New legislation will be filed in the state house this month making way for a state recreational saltwater fishing license. State Representative Tim Madden said he plans to cosponsor the legislation and that is a good idea for all local fishermen.

“The federal government is mandating that there be a recreational saltwater license. This one, a state version is better, because it keeps the money here,” Mr. Madden said.

Ellen, aka Lefty, Leverenz e-mailed me and attached two photos of downy woodpeckers that she had seen at her Chilmark feeders. She did so because the bellies of the birds visiting her feeders were not that lovely stark white we normally expect on these little woodpeckers. Instead the bellies of these birds were a dirty tannish color. Several days later I visited Larry Hepler and Alice Early at their Quansoo home and they mentioned that they had some dirty-bellied birds as well. I was able to see an Early-Hepler woodpecker and it had the usual black and white back but a decidedly tan belly.

By LYNNE IRONS

The group of children sat whittling pieces of wood that had been split from a log. Hot coals had been used to burn a hollow into each block, and the children were paring away the excess wood to turn the block into a spoon. Squatting in front of them was Saskia Vanderhoop, who runs this remarkable program called Sassafras. She had brought in a bag of bright green boiled leaves, and passed it around for everyone to taste some. I couldn’t believe it when she told us it was milkweed! Boiled in two changes of water, it was mild as spinach but almost meaty in texture and flavor.