeless with a hook can enjoy clamming. Clams are captives, lying lazily in wait for their captor. Successful quahauging takes only a rake.

What’s in a Name?

Notables

National newspapers last week carried the obituaries of three notable civil servants: conservationist and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall; Liz Carpenter, press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson during her White House years, and former Massachusetts State Senator and former Bristol (now Cape and Islands) district attorney Edmund Dinis. All three will be remembered here for their Island connections.

March Days

An old French proverb has it that only fools go barefoot in March. There have been days, this March, when temperatures have risen to the 60s, and it has been tempting to shed footwear for a long beach stroll. But last weekend, ferocious winds on Saturday night and early Sunday canceled ferries and downed trees and power lines. Then rain plummeted down, pouring through downspouts, forming great lakes on paved roads and mud patches on dirt roads. There was nothing inviting about walking — barefoot or not — in those rains.

Shine a Light

It was Sunshine Week across the nation. The idea behind this initiative is to showcase the importance of open government and freedom of information. Spearheaded by newspaper editors, many media and civic groups now use the week to target action that enlightens and empowers people to uncover information that can make their lives better and communities stronger.