The pedestrian path under con struction around Sunset Lake in Oak Bluffs reminds me of my favorite walk of childhood summers.

For years I have given over a guest room to a Sharks baseball player. It all started almost 10 years ago when I was working the concession stand at the Shark Tank.

The wildflowers have been muted in this year of weather extremes — dry, dry spring followed by a midsummer drenched with intermittent showers.

The perennial friction between those who cherish the Old Martha’s Vineyard and those who want to fix it up has reached a new peak of intensity as the Island experiences another wave of migration and building pressure.

Within recent memory, West Tisbury, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Chilmark have all added event rooms to their libraries. Now Vineyard Haven hopes to do the same.