Echoes of Sept. 11 followed the solemn marchers in the Memorial Day veterans' parade on Monday. More participants joined, and more flags were hung than in years past. Even the crowds were larger on the Edgartown streets.

U.S. Census Figures Show Poverty Rates on Island Fall Below State Average

By NIS KILDEGAARD

Poverty rates on Martha's Vineyard are lower than the Massachusetts average, according to new statistics issued this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. But the Census numbers, when viewed in detail, paint a stark picture of a middle-class community where income still falls beneath state averages even as housing costs climb to crippling levels.

Scores of high school students went to the prom Saturday night and then roamed the Vineyard looking for a party, and in the course of that night, at least seven figured out they were in some kind of trouble and needed a ride home.

After breathing smoke-free air for more than a year, some bar owners in Oak Bluffs just can't stand it anymore. They want the smokers back, and they're pressing the board of health to reverse the ban that's been in effect since April 2001.

The lilacs are in full bloom and the air smells like summer. Memorial Day weekend is here. The American flags are posted. The flowers boxes are decorated. This is an early such weekend for a community that years ago used to end the month with the national holiday. And yes, there will be more than one parade.

From Public to Spiritual Works: Fred LaPiana Becomes Deacon

By JOSHUA SABATINI

Fred LaPiana of Tisbury has served his community's physical needs for nine years as director of the town's department of public works. But the man who often can be seen driving the roadways in a red public works truck will now help some Islanders meet their spiritual needs, too.