Mediation Plays Central Role in Island Courts

By ALEXIS TONTI

The Martha's Vineyard Mediation Program is the silent partner of the Edgartown District Court. While what happens in court is public and sometimes pyrotechnic, mediation takes disputes off the docket and behind closed doors. It's a voluntary alternative that allows disputants, facilitated by two mediators, to work together toward a mutually agreeable solution.

Checking Out: Volunteers Help Library's Move

By ALEXIS TONTI

Libraries are by their nature organized spaces. Every book has its place: adult and children's, reference, fiction and nonfiction. They are neatly shelved, alphabetized by author or sorted by the Dewey decimal system.

Since 1938

Red Stockings Fill with Spirit Of the Season

By ALEXIS TONTI

The Gazette library seems to have files on any topic. Some are slim (Finnish prefabs, for example). Others are so fat they have spilled over into second and third envelopes. The Red Stocking file is just such a case. The envelopes are thick with clippings and creased from use. They have surprising weight in the palm of the hand.

For four years now, since its inception in 1997, the state-sponsored special English language program has been growing.

Comsog Fall Festival Celebrates Harvest Time on the Island

By ALEXIS TONTI

Sunday was a cold and blustery day, coming at the end of that kind of weekend, gray all around. Because of all that grayness, the bright sign stood out even more. Red lettering against a yellow background: COMSOG Fall Festival, 12-3, Free Soup.