In the earliest days of imagining what Rosewater Market would become, Julia Tarka envisioned a year-round gathering space for the community.

By his own count, Pat Mercier has logged more than 5,000 games in his career as the go-to man in pinstripes.

Armed with a top-of-the line scuba dive model metal detector, Mikey Waters has recovered 105 wedding rings, countless keys, tools, cell phones and even meteorites.

Cicilio Rosa Neto and his full grown ox called Chilmark are regular sights around the Island, attending fairs, walking through downtown Vineyard Haven and even participating in funerals.

Born and raised on the Vineyard, Nick Kent has trotted the globe to play hockey and now works for the Tampa Bay Lightning. But he still comes back every summer to teach the games he loves to Island kids.

Petey Berndt’s standard greeting when a customer walks into Coop de Ville is not “How many?” It’s “How have you been?”