Vineyard Power, the Island-owned energy cooperative, is preparing to partner with a private developer in bidding for leases early next year in the federally owned wind energy area 12 nautical miles south of the Vineyard.

Developers will bid on 25-year leases on one or more of the zones at a federal auction Jan. 29.

Following the early closure of the scalloping season in Aquinnah, town officials and shellfish biologists are trying to understand the unexpected decline in the number of adult scallops this year. The season closed Nov. 15 in response to a lack of adult scallops; a black algae was also observed growing on many of the scallop shells.

The early manuscript was written more than 30 years ago when the West Tisbury author was living on a houseboat in Washington, D.C. Now Murder at C-Dock marks the launch of a new murder mystery series.

A committee is preparing for a new phase in the mission to protect and in some cases restore the rural character of Island roads. Planners from McCormick Taylor, a consulting and engineering firm, and Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, will help develop a manual.

A re-routed roadway running partly across a wetland, a new location for the parking lot and removal of an oceanfront stone revetment are among the draft recommendations. A public hearing is set for Dec. 18.

In a long-awaited lottery, four Chilmark residents were awarded homesites at Nab’s Corner. The event early Friday evening was standing room only.