Water striders always come out on top.

They also stay on top! Water striders are those zippy, semi-aquatic insects that seem to magically skate along the surface of ponds, streams and other slow-moving waters. These above-water acrobats never plunge into the water or become submerged; they live on, not under, the surface of the water through their entire adult lives.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

April 15 58 40 T

April 16 49 35

April 17 53 42 .38

April 18 57 42 T

April 19 58 45

April 20 60 45 .05

April 21 56 44 T

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 54º F.

The Lyrid meteor shower is tonight. For those who love to sit out on a still night and watch shooting stars, tonight is the first big opportunity for the year. If the weather does not cooperate, there may be something to see tomorrow night too.

State officials have asked the federal government to reduce the size of the area open for wind power developments south of the Vineyard by almost 60 per cent, out of concern for the fishing industry.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission also has weighed in with objections to the federal plan to open up some 3,000 square miles of ocean south of the Vineyard, criticizing the haste with which the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) was proceeding, and calling for more study of the potential impacts of development.

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Mytoi Cleanup

Enjoy a dirty, possibly sweaty celebration of spring: Spend a morning planting and sprucing up the Island’s only public Japanese-style garden, Mytoi on Chappaquiddick. The annual group gardening event is on next Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m. to noon, and all are welcome to help. Bring your own work gloves, rakes and shovels, and join for any or all of the morning at Mytoi. Please let organizerss know if you plan to attend; call 508-693-7662.