On the fifth anniversary of the Federated Church’s dedication as part of The African-American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard, 14 Island residents gathered in the space to recite Frederick Douglass’s speech What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

Soaring costs for steel, a surge in demand at shipyards, a shortage of skilled labor and the Steamship Authority’s own limitations all played their parts in the boat line’s failure to accurately estimate the cost of converting its new oil field vessels for use as freight ferries.

The ferry line announced Wednesday that it was changing the rules for the “blue line” standby on the Vineyard route, moving from a hard cap of 15 vehicles a day to a new rolling 12-vehicle cap.

An unusual problem has crept up during the slow start to summer for some Island workers: there’s not enough work.

While many have touted the arrival of offshore wind, there are also concerns about the scope of the effort and the potential for irreparable damage to species that live and migrate through the area.