Town Meeting Time

Next Tuesday evening, Tisbury residents will gather in the gymnasium of the Tisbury School for an activity that goes back to the days of British colonial rule and yet remains as fresh as the latest Island controversies, whether large or small.

Should enough citizens turn out, town moderator Deborah Medders will declare that a quorum is present, and the voters of Tisbury will again begin the annual practice of coming together to govern their town.

Cinematic Gift

“A good movie can take you out of your dull funk,” film critic Pauline Kael said. “A good movie can make you feel alive again, in contact . . . make you care, make you believe in possibilities again.”

Patrons who venture to the Chilmark Community Center this weekend will be transported from the funk of Island winter, through three days of films carefully chosen by movie lovers who love to be moved.

Welcome Home, Mr. Turkington

He was a quiet politician in a noisy political arena. He was sometimes so quiet he seemed out of place in the fractious clamor of Vineyard politics. His critics wondered in the early years if he was too timid to survive the political wars that roil the everyday life of the Vineyard, Nantucket, Falmouth and Boston. His supporters hoped his quiet reserve would translate to a strong and effective voice for his Cape and Islands district in the state assembly.

Investigating a Tragedy

When Benjamin Sutherland, an eighteen-year-old high school graduate, fell thirty feet from the rigging of the sailing vessel Alabama on a calm day in July two thousand six and later died from his injuries, the Coast Guard launched an investigation into what had happened and what, if anything, could have prevented the tragedy.

In a careful and thorough report, the service now has concluded that no violations of Coast Guard rules occurred.

Fiscal Squeeze

In Aquinnah, the hours of operation have shrunk for the town landfill and the library. In Oak Bluffs, the town is facing an operating deficit of as much as $2 million.

The scale may be different. But the service cutbacks in Aquinnah and the serious fiscal shortfall in Oak Bluffs are part of the same picture: a slowing economy, rising costs and Island towns caught in the middle.

Island Songlines

Picturesque snow quieted the Island a week ago, a reminder of how long, dark and lonely the wintertime can be here. Some say it’s a reason young people leave the Vineyard.

Then came Saturday with another musical potluck at the Chilmark Community Center. Not for the first time this winter, a few young men with a talent for music organized the night, showing they also have a talent for conjuring community warmth.