With demand for affordable homesites running high and an upcoming lottery for four lots at Nab’s Corner a few days away, the Chilmark selectmen this week denied two appeals from applicants who did not meet the guidelines.

Shotgun hunting season opened last week, and runs through Dec. 13. In addition to putting food on the table, the season is essential for gathering the data used to manage the deer population.

Two leading scientists with the Massachusetts Estuaries Project met with the Chilmark selectmen this week to seek approval in moving forward with their study of Chilmark Pond. A draft report released last month confirms that the pond is at its limit for handling nitrogen runoff.

Following statewide funding cuts in November, the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group is reassessing maintenance projects for this year and contemplating the future of its shell recovery program.

The town of Chilmark has again received a major grant from the office of Coastal Zone Management for the restoration of Squibnocket Beach. The $280,000 grant had fallen into uncertainty because it was tied to a project rejected by voters last spring.

With Vibrio an ongoing concern, guidelines for handling and transporting oysters are expected to be revised again. Vineyard oyster farmers have been exemplary in adhering to protocols, state officials said.