With hurricane season under way and winter storm season on the way, West Tisbury selectmen heard from the town emergency manager this week about preparedness and ongoing efforts to operate an Islandwide emergency shelter during severe storms.

Sengekontacket Pond is closed to shellfishing after the heavy rainfall on Thursday, Sept. 10. The pond is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at the earliest.

There will be a town hall meeting on Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. at the American Legion in Vineyard Haven about health care for veterans.

Bill Shipsey, founder of Art for Amnesty, a program of Amnesty International, organized a human chain around the Edgartown Lighthouse last week in advance of a major human chain project in Italy this weekend.

The Federal Aviation Administration has given the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission a deadline of Dec. 31 to finish designing an aircraft rescue and firefighting facility that is already years behind schedule.